Portola Hotel

2 Portola Plaza, Monterey

(800) 342-4295, www.portolahotel.com

Call it a green giant. The 83,000-square-foot, seven-floor hotel and its two restaurants are certified LEED silver, and the sustainability is incredibly comprehensive, from recycled carpets and 100 percent organic cotton mattresses with recycled springs to biodegradable shampoos and the most energy-efficient computer font (for real). The cleaning staff uses the Ozone laundry system, which involves an enzyme-based detergent and uses less water than conventional methods. They’ve also switched to the Lotus room-cleaning system, which “energizes” the tap water (H2O) to become hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a sanitizer, for about 15 minutes before reverting to water. The brewery’s spent rye grain and other brewing leftovers go into Chef Jason Giles’ recipes, the mash to local cows, and Brewer Kevin Clark’s systems save 40,000 gallons of per year. Portola deserves props for willing to lead on LEED.