Joie de Vivre has announced that it has the largest number of certified green hotels in San Francisco, according to standards set by San Francisco Green Business, the certifying body recognized by the city. In December, the Hotel Del Sol and the Galleria Park hotel achieved certification, joining a list that also includes Hotel Vitale, Hotel Carlton, and Hotel Drisco. With the addition of the Galleria Park and the Del Sol, five out of 10 of the hotels to achieve certification from San Francisco Green Business are Joie de Vivre properties.

To be awarded green certification from San Francisco Green Business, each hotel had to complete the program’s in-depth standards, which require measures in a number of categories, from energy conservation to pollution prevention. The Carlton made news in 2009 for achieving LEED-Gold certification in the existing buildings category, effectively making it the greenest hotel in San Francisco by U.S. Green Building Council standards.

Joie de Vivre is also rolling out biocompostable bath amenities from California-based Lather at its hotels. The new Bamboo Lemongrass amenities are packaged in materials made from biodegradable cornstarch rather than petroleum-based plastic and is made of 85 percent post-consumer recycled materials. A number of the hotels take their sustainability efforts one step further, opting to use Lather’s products in bulk dispensers in their guestrooms. Fro more information, call 800-738-7477 or visit www.jdvhotels.com.