This luxury package includes a round trip flight for 2, a 5 day stay at the Gaylord Palms, a green rental car, and a full carbon offset.
Imagine a resort experience that brings to life the best of the Sunshine State. All of the spirit. All of the excitement. All of the adventure. All under one roof. At the Gaylord Palms Resort & Spa, around every corner lies an unpredictable experience. Upon arrival at Gaylord Palms Resort, you realize something is different here. Yes, the size and architecture are astounding, however there is something deeper within the details. A sixty-foot schooner floating in a Key West lagoon. A baby alligator sleeping among the mystical waters of the Everglades. A three-story Spanish fort centering historic St. Augustine. And perhaps the greatest wonder is that it is all under glass. This feeling of refreshing surprise is the last thing you would ever expect from a resort, and yet it will be the first thing you remember about your experience at Gaylord Palms.
Gaylord Palms is not only bringing Florida to life, but keeping it alive with their comprehensive commitment to the environment. The resort was welcomed into the Florida Green Lodging property program in February of 2008. To be designated a Florida Green Lodging property, hotels must follow certain green practices. These practices include, but are not limited to, water conservation measures through low-flow plumbing fixtures and a linen reuse program, and energy efficiency achieved by
installing ENERGY STAR® appliances and programmable thermostats. The waste reduction criteria are met by providing the opportunity to recycle, purchasing items in bulk, purchasing recycled materials and by recycling ink and toner cartridges. All Green Lodging properties must also use green cleaners and use high efficiency air filters and clean air handler units frequently.
Environmentally-friendly features at Gaylord Palms include a towel and linen reuse program to conserve energy and water, an advanced computerized energy management system and a recycling program for guests and staff. In total, the resort has identified more than four dozen separate initiatives that fall under their new “Eco-Logical” umbrella. Some of the highlights include:
- All guest rooms now feature energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs in most fixtures, ensuring energy efficiency. Hotel lighting, especially guest room lighting, accounts for about 30 to 40 percent of hotel electricity consumption. According to Energy Star statistics, by replacing an average of ten bulbs in every Gaylord Palms guest room, the annual energy saved could light more than 117 homes for one year, and save the emissions equivalent to taking nearly 880 cars off the road for one year.
- An in-room “comfort management” system helps to reduce energy consumption in guest rooms by an estimated one-third. This innovative technology features occupancy sensors that automatically monitor and adjust individual room temperatures. For example, a sensor will automatically modify the room temperature to “energy efficient” mode when no guests are detected, then back to the most comfortable temperature upon the guest’s return. In addition, normal “high and low” temperature points can be set for all rooms, which are adjusted based on time of year.
- Extensive cardboard recycling program in place, reducing total waste. Last year, Gaylord Palms recycled more than 100 tons of cardboard, or the equivalent weight of about 25 adult elephants. This saved more than 900 cubic yards of landfill space.
- Guest rooms and public restrooms feature low-flow faucets and low-flow toilets, reducing water consumption. Assuming 2 flushes per day per guest room, these low-flow toilets save more than 3 million gallons of water per year in guest rooms alone.
- Gaylord Palms restaurants and banquet chefs have committed to supporting local and organic farming. Some industry publications estimate that the average meal travels approximately 1,500 miles before it reaches your table. Eliminating air travel and shorter transit distances drastically reduces the amount of fossil fuel consumed in bringing foods from farm to table.
- Gaylord Palms is working with individual meeting planners to incorporate “Earth-friendly” components into their meeting plans. According to recent research, 67% of meeting and incentive professionals have taken environmental considerations into account when planning a conference or incentive program. Gaylord Palms is working to increase that average.
- Gaylord Palms is going “paperless” whenever possible. For instance:
- The Sales department process has been changed to electronically store client files, instead of printing hard copies to store in paper files.
- Convention Services is providing client materials, including interactive floor plans of the meeting space, in electronic form via Gaylord Hotels’ “MyMeetingPlanner” website.
- Accounting now provides detailed meeting-specific invoices – sometimes large enough to fill an entire binder – on a single compact disc.
- Payroll now offers an option to view pay statements online, eliminating the need to print a pay statement for every STAR employee.
- Human Resources posts internal manuals and similar materials online.
Gaylord Hotels was among the first hotel brands to announce a resort-wide “no smoking” policy, clearing the air for our guests and staff.
For a complete list of Gaylord Palms' Eco-Logical initiatives, please click here.
Set in the style and grandeur of a turn-of-the-century Florida mansion, Gaylord Palms™ Resort & Convention Center offers:
- Four acres of themed experiences under glass, including innovative restaurants, fascinating shops and live entertainment.
- A top-notch guest experience, with all of the services and amenities you’d expect from a world-class resort hotel and convention center.
- State-of-the-art and expansive convention, meeting, and exhibition space, designed with the meeting planner in mind.
- The most prestigious spa in Central Florida, a leading-edge fitness and health facility, and a championship golf course at Falcon's Fire.
- Special activities for children at the on-site La Petite Academy® Kids Station.
- Experience more fun under the Florida sun! The new Coquina Dunes outdoor recreation park is now open and includes an executive putting course, bocce court, croquet lawn, and sand volleyball court. This lushly landscaped recreation park adds a dose of fun to the ultimate Florida resort experience.
- Play the Coquina Dunes Electronic Golf Challenge!
All while delivering a truly unique and exciting Florida experience unlike anything that has ever been seen before.
