The Lodge on Lake Detroit Honored with Sustainable Tourism Award by Minnesota Office of Tourism

Detroit Lakes, MN During the annual Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference this past week, The Lodge on Lake received a "Sustainable Tourism Award" in recognition of their environmentally friendly practices.

The 2010 Sustainable Tourism Award recognized The Lodge on Lake Detroit for supporting outstanding efforts to sustain, protect and enhance Minnesota's environment while promoting its tourism markets. Recipients of this award demonstrate a clear connection between their endeavors and tourism and exceptional performance in areas such as resource conservation, performance efficiency and increased employee and guest awareness of sustainable tourism practices.

Making Eco Friendly Choices, Not Compromises Since 2006
After 15 years of acquiring lakefront land on Big Detroit Lake, dreaming and planning, Scott Mehlhaff and Chris Holland-Mehlhaff, welcomed guests to The Lodge on Lake Detroit in May of 2006. Since then, the couple has been making eco friendly choices, not compromises.

Rain Garden vs. Settling Pond
Because of The Lodges™ close proximity to the lake, they chose to plant visually appealing rain gardens, as an alternative to settling ponds, to allow water to seep into the ground and to control run off into the lake. They also initiated a Lakeshore Restoration project that encompasses 400 feet of their total 550 feet of shoreline. A crew of Minnesota Conservation Corp and MN Youth Conservation Core Volunteers, Becker County Master Gardeners and DNR Volunteers combined to make the gardens and Lakeshore Restoration one of the biggest commercial plantings of its kind in the state. Over 10,000 native plants and indigenous perennials cover 11,250 square feet of The Lodge’s property. The hotel decorates with fresh cut wild flowers in season, and provides educational opportunities by offering tours of the gardens, upon request.

Sustainable Tourism Choices offered Detroit Lakes Hotel Guests
Among other choices, they provide a labeled recycling basket in each guest room and eliminated use of Styrofoam by serving complimentary full hot breakfast and catering on washable and biodegradable paper dishes. They also use organic products in their day spa, serve organic coffee, and offer organic wines and liquors to guests at their lobby bar. They chose in-room amenities with biodegradable packaging, which, portions of the proceeds of these products supports honey bee and sustainable pollination research.

About Holland Lodging
The Lodge on Lake Detroit is independently owned & operated by Holland Motel, Inc., now in its third generation of providing excellence in hospitality. Husband and wife owners Scott Mehlhaff & Chris Holland-Mehlhaff also own & operate Best Western Plus Holland House in Detroit Lakes, MN and Best Western Superior Inn & Suites in Grand Marais, MN.