Historic Arlington Hotel shines light on energy conservation

The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa in Hot Springs, Arkansas is shedding some light on energy conservation. And by doing so the hotel recently received an incentive rebate check for almost $58,000 for replacing thousands of light bulbs with ones that are more energy efficient, along with new fluorescent fixtures and equipment.

As Arkansas’ largest hotel, located in the heart of historic Hot Springs NationalPark, the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa is a “cruise ship on land.”  It’s a self-contained resort with all of the ambiance and hospitality of a traditional, grand old Southern hotel. Established in 1875, it features full spa service in the Thermal Water Spa, fabulous restaurants, beautiful landscaping, a national park right outside any door, and easy access to arts and tourist attractions in the city.

 Martorana said the energy efficiency retrofitting was made possible with the Home Energy Affordability Loan (HEAL) Program, which is administered by the William J. Clinton Foundation Climate Initiative.  The hotel was selected as the sole program participant for its Congressional District last year, and they eagerly embraced the challenge. “We’ve retrofitted close to 11,000 light bulbs in the hotel with more energy efficient ones,” Arlington General Manager Bob Martorana said. “Bulbs in all of the hotel’s 485 guest rooms and hallways were replaced, along with some in the ballroom and restaurants. We’ve also changed out some big electric motors that provide air for the laundry and replaced them with more efficient motors as well.”

According to Martorana, in the first two months after making the changes, the hotel’s electric bill was down 80,000 kilowatts each month, even with a higher occupancy rate. “Focusing on energy conservation is a corporate responsibility,” he said. “We want to continue our architectural legacy, but at the same time we must do the right thing in ‘going green.’ 

This philosophy makes it a resort for the ages: historic and contemporary at the same time. For more information about the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, click www.arlingtonhotel.com. 800-643-1502.

Information courtesy of Bob Martorana

Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa

Photo by Larry Burmeier