Building Canada's greenest resort wasn't the easy thing to do but it was the right thing, and now Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa is being celebrated internationally for its environmental achievements.
Parkside was recently awarded a 5 Green Key rating with the Green Key Global Eco-Rating Program, a rating system designed to recognize the commitment of hotels, motels and resorts to improving their environmental performance.
A hotel with a 5 Green Key rating is described as a hotel that exemplifies the highest standards of environmental and social responsibility. Parkside is one of only two hotels in Victoria to achieve a 5 Green Key rating.
The 5 Green Key designation follows on five awards received by the Canadian Home Builders' Association of Vancouver Island Achievements and Renovations of Excellence (CARE) Awards. The organization awarded Parkside its top honour, CARE Development Project of the Year, as well as awards for Outdoor Environmental Achievement, Best Commercial Project, Best Interior – Commercial, and Best Project Website.
"We're honoured by the recognition we've received – at our company's core is doing the right thing for the environment and creating buildings that are sustainable and energy efficient," said CEO of Aviawest Resort Group Jim Pearson, Parkside's developer and manager.
These prestigious Canadian awards come six months after Parkside was recognized south of the border at the 2010 American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Convention and Exposition Awards Gala in Las Vegas, Nevada, receiving two gold medals for Resort Architecture and Site Design and Utilization.
Setting a new standard in Canadian resort development, Parkside has been built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) platinum standards, creating a green hotel which combines sustainable design with luxury, world-class comforts and amenities – a first in Canada.
Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa features 126 suites in two towers, which are joined by a green roof glass atrium filled with exotic plants rescued from the former Crystal Garden.
Amenities include an expansive penthouse lounge, rooftop gardens with extensive landscaping, ozonated swimming pool and hot tub, fitness centre, in-house movie theatre and a full-service AquaTerre Spa.
The resort also contains two levels of underground parking complete with space for 20 bicycles and power stations to accommodate electric vehicles.
