ST. AUGUSTINE, FL, May 12, 2008. From the beaches, through the historic district of the Nation’s oldest city, to the golfing Mecca of World Golf Village, accommodations in St. Augustine are setting the pace for membership in the Florida Green Lodging Program. Administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the program establishes voluntary guidelines for hotels and motels to conserve natural resources and prevent pollution. Properties that meet the guidelines are recommended by the state to companies and trade organizations seeking environmentally-conscious lodging and convention facilities.

“It’s not surprising to me that our destination is among the most environmentally-conscious in the state,” said Glenn Hastings, executive director of the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau. “As one of the nation’s most historic destinations, we take preservation seriously – and not just when it comes to history and culture. Preserving our natural environment is also essential to telling both the story of our past and insuring our wise stewardship of the natural world will continue into the future.”

The Hampton Inn and Suites St. Augustine at Vilano Beach was one of the first properties to be inducted into the Program. The management and staff were so enthusiastic and successful at adopting green practices that the property was chosen last October as a host for a Green Lodging workshop. The results quickly spread throughout the St. Augustine accommodations community.

Today, eleven St. Augustine properties belong to the Program – an impressive number for a destination that has less than one percent of the state’s population. Most recently, four Jalaram Hotel properties in St. Augustine went green when they were accepted into the program. These newest additions were the Best Western Spanish Quarter Inn, Holiday Inn and Suites, Hampton Inn St. Augustine Historic, and the Days Inn at St. Augustine Beach.

The inclusion in the program of the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village proved that with planning and commitment, even the largest properties can become eco-friendly. Despite its size (more than 300 rooms) and the fact that a $10 million renovation was just completed, this luxurious centerpiece to one of the world’s great golfing and convention destinations was able to meet all the requirements for inclusion in the Program.

Hilton properties in St. Augustine have also enthusiastically embraced the goals of the program. The beautiful new Hilton St. Augustine Bayfront, was not only designed and built to meet the oldest city’s stringent requirements for historical accuracy, it also operates in compliance with the Program’s guidelines – as does the Hilton Garden Inn located just across the street from the inviting seaside sands of St. Augustine Beach.

The new Castillo Real Resort Hotel, also in St. Augustine Beach, emphatically proved that architecture inspired by 18th century Spain can be adapted to meet the environmental needs of the 21st century. Just a block north, the oceanfront Hampton Inn located on historic A1A has also become a member of the elite group of properties included in the Florida Green Lodging Program.

For more details on the program, including information on the water conservation, energy efficiency, clean air and waste reduction requirements that need to be met in order to be certified green by the Department of Environmental Protection, go to: www.dep.state.fl.us/greenlodging. A full listing or green-certified properties can be found here as well.

For information on vacation opportunities in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, including stays at the properties included in the Green Lodging Program, go to www.getaway4florida.com or call 1.800.653.2489.