DURANGO, Colo. - In the ‘90s, owners of The Rochester Hotel and Leland House were leaders in the Renaissance of E. Second Ave. Today, they are proving that a hotel can also lead the way in Durango’s community sustainability.

Going “green” is the colloquial term, and the Rochester-Leland House was among the first hotels in the country to start the process, and the owners brought – and continue to bring – the practices to town.

"It’s something they really believe in,” said Talia Ernest, director of sales and marketing, referencing hoteliers Kirk Komick and Diane and Fred Wildfang. The Rochester-Leland House is a charter member of a now-thriving organization, the “Green” Hotels Association, which exists to bring together hotels interested in environmental issues.

“Hotels have benefited enormously via reducing use of water, detergent, energy, labor, wear and tear on linens and equipment,” said association President and Founder Patricia Griffin in a press release, “and praise from guests, clients and the media has been almost ecstatic.”

Indeed, the Rochester-Leland House has received continual praise from an increasing number of guests, which range from numerous international visitors and repeat corporate guests to friends and family of locals. And while benefiting the bottom line is good, for those who know Komick, “greening” the hotel is more about doing what is “right.”

The Leland House is located directly across the street from the Rochester.

Komick is a familiar face around the Historic Downtown, pedaling a cruiser bicycle or walking as he goes about hotel business – always with a smile that radiates the pride he feels in his community. The pride is justified, given how the 700 block of E. Second appeared before Komick and his family began the transformation.

“We bought the Leland House and the five lots (adjacent) in November 1992 and did the renovation at the Leland House and opened in June of ‘93,” said Komick in an earlier interview about the Renaissance of Second Ave. “In June of ’93 we also bought the Rochester Hotel property out of self-defense. We were afraid that no one would stay a second night (at The Leland House) with that across the street.”

The Rochester, originally built in 1892, had fallen into complete disrepair, as Fred Wildfang notes in his written history of the facility, “… the upper story was sagging, the floor joists were dry-rotted and the front balcony and back porch were actually falling off the building. Generally speaking, the building bore an appearance befitting the burnt-out neon sign in front reading, then, with key letters missing, the ‘Roche’ Hotel.”

This is the hotel that now has been designated a "The Flagship Hotel of Colorado" by Conde Nast-Traveler (1996), and as it ages in its reincarnation, only seems to have gotten better.

“(Originally) there was only one bathroom on each floor and the rooms were only big enough to hold a single bed and that was about it,” said Ernest. “It was lucky they could gut the whole thing because with a lot of historic buildings, you can’t do that, but they were allowed to do that and make these large rooms with queen beds. It really worked out.”

The rooms in the Rochester-Leland House, in addition to being "green" are all uniquely decorated incorporating an Old Durango theme.

Each of the 25 rooms (15 in the Rochester and 10 in the Leland House) also now enjoys energy saving amenities, including low-flow water devices on the plumbing that utilize aerators to inject air in the water stream, saving a significant amount of water.

The showers are also equipped with shampoo dispensers to eliminate the need for the multitude of small, plastic bottles. The dispensers feature the Aveda line of natural shower products.

“We have bed and towel rack cards in the rooms for our guests to choose whether or not they need freshly washed towels and sheets every day,” said Ernest, noting that a hotel laundry is one of the largest polluters and consumers of energy and water. “Many of the guests don’t need new towels every day, so that’s good.”

The laundry card was one of the first efforts promoted by the Green Hotels Association, and as Jeff Hiatt, author of Change Management: the people side of change, noted, “GHA's success demonstrates what one person can do when they are passionate about change and use good techniques to manage that change. Prior to 1993 you rarely saw the cards suggesting that hotel guests have a choice about towel reuse. Now… it is rare that you do not see these conservation reminders in nearly every hotel. What a win-win for both the hotel and the environment."

At the Rochester-Leland House, non-toxic cleaners, which are healthier to both staff and guests and cut down on the pollutants running into the river, are used. Also, an enhanced recycling program has been implemented, and the hotel has made the transition from “snail” mail to electronic correspondence, reducing paper consumption and costs.

The cruiser bikes promote cycling instead of driving.

“And in the summer we have the bikes,” said Ernest referencing the shed stationed outside the Leland House. “We wanted to promote biking instead of driving, so we bought eight Electra cruiser bikes for our guests and employees to use. Our guests love them. They’ll ride them around town, down to the river trail.”

The Rochester-Leland House as a bed and breakfast has been lauded over the years for its fresh, full breakfasts served to guests daily from 7 to 9 a.m. In keeping with the sustainability theme, local and organic or natural products are used whenever possible. Organic Fair Trade coffee, purchased from local roaster Durango Coffee Co., is brewed, and the hotel has recently switched to Colorado-based tea company Celestial Seasonings as they too offer Fair Trade products.

“And our kitchen staff has planters in our courtyard,” said Ernest, referencing the ample garden area to the south of the Rochester. “And they plant herbs that they harvest for use in the breakfast dishes such as the Havarti Dill Scrambled Eggs with Potato Chive Cake.”

To further environmental awareness in the community, the Rochester-Leland House is a sponsor and active participant in Durango’s

Director of Sales and Marketing Talia Ernest pauses a moment in the Rochester Lobby where breakfast is served daily.

Green Business Roundtable, which meets monthly to disseminate information and share efforts being made toward the town’s long term sustainability.

“We do do a lot of networking,” confirmed Ernest, noting that though the hotel supports local publications with paid advertising, most of the Rochester-Leland House business comes via word of mouth. “Though more of our traffic is coming from the web site.”

Learn more about the Rochester Hotel and Leland House at www.rochesterhotel.com.

indiana@durangodowntown.com