The Magnolia Hotel, Dallas

Regarding their green practices, some rooms indicated they had a towel and sheet re-use program for their water conservation practice, other rooms made no mention of it. Some lights had compact fluorescent bulbs as part of their energy conservation practice, but most had incandescent bulbs. Their shower curtains and liners were fabric, not plastic. Their wastebaskets were durable, and except for the kitchen wastebasket, were unlined and could be wiped or washed out when necessary. There were non-smoking guestrooms.

There were several areas where they fell down on being green. They provided newspapers to every guest Monday through Friday, which strikes me as a huge waste of resources. Bathroom amenities were individual soaps and lotions rather than bulk. There was no obvious recycling in the hotel. Breakfast service sometimes had Styrofoam plates and bowls, along with plastic tableware, and sometimes durable goods. I couldn' tell if the toilets and showers were water conserving or not; if they were that�s fantastic and just the right approach, but if they weren't then the hotel was missing out on huge operating expense savings. Regarding the use of incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs, the only way I could tell what a fixture had was by looking; that says to me that if they converted to compact fluorescent bulbs everywhere then they�d save money and not negatively impact their guests -- the perfect balance of green and hospitable.

The owners have created a special location in a city that feels like home. The furniture they have chosen is not standard hotel furniture, the window coverings were both wooden blinds and fabric roman shades (providing privacy, dark sleeping quarters, and sound proofing), and the lighting was generous. It�s a beautiful hotel. It could easily be a beautiful green hotel.