Nature-Made
Coni Thornburg, who has been general manager of Calistoga Ranch since July 2008, likes to say that Mother Nature is the property’s best employee. “She comes to work every day and gives us tremendous gifts,” Thornburg says. “And we do our best to meet that excellence.”
Thornburg explains that Calistoga Ranch practices “responsible luxury,” and operates with a strong focus on decreasing the property’s footprint, improving the surrounding environment and community, and enhancing the guest experience. This last focus is key, and the property takes every opportunity to make sure guests are aware of the green options available before they even check in. The moment guests make a reservation, they receive information about the Ranch’s green programs.
These programs vary wildly. There are the resort’s eco-friendly lawnmowers, the babydoll sheep. There are also more traditional green initiatives, like water reclamation, but even that is taken to the extreme. “We recycle every drop of water on this property,” Thornburg says. “We have a full water treatment facility on property and we use all of the water from the hotel for irrigation.”
The recycled water could wind up anywhere on the property, from the gardens that are harvested for each day’s meals to the vineyards where guests are taught how to make wine. “The property really allows people to live the Napa lifestyle,” Thornburg notes. “And our guests are always interacting with nature.” Beyond winemaking, Calistoga Ranch offers a wealth of green-themed educational activities for guests, including harvesting and curing olives and even collecting eggs from the property’s chicken coops.
By making sustainability the main focus of the property, Calistoga Ranch not only attracts guests who want to partake in a sustainable vacation that allows them to commune with nature, but also draws in locals who want to take classes on-property. “We have many guests who say that the property is magical. And for that to be the outcome when sustainability is the goal is incredible,” Thornburg says. “It is so important to make the right choices for the environment, and the guests who come stay with us are looking to do that. You just have to give them the opportunity.”
All of these green-minded guests have made a noticeable impact on Calistoga Ranch’s bottom line. According to Thornburg, occupancy has jumped significantly over the past few years, especially during the winter and early spring. April 2016 saw occupancy topping off at 83 percent. In past years, it was between 60 and 70 percent.
