Sedona Cedars Resort has been locally owned since 1982. Managers Alicia and Rick Schneider are avid recyclers. “I hate seeing things go to landfill,” says Alicia Schneider. They use Cottonwood’s Buy-Sell-Trade Facebook group to find new homes for their discards. “We sold thirty mirrors rather than putting them in the trash. And we also switched to platform beds so we won’t have to throw out any more box springs.”

They use Sedona Recycles for paper, cardboard, cans, glass; collection bins are easily found in lobby, and a water refilling station helps guests avoid single-use bottles in the first place.

Sedona Cedars cares about energy conservation too, regularly maintaining their HVAC system and checking for leaks around windows and doors. “After switching to LED lights, we really saw a change in our electricity bills,” Schneider explains. Outdoor lighting is all Dark Sky Compliant.

Since the hotel is located right at the “Y,” they’re in a very walkable area. Guests are encouraged to use the shuttle, walk, and cycle around town. Free parking at the hotel entices guests to leave their cars behind. “Many guests use tour companies rather than their own cars,” says Schneider. To further reduce traffic, their distributors only deliver once a month.

They conserve water with low flow shower heads and toilets, and they only wash linens every three days for longer-term stays. A sign in each room encourages guests to reuse towels and conserve water. This has saved the hotel money both in water bills and cleaning products. The Schneiders are also considering switching their swimming pool, which currently uses chlorine, to salt water.

Alicia has a background in social services which informs her management style. “I have one on one conversations with new hires at 90 days and then each person gets a meeting annually. I frequently check in informally with staff and we do all-employee meetings every 3-4 months.” Cross training is key so everyone builds their skills and she encourages staff to learn. This also helps with scheduling. The staff is like a family so Alicia does everything she can to accommodate employee needs. See who else is certified.

Darcy Hitchcock, Sustainability Alliance,
darcy@sustainabilityallianceaz.org 928-554-5171

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