CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Every year, more than 2 million visitors travel to Southern Utah to experience the awe-inspiring rock formations of Bryce Canyon National Park. Many of them choose to stay at Ruby’s Inn, the historic lodge on the park’s rim that has been welcoming tourists for over a century.
Ruby’s Inn started serving guests in 1916 when Reuben “Ruby” Syrett packed his family and belongings into a wagon and made the journey to Bryce Canyon. Inspired to share the beauty of this natural wonder with people from near and far, the Syrett family transformed their 160-acre homestead into an international tourist destination and established an indelible legacy.
“Bryce Canyon has only been a national park since 1923, so if you do the math, we’ve been taking care of the canyon longer than the park service has,” said Lance Syrett, the lodge’s general manager and Ruby Syrett’s great-grandson. “The fact that Bryce Canyon National Park is as good as, or better, to visit today than it was 100 years ago is a source of pride for us.”
The Syrett family is dedicated to responsible stewardship and minimizing the environmental impact of running a lodging operation at the doorstep of a national park as much as possible. Ruby’s Inn has implemented a variety of sustainable tourism initiatives in an effort to preserve the pristine beauty of Bryce Canyon for generations to come.
Last month, the Propane Education and Research Council presented Ruby’s Inn management with the Energy for Everyone Hero Award in recognition of their commitment to reducing the lodge’s carbon footprint. Given its remote location, Ruby’s Inn relies heavily on propane, a low-carbon fuel, to offer guests creature comforts such as clean linens, warm meals, and perhaps most importantly, hot water.
In the past, Ruby’s Inn was forced to issue thousands of dollars in refunds every year to disappointed guests who experienced inconsistent hot water during their stay. The problem stemmed from the lodge’s unreliable and outdated open-flame boilers, which struggled to heat thousands of gallons of stored water on a daily basis.
The lodge now boasts 175 sleek, efficient tankless water heaters that provide hot water on demand, all fueled by propane. Manufactured by Rinnai, these units reduce carbon emissions by up to 50% as compared to electric storage systems.
This $750,000 investment has been well worth the expense, Syrett said, adding that it was the right thing to do from an environmental standpoint. Guest complaints about a lack of hot water have been virtually eliminated, too.
The overhaul has allowed Ruby’s Inn to save a significant amount of money on fuel while also sparing the environment roughly 5,200 metric tons of carbon output every year. According to the Propane Education and Research Council, 5,200 metric tons is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 1,410 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles.
The lodge also recently installed a propane-fueled ice melt system and ironing press machine that steams and folds 15 sheets per minute. Although Ruby’s Inn continues to invest in more propane-powered equipment, fuel consumption has actually decreased due to advancements in energy efficiency technology.
Ruby’s Inn encompasses 700 hotel rooms, 19 buildings, three restaurants, three swimming pools and a car wash. Two propane tanks holding a combined 48,000 gallons fuel much of the property’s infrastructure, from laundry and cooking to hot water and backup power.
Bryce Canyon’s alpine desert setting atop the Paunsaugunt Plateau means that water is scarce. Most of the area’s precipitation comes from winter snowfall and occasional storms during the brief summer monsoon season. At Ruby’s Inn, all water-intensive processes, like dishwashing and laundry, utilize the latest and most advanced technology available to minimize water usage.
Visitors are also encouraged to make small changes with water and energy conservation in mind. For instance, bedsheets will only be replaced every three nights unless a guest requests new sheets sooner. If their towels aren’t dirty, Ruby’s Inn asks guests to hang them up rather than leave them on the floor for housekeeping.
Additionally, Ruby’s Inn incorporates natural landscaping wherever possible. Visitors will find native trees, bushes and grasses throughout the property. Ruby’s Inn is also the largest provider of electric vehicle charging stations for visitors to the Bryce Canyon area.
“It all comes back to the idea of being good stewards,” Syrett said. “We’re looking at where we’re going to be 10 years from now, 20 years from now, even 100 years from now.”
Over the past 107 years, the success of Ruby’s Inn has contributed directly to the popularity of Bryce Canyon and Southern Utah’s growing tourism industry. Today, the lodge is among the largest employers in Garfield County and one of the main hospitality operations between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. Learn more about their sustainable tourism initiatives at rubysinn.com.
Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.
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Resources
- Ruby’s Inn | Address: 26 S. Main St., Bryce Canyon City | Telephone: 866-866-6616 | Website.
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