Who is that?

‘Tango the Cheetah.’ He’s kind of a big deal… he’s famous.

How famous?

Well, for starters, he was recently featured in National Geographic for his work as an “Ambassador Cat.”

That’s not very famous.

Ahem… I said ‘for starters.’ There’s more. He recently starred in an Infinity commercial with Neil Patrick Harris. And in two weeks he’s starring in a Superbowl commercial for Hyundai. A SUPERBOWL commercial!  Is that famous enough for you?

Yes.

Very well then.

What’s an “Ambassador Cat”?

Pretty much what it sounds like. It’s a cat that, while not tamed, is trained to make public appearances in hopes of raising awareness about the species. The end goal, of course, is conservation. Conservationists feel like the best way to forge a lasting, emotional connection (ie. the best way to make people care) is by putting them in a room with these animals… with nothing but air, and a few feet between them.

Where’s he from?

South Africa. He was raised by the folks at Cheetah Outreach, though he currently resides with his people at Project Survival’s Cat Haven (just outside Kings Canyon, CA.)

What is Cat Haven?

It’s a non-profit group dedicated to helping researchers and conservationists in their efforts to study and protect wild cats. Its goal is to engage the support of like-minded individuals through education, and channel it directly to specific projects. The organization supports wildlife specialists through grant writing, fundraising and the donation of equipment and supplies. These efforts are designed to further our understanding of captive husbandry and the effective management of wild populations.

Why is he on your blog again?

Right! This weekend we’re hosting a fundraising Benefit Dinner for Project Survival’s Cat Haven. The event includes a three course meal with wine provided by Hook & Ladder, a “meet-and-greet” with Tango, and a presentation by the organization’s founder, Dale Anderson. (Dale’s brother, Dean, is Hotel Healdsburg’s longtime night audit, which is how we came to learn about Cat Haven.) Also, a special photography exhibit of artist Renae Sandberg’s work on endangered cats will be on display courtesy of Just for You Gallery.

When and Where?

The Benefit Dinner is Saturday, January 28th (6-9 pm) in h2hotel’s Green Room. Tickets are $75 and will be available at the h2 front desk, or online at cathaven.com.

What if I can’t make it but still want to help the cause?

You can write a check to “Project Survival” and send it to the folks at Cat Haven. I’m sure they’d love that.

For the uninitiated, urban homesteading is a rapidly growing movement comprised of urbanites looking to reduce their impact on the environment. And this book is a comprehensive, back-to-the-land guide filled with tips, practical info and stories from people already living the urban homesteading lifestyle. It embraces the core concepts of localization (providing our basic needs close to where we live), self-reliance (re-learning that food comes from the ground, not the grocery store), and sustainability (giving back at least as much as we take). Readers will find concise how-to information that they can immediately set into practice, from making solar cookers to growing tomatoes in a pot to raising chickens on a tiny plot and maintaining the mental serenity of country life in the fast-paced city environment.

Sounds great, right? We thought you’d think so.

Rachel Kaplan will be on hand this weekend to discuss the book, and we hope you’ll be around to hear it.

If not, buy the book anyway. Read it and reap.

Urban Homesteading Author Event. Saturday, 12/7, 3-4 pm. h2 Green Room.

Cost? FREE!

Paper, right?

Well, not necessarily. The fact is that they both suck for the environment in their own insidious ways. For instance, did you know it takes almost 4x as much energy to manufacture a paper bag as it does to manufacture a plastic one? Shocking, right? You can read about that study, and other myth busting info here.

Or you can pick up a copy of Susan Freinkel’s stunning new book, Plastic: A Toxic Love Story. The book traces the rise of plastic in consumer culture, and its effects on our health and the environment. And it too addresses the Sophie’s Choice we face whenever we select one disposable bag or another.

So, while the Healdsburg City Council has recently joined the proposed countywide ban on plastic bags, the real discourse shouldn’t be between paper or plastic, but centered around reusable.

And here at h2hotel, we know a thing or two about that. For starters, we’re offering our bathroom amenities in refillable containers, and farmers’ market bags in the lobby. But much more importantly, David Baker’s team designed the hotel with custom h2o bars on every floor. All rooms come equipped with a carafe and water glasses (repurposed from wine bottles), and at the h20 bars, guests can choose between chilled and purified sparkling and flat water. While lots of restaurants have their own similar water service, as far as we know, we’re the only hotel with such a feature designed into the building.

