Eco-Friendly

Wish You Were Here! Luxury Estate, LLC., is an Environmental Leader in the Vacation Rental Industry and the only luxury vacation estate known for its green practices in the Seven Springs and Hidden Valley Resort area. Today, Wish You Were Here! remains committed to continually seeking ways to be kinder to the environment while pampering guests in luxury.  The two efforts – providing luxury and being eco-friendly are mutually exclusive at Wish You Were Here.  We continually strive to deliver exceptional comfort and service to each guest, while incorporating newer products and eco-friendly practices in a “greener” manner to ensure that the natural beauty of Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highland’s is preserved for future generations to visit. 

Wish you Were Here! Luxury Estate is partnering with local businesses to create eco-friendly custom itineraries for guests to experience firsthand the “Real Laurel Highland’s of Southwestern Pennsylvania” from a guided nature hike under a waterfall to guided tours at one of America’s most outstanding examples of architecture in a natural environment at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. 

Wish You Were Here! is committed to the following eco-friendly practices:
1.	Identifying areas for environmental improvements in our operations while continuing to make improvements that promote conservation for our business.
2.	Building local partnerships with area businesses to strengthen business relationships and the sense of “community” and to effect positive awareness and practice changes toward the protection of our natural recourse, local culture and the environment.
3.	Striving to follow the best environmental practices in all facets of our natural heritage of the Laurel Highlands for guests through the development of eco-friendly packages, and recreational opportunities.
4.	Making environmental considerations part of our everyday business decision making process including but not limited to purchasing products made from recycled materials, purchasing energy star rated appliances, buying local, and buying products in bulk and recyclable packaging.
5.	Working diligently to minimize the amount of waste going into our landfills and to conserve our natural resources particularly through energy and water conservation and by recycling all materials possible, reusing non-recyclables as dictated by common sense, sanitary conditions and ability of a material to be re-used.
6.	Utilizing an environmentally friendly and extremely efficient geo-thermal heating and cooling system throughout the estate.

GREEN PRACTICES AT WISH YOU WERE HERE! LUXURY ESTATE: 

The list of environmentally-friendly practices in use at Wish You Were Here! Luxury Estate, LLC is long.  The success of our environmentally friendly program lies not only in our commitment to the environment, but in our commitment to maintaining the highest quality guest experience as well. Through creative and clever planning, we found it is possible to diminish our ecological footprint while maintaining luxury and making a positive impression on our guests.  Our daily practices include; 

COMPLIMTARY AMENITIES:

• Organic Beverages: All complimentary coffee is organic, shade grown and/or fair trade.

APPLIANCES

• Appliances are maintained on a regular maintenance schedule including filter/air vent cleaning and changing.
• Maintenance program to maintain washers and dryers and other mechanicals to optimize efficiencies.
• Occupancy sensors to control lights, Heating/AC, TV when not in use.
• Purchase and use of energy star rated appliances.

BUILDING MATERIALS

• Natural building materials including Ruble stone, rough cut white marble, concrete and rock.
• Low allergen environment.
• Sustainable hardwood flooring.
• Use of thermal storm windows and doors to improve energy efficiency.

CLEANING:

• Purchase of concentrated cleaning supplies in refillable bottles.
• Purchase of phosphate free laundry soaps in bulk and recycle plastic soap containers
• Use of environmentally friendly and bio-degradable certified cleaning products, unscented, dye-free.
• Use of recyclable plastic trash bags.
• Use of washable cups in place of disposable cups.

HEATING & COOLING

• Use of Geo-thermal heating and cooling system throughout.
• Reversible ceiling fans to improve heat and cooling circulation.

LANDSCAPING

• All-natural lawn care featuring gardening products containing no pesticides.
• Exterior landscape utilizes plants and trees tolerant of climate soils.
• Landscape plants utilize natural watering only from rainfall.
• Natural plants native to Pennsylvania for all landscaping needs.
• No pest control program is utilized eliminating all use of pesticides.

LIGHTS:

• Dimmers on light switches to save electricity.
• Fluorescent lighting and compact fluorescent bulbs used where possible.
• Widespread use of photo cell light sensitive night lights.

PAPER:

• Default setting for copying is double sided: paper printed on one side is used for printing out copies and notepads.
• Paper products - recycled, biodegradable, unbleached, natural scents or unscented, dye-free, 
• Purchase of minimally packaged goods only.
• Recycling notice for guest involvement.
• Recycle telephone books and donate used items to local charities.
• Use of refillable ink cartridges.
• Utilize recycling centers for newspapers, plastic, glass and metals, housekeepers trained to remove recyclables goods from common trash in rooms (newspapers, plastic bottles, soda cans).
• Minimum use of disposable food service items (hot/cold cups, cutlery, paper plates) during special events.

WATER CONSERVATION:

• Implementation and auditing of low flow systems for faucets, commodes and showers while maintaining strong water pressure.
• Landscape plantings utilize natural watering only from rainfall.
• Property ensures that clothes washers, dyers and dishwashers are filled to recommended capacity for each cycle and that the coolest water temperature is utilized.