Think you have to travel far to find an eco-friendly, luxury inn? Think again, because there’s an exquisite option right here on the Connecticut River. Twenty-six years ago, Stephen Tagliatela’s family opened the Saybrook Point Inn & Spa with a mission…to buy as much as possible local, made in the U.S. and keep it environmentally friendly and sustainable. Not an easy task and certainly not something most people were thinking about in 1989. But his dedication and success has earned him the awards of being one of the first hotels in Connecticut to be certified green and the first certified Clean Marina in the state.
Along with all of the typical environmentally friendly initiatives hotel owners can make such as (water recycling) low flow showerheads, dual flush toilets, recycling baskets in guest rooms, energy efficient lighting, solar panels, bird houses to reduce the mosquito population naturally, environmentally friendly cleaning and laundry products and a generator that runs on biofuel, Tagliatela has implemented some pretty cutting-edge sustainable efforts as well.
Installing the e4 Smart Digital Thermostat with ecoMODE played a major role in helping the premiere four diamond waterfront New England inn and spa become the first full-service hotel in Connecticut to achieve the ENERGY STAR ranking by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A typical thermostat in a hotel room has what’s called a two degree drift, meaning that if you set it for 70 degrees, the temperature may fluctuate from 69-71 degrees before it kicks on to cool the room. With ecoMODE, a three degree drift is allowed, which doesn’t sound like much and certainly isn’t noticeable to the guest, but allows the inn to save 30% on oil usage. And if you open the door from your room leading out to the porch, the thermostat automatically shuts off and turns back on when the door is closed. Another interesting feature this system has is that it’s connected to the front desk and knows when a guest has checked in and automatically turns on to cool the room.
Have you ever thought about what a waste it is when you only use the soap or toiletries once or twice in a hotel room? Stephen Tagliatela has an answer for this too. The Saybrook Point Inn & Spa is proud to support Clean the World, an organization that distributes recycled soap products, along with appropriate educational materials, to impoverished countries worldwide, and to domestic homeless shelters. All of the leftover soap and shampoo from the guests’ stays goes directly to Clean the World. And Tagliatela doesn’t stop there.
One of the toughest things to do in maintaining an eco-friendly property is to get all of the staff on board to implement the many day to day things that need to happen in order to keep it sustainable. So, they came up with a brilliant idea called the Green Team. Each month employees meet to discuss new concepts and make suggestions for environmentally friendly practices. For example, the dishwasher noticed that he had to run half full racks of dishes through the washer in order to keep up with the demand because there weren’t enough plates to get the restaurant through the night. By ordering more plates, they were able to save 20,000 gallons of water. What a great way to involve the staff and save the environment!
So, you think all of these eco-friendly practices come at a price of reduced luxury? Not so fast…the beauty and hospitality of this property will take your breath away and you won’t even notice what’s going on behind the scenes. The words that come to mind when you first walk through the doors of the inn to entering your luxurious room to strolling along the docks of the marina and if you’re smart… to booking a treatment at the spa? Pure elegance, tranquility, rejuvenation, romance, and most of all…peace. The rooms are quaint and exquisite, with plush king-sized beds, waterfall showerheads, and sliding doors that open onto your own private porch that overlooks the marina. You won’t want to leave your room, but should you get hungry, you won’t have far to go for a great meal.
Aptly named for the point where the river meets the ocean, Fresh Salt is a dining experience you won’t want to miss. We chose to dine outside, which I would highly recommend, where you can watch the water and the larger than life mega yachts that are often docked at the marina. Chef Carlos Cassar uses as much local and organic foods as possible in his menu and grows an herb garden right on site for not only the restaurant but for the boaters as well! With plenty of fresh day’s catch raw bar options to Italian farm plates to organic roasted chicken, there’s something for everyone on this menu. One of my favorites was the line caught striped bass with saffron arrancini and lemon crab salad with roasted corn sauce.
And you can’t leave this place without experiencing the world class spa. The concept of the spa is based on a place where the river meets the sound and the mind meets the body. I treated myself to the Ocean Memory and believe me, it’s a memory I won’t ever forget! Using marine-based products, my therapist applied a salt scrub with wonderful ocean scents to exfoliate the body. There is a private shower with six jets right in your treatment room, and as I rinsed off, I think my jaw literally dropped as I felt how silky my skin was. Next, she applied an algae mousse to the T-zone of my back (across the shoulders and down the spine) to detoxify and invigorate the central nervous system. You can literally feel it working as it heats up and creates little air bubbles that snap and crackle. After a twenty minute process, she wipes your back down with a hot towel and then the massage begins. Soothing strokes meant to simulate ocean waves will put you into complete and utter relaxation and bliss. The beauty and peacefulness of the spa is a perfect compliment to the rest of the luxurious inn and they use all organic and vegan products. When you’re finished with your treatment, you can head out to catch some rays at the salt water pool.
Just a stone’s throw away from where you live, and considering it won’t take a plane to get there, you can truly do your part in saving the environment by booking your luxurious, eco-friendly vacation at The Saybrook Point Inn & Spa.
Submitted by Dr. Diane Hindman.