Here’s what co-owner, Circe Sher, had to say about it…

“So many hotels charge for water in the guest room. We just don’t believe in this, and have offered complimentary plastic bottles in Hotel Healdsburg since our opening. But using plastic always felt wasteful to me and excessive. Plus, water just tastes better out of a glass. In my home life, I’ve tried to eliminate plastic bottles for several years, so after seeing the sparkling and flat water offered in restaurants, I thought why can’t we do it in a hotel?”

And so, we did.

“It’s such a simple amenity, and a no-brainer for us. From our focus on the Foss Creek Restoration, to the living roof that filters storm water, or our Ned Khan ‘Spoonfalls’ sculpture, water plays such a key role in our hotel’s identity. And luckily, guests have really embraced it. It comes up time and time again in their reviews of the hotel.”

It’s been such a success, in fact, that we’ve decided to also implement the program at Hotel Healdsburg as well.

Love it? Hate it? What do you think about our water bars? We’d love to hear from you!

it's official. h2 is solid gold.

The wait is over!  h2hotel has finally gone gold.

The U.S. Green Building Council has just awarded us LEED Gold Certification. And we’re the first LEED Gold hotel in all of Sonoma County.

What’s that? you ask.

LEED is an acronym for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It’s an internationally recognized, third-party certification for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.  In short, it’s a point-based rating system that establishes whether a building was designed and built with green principles and practices in mind. The rating system offers four certification levels for new construction — Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum — that correspond to the number of credits accrued in five green design categories. And yes, we went above and beyond to achieve Gold status.

What did this mean for us?

For us, this meant installing a living roof and solar heated pool. Those are the most obvious green features.

But it was the little things, the details you might not notice unless you knew what to look for, that earned us the majority of our points.

For instance, during our build-out, more than 85% of h2hotel’s construction debris was recycled.  Many of the materials used to build the hotel—from steel to concrete to glazing—contained a high percentage of recycled content.  And the custom furnishings, exterior wood decking, main stairs, and meeting room floor are all made from salvaged lumber (such as American elm, acacia, and black walnut) in percentages far exceeding the LEED standard.

Or, to pull another example… rather than stock your room with plastic water bottles, we offer you empty glass carafes which you can fill with purified sparkling and still water at the custom-made h2O bars on each floor.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the energy efficient appliances, or occupancy sensors that conserve electricity when the room is empty. Or the complimentary PUBLIC bikes that help you wheel around town. Or our efforts to help restore Foss Creek, a troubled habitat for wild Steelhead trout that lines our property.

See, there’s almost too many details to list!

But it’s important to note that this isn’t about bragging or being green for green’s sake. Rather, we believe strongly in this Healdsburg community and in taking care of the world we inhabit.  And so long as it makes financial and practical sense, we are committed to creating a super green luxury experience.

**

Special thanks to David Baker + Partners (the architect responsible for the AIA design award-winning Hotel Healdsburg), Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, and Interior Designers Marie Fisher and Jennifer Gadiel for thoughtfully incorporating an eco-conscious sensibility into every aspect of h2’s design.

Spoonbar Pastry Chef Tosha Callahan

The jury is in.

Spoonbar’s “Give Us Your Fruit” promo was wildly successful.

For those who don’t know what that is, click here to get up to speed. For the rest of you, muchas gracias for your interest and support. Especially those of you who participated. The community response was incredible. During the week of the promo, we traded over $1000 in Spoonbar credit for around 1500 pounds of fresh, ripe citrus. All that bartering hearkened back to the days of yore.

“It’s like it was 1799 all over again,” jokes Tosha Callahan, our pastry chef and champion of the program. In fact, so instrumental was Tosha in the success of “GUYF,” that we’ll now pass the mic to her. Here’s what she had to say…

“I’ve been up to my eyeballs in fresh, local fruit, and I couldn’t be happier. We’ve received quantities as small as two pounds (about twelve lemons), up to our hundred pound daily max. And the variety of citrus has been outstanding. Eureka lemons, Meyer lemons, juicing oranges, lusciously sweet Healdsburg grapefruits, tart Alexander Valley clementines and more. It’s incredible how much great fruit grows around here.”

