Inn Marin Corporate Social Responsibility

Inn Marin has incorporated Corporate Social Responsibility into our business since the day we opened our doors. Inn Marin is a leader in CSR in four areas: Green Initiatives, Community Involvement, Community Give-Back and Employee Enhancement and Retention.

Green Initiatives – State of California Green Lodging Certified at Environmentalist Level

We recognize that being a green business is not a destination but a journey and we will continue to implement new green practices and improvements. Although we are small and don’t have much economic leverage, we are constantly challenging our suppliers to come up with greener products and systems. This is a partial list of our current initiatives:

• Air Quality - Sustainable Bamboo – Floors in all guestrooms – Bamboo is an efficient carbon dioxide sequestering sink, converts 8 times more carbon dioxide to oxygen than trees and returns large quantities nitrogen to the soil. Its rapid growth insures soil stabilization.
• Air Quality - Low VOC Paint – Used in all guestrooms.
• Air Quality Cleaning Supplies – All rooms are cleaned with botanically based environmentally friendly cleaning products.
• Laundry – All of our guest room linens are cleaned with botanical extract formulations which allow us to eliminate bleach, hot water and 3 rinse cycles saving energy and water as well as being an environmentally friendly product.
• Recycled Paper – Toilet Paper and Paper Towels with 100% recycled content.
• Organic Coffee – All coffee served in restaurant, banquets and lobby is organic, shade grown and/or Fair Trade.
• Towels & Linen Re-use – Gives guests the opportunity to do their part to reduce energy, water and detergent required for daily washings.
• Guest Amenities – Organic shampoo and conditioner in wall-mounted dispensers rather than individual bottles, reducing the amount of plastic going into landfills.
• Water Conservation – Low Flow faucets, toilets and showers.
• Water Conservation – ET Water Crab – Reduce water use by automatically adjusting watering schedules based on local weather, saved 209,727 gallons of water between September 18 to November 16, 2013.
• Recycling Containers – In Guest rooms, Meeting rooms and throughout public spaces with back of the house recycling of glass, bottles, paper, cardboard etc.
• Energy Conservation – Inn Marin has two Electric Car Charging Stations on Property.
• Energy Conservation – Purchase our energy from Marin Clean Energy at the light green level – which means that 50% of our energy comes from renewable sources.
• Energy Conservation Guest Rooms – Installed infrared motion sensors on all of our AC/Heaters. They have preset high and low temperatures (which are recommended by PG&E) and the shut off the systems when guest leave the room for more than 15min. We are never heating or cooling an empty room.
• Diversion – Paid DR3 to recycle our old mattress, diverting 5, 876 cubic feet of mattress from going into landfill.
• Energy Conservation – Energy Efficient LED Light bulbs used in guestrooms, outdoor lighting LED Parking lot lights solar or on photo cell, All computers are Energy Star. Replaced all of our office lighting with LED.
• Compositing – Of restaurant, office and green waste.
• Collateral – Printed on recycled paper.
• Water for meetings – Filtered water served in multi-gallon container rather than individual plastic bottles. Filtered water available in public spaces.
• Printers – Front Desk printer uses soy based ink. Copier set for two sided printing.

Community Involvement

Our team members have served thousands of volunteer hours on boards and committees of the following community organizations:

• Novato Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and 5 Committees.
• Green Meetings Industry Council Northern CA Chapter Board of Directors 4 years, President as of June 1, 2013.
• Leadership of Meeting Professionals International Northern CA Chapter (MPINCC) for 5 years Board of Directors, Outreach Committee Chair, Membership and Gala Committees.
• Society of Government Meeting Planners (SGMP) Membership Committee.
• Ignacio & Novato Rotary Board, President Ignacio Rotary, President Novato Rotary.
• Marin Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Board of Directors 12 years current Chair.
• Guide Dogs for the Blind Canine Heroes Gala Committee Member.

Community Give Back Programs

• Rickey’s Community Partners Program over $43,246.00 to local non-profits since 2009.
• Partnered with the Green Industry Meeting Council NCC to create a half day educational conference Green Meetings – Making it Real featuring keynote speaker Hunter Lovins, named 2000 Hero of the Planet by Time Magazine.
• In the past 17 years the Inn Marin and Rickey’s have donated gift certificates worth over $405,478.00 to non-profit organizations.
• To enhance the economic development of Novato and Marin County we have hosted three press familiarization tours bringing over 70 travel writers to show what Marin County has to offer as a destination to the world.

Employee Enhancement & Retention

• Memberships in professional organizations and paid registration for professional development educational programs.
• Excellent medical insurance and generous vacation policy.
• Named Best to Place to Work by the North Bay Business Journal 2007, 2009 and 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. First Hotel in the North Bay to make the list.

Green Initiatives – State of California Green Lodging Certified at Leadership Level

Already a Bay Area Green Business designated by Marin County, Inn Marin was recently awarded State Certification at the Environmentalist Level for California’s Green Hotel Certification program. This is the highest honor bestowed upon hotels after a rigorous inspection and Inn Marin is the first property in California to receive this certification under the newly introduced and enhanced Green Lodging program, which is administered by the State of California General Services Administration.

Inn Marin has also partnered with Green Meetings Industry Council Northern California Chapter (GMICNCC), and is dedicated to transforming, promoting and supporting the local region as the premier green event destination through education, networking and sustainable practice.