Eco Chic
Lexus' Hybrid Living Suite in City’s Fairmont Hotel

May 21 | archive | subscribe

 

Lexus Hybrid Living is a site with information and ideas about experiencing a life filled with sustainable style. There are two sections: Hybrid Living Tours takes you on video podcast tours of New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, guiding you to spas, hotels, boutiques and more; Hybrid Living Profiles features architects and fashion and interior designers who are on the cutting edge of the fusion of sustainability and style.

Lexus has taken the program a step further by offering eco-friendly travel accommodations to boot. Teaming up with the Fairmont luxury hotel chain, a Lexus Hybrid Living Suite was built in two hotels -- one in Washington, D.C. and one in San Francisco.

The San Francisco Fairmont is located on top of the Nob Hill area, the highest point in the entire city. The Lexus Suite provides a stunning look at many of San Francisco's chief points of interest, including Alcatraz, Coit Tower, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

It also serves as a fantastic central location for sightseeing, with Chinatown and North Beach a short walk away, and the city's famous cable cars zipping up and down the adjoining street should guests wish to visit more distant sights.

Within the suite, the black floors are constructed of bamboo -- an environmentally sensitive and rapidly renewable plant -- while designer furniture by Kelly LaPlante and the Kenneth Cobonpue collection is of organic, long-wearing materials.

Organic is a chief theme in the suite, with material for the bed mattress, sheets, towels, and robes all grown without pesticides. Much of the furniture in the suite, from the night stands, to the bed, dining table, and bathroom fixtures, was sourced from antique stores, basically recycling them for use in the suite.

Speaking of recycling, the stylish, white circular coffee table was upholstered with scraps of leather reclaimed from the production of Lexus vehicles -- scraps that would otherwise have been discarded.

The mini-fridge contains food and drink that has been organically produced, including local wine, cheese, and chocolates. Even the toiletries -- shampoo, hand soap, and the like -- were all chosen for their eco-friendly ingredients.

Forty three million U.S. travelers consider themselves to be ‘ecologically concerned’ according to the U.S. Travel Data Center. With the environment priorities at an all-time high, it’s heartening to know that ‘on the go’ eco travel is flourishing. Several chi chi hotels have special perks for hybrid drivers. So go ahead, journey green.

The Lexus Hybrid Living Suite at the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel will be offered through December 30, 2008, at a cost of $869 per night. A Lexus LS 600h is gratis for all Lexus Hybrid Living Suite guests. So go ahead, journey green. lexus.com