Of course, all this fruit begs the question: What the hell are we gonna do with it?

“Some of the citrus will go into Scott Beattie’s cocktails,” says Tosha. “We were very lucky to get our hands on some Rangpur limes, a rare sweet orange lime that will surely deliver a punch to his famed drinks. The oranges are great for our hotel guests as fresh squeezed OJ has been on the breakfast tray since we started. And for me, well, it’s been great to have all this citrus to utilize in my desserts. Try, just try to find a fresher lemon tart than the one on my menu.”

But what’s most exiting to our superstar pastry chef is the sheer variety of participants. “I’ve seen everyone from locals walking their dogs with backpacks full of fruit, to cyclists riding up from Santa Rosa with a big bag of Meyer lemons. It’s really quite amazing.

GUYF has been so successful, in fact, that Tosha is going to keep it going. “I’m in love with this program, and the fantastic community support. I will be available to receive fruit trades Sunday-Wednesday from 8am-12pm for the month of March. We’re looking for any type of citrus or ripe fruit that will be utilized in the Spoonbar pastry kitchen and, of course, behind the bar.”

So what are you waiting for? Give Us Your Fruit!

a citrus tree on every corner

Cruise down any street in Healdsburg these days, and you’ll see that citrus season is well upon us. Hanging heavy with Meyer lemons and grapefruits and oranges, our town’s trees stand like scarecrows to scurvy. And in honor of this bounty, we thought we’d run a fun little promotion… “Give Us Your Fruit!”

For one week, starting February 16th, we’re encouraging all local residents to round up your best homegrown citrus – kumquats and all – and bring it to h2hotel. So long as the fruit is clean and ripe, we’ll exchange it for dining credit at Spoonbar. The oranges and grapefruits will be fresh squeezed for our continental breakfast, while the lemons, limes and array of exotic citrus will find new life in Scott Beattie’s cocktails, Chef Rudy’s seasonal menu, and Pastry Chef Tosha’s exquisite desserts.

Says promo mastermind, Scott Beattie, “It’s another great way to lower our carbon footprint. Rather than truck these fruits in from other parts of the state or country, locals can literally walk them over if they were so inclined.” Of course, we don’t expect anyone to haul a hundred pounds of fruit on foot or bike, but you get the point.

We can take up to 100lbs of fresh citrus per person. And assuming it’s clean, ripe and ready to go, we’ll give you between $.75 and $1.50 per pound. Tosha will be at h2 this Feb. 16-23, 10-noon, to evaluate and collect your citrus.

Sounds good, right? Now… GIVE US YOUR FRUIT!

Ross Hallet.

Ross is our wine director (and Scott’s roommate/best friend). He’s the guy, or sommelier rather, that roves the floor, helping you pair Chef Rudy’s Mediterranean fare with wine. And he’s great at what he does. Why? Because he loves what he does.

“To be honest,” he says, “It’s a privilege to be able to do this for a living. I’m not a dentist, drilling your grill and putting you through pain. I’m here to facilitate a jovial, convivial and sometime revelatory experience.”

Perhaps Ross flies so far under the radar because he barely looks old enough to vote… let alone drink. But alas, he’s 28-years-old, and has racked up an impressive, international resume. He’s done everything from drive forklifts, prune vines, rack barrels, stomp grapes, and bottle his own wine – in places like France, Australia and California. And he’s hot in pursuit of his Master of Wine Certification, of which there are only 280 in the world. The whole world.

The funny thing is, Ross couldn’t even smell until a handful of years ago. He’d broken his nose so many times as a kid (baseball to the face, etc) that the scar tissue had snuffed out his sense of smell. But after a car knocked him off his bike at the age of 21, breaking parts of his face you don’t want to break, the surgeon fixed his nose. And just like that, Ross could smell. Shortly thereafter, he discovered wine.
We’re glad he did.

Ross is one of the young, rising stars in the local wine scene. His focus at Spoonbar is on sustainable wines. Not just sustainable in the kitchy catchy way the word is often employed, but in a much broader sense.

“People spend a lot of money on these certifications. But rather than navigate the convoluted waters of that process – of which there are dozens upon dozens of certifications – I like to take the time to get to know the producers.” Of course, most of his wines on our list do have that organic or biodynamic certification, but for Ross, that’s not as important as the bigger picture. “Sustainability to me is treating the earth with respect, offering a great living wage to your workers and their families, putting your heart into your product, and giving back to the community. Because at the end of the day, I’m all about soulful wine from soulful people.”

Ask for Ross next time you’re at Spoonbar. He’ll be more than happy to help you. Because as much as anyone in the world, this man loves what he does.

Bee. Obviously.

Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m a bit neurotic. But if you were to tell me that there were bees all over the roof of your hotel, I’d quickly assume the worst. It’s not that I dislike bees. Bees are fantastic. Not just because of the honey. Or the “Bee Girl” from a certain beloved music video. Just in general.

But bees on the hotel’s roof? Why are there bees on the roof? Is it littered with trash? Empty soda cans? And furthermore, if it’s the kind of establishment that attracts bees, you’ve gotta wonder what’s crawling behind your walls?

My suggestion? Check out! Now!

Or that’s what this neurotic blogger would have suggested before seeing h2’s living roof, and all the bees happily buzzing about from one native succulent to the next. Yes, our green roof is alive and thriving and it just so happens to provide a great habitat for bees and birds and butterflies too.

So what’s the takeaway? The moral, if you will?  Don’t worry if your hotel’s roof is teeming with bees.

Unless, of course, it doesn’t have a living roof. And in that case: Check out! Now!

our roof is alive and well

David Baker + Partners' SOMA Studios in SF

h2’s architect, David Baker, is not known for his modesty. In fact, quite the opposite. The man behind David Baker + Partners thinks BIG. The celebrated San Francisco architect has bold and bright ideas about how our dwellings should be designed. His SOMA Studios – an affordable housing project that hangs like a Picasso above Eighth and Howard streets – was named one of the city’s best buildings of the past decade by important people who write about such things. And in recent years, as the “green” architect’s focus shifted towards creating energy-efficient, environmentally sustainable, high-density cityscapes – like his 224-apartment neighborhood at Showplace Square on Seventh St. – he’s been hailed as the “high priest” of new-urbanism. So when it came time to select an architect to design our super green h2hotel, he was a natural choice. Not to mention the bang-up job he did with our AIA-award-winning big sister, Hotel Healdsburg, of course.

David Baker + Partners was charged with creating a fun, fresh, and eco-conscious property that catered to active users, and at risk of sounding immodest, or like a sports color commentator, he smacked it straight outta the park. It’s not just that h2hotel looks cool. Sure, it has a visually striking living roof that reflects the rolling hills of Healdsburg, but form always follows function. That undulating roof also serves several environmental purposes (more on the roof in an upcoming post). In fact, there’s a pragmatic utility to everything in Baker’s design, right down to the corten steel balconies that will (quite literally) imbue the property with rustic charm as they intentionally rust over time and stain the exterior. But when talking about h2hotel on a recent press tour, what really got him animated was the rooms themselves.

Genius at work

“I like to think of this as the Apple of hotel rooms,” he beamed. “It’s the iHotel.” For one, the rooms are sleek and stylish. With the 42-inch flat-screen TV’s mounted on the walls (and an auxiliary plug to play movies off your laptop) there’s no need for the deep dresser or bulky armoire that oftentimes house the entertainment system. So the rooms can afford to be sleeker without sacrificing any space or comfort. And with user-friendly closets that can easily accommodate your rolling luggage, he eliminated the standard-issue luggage racks that he may or may not have described as “horrible” on the tour. Another pet peeve of his seems to be showers that you can’t easily adjust without getting blasted with cold water, so he re-imagined their design so you could tweak the head and temperature before stepping in. “We got to build a full scale mock-up of this room which was really great because we solved a lot of the issues.  Typically when you design a hotel, you build it and then realize all the things that are wrong.  But this time, we got to fine tune things big and small.”

As the tour wound down, he elaborated on the iHotel analogy. “Apple has been gaining market share because it’s actually easier to use.  And people finally realize you pay a little more, and you get something really useful that’s not frustrating all the time. I think people will see that we really thought this thing through.”  And with David Baker thinking things through, we know we’re in pretty good hands. Not just me and you and we, but the planet itself.

Check out Healdsburg’s new “iHotel” for yourself.