Sho-Ban Hotel Operations Look To Conserve Energy, Expand Culture

The new Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Events Center is about eight weeks away from opening to the public, and now, the back of the house is finally coming together.

It’s the part of the hotel that most people will never really get the chance to see, but on Wednesday, hotel staff showed off its attention to making things energy efficient without sacrificing the ability to serve a lot of people.

Director of Hospitality Jim Metzger shows me that each of the five boilers is adjusted so when it hits 50 percent capacity, another one automatically kicks on, saving energy.

“I think it’s important because it allows for a more seamless experience. When we have that trust and reliance on our systems we know that they’re going to continue to operate 24/7, because our business operates 24/7,” he said.

And if there is a snag in that reliance, there’s always a back up. The 2000 KW Caterpillar generator will kick in within 10 seconds of a power outage, and needs to run at only 70 percent to power the entire hotel. It can last more than 48 hours. Metzger also said that the backup generator is strong enough to power an entire subdivision of homes.

“So we know that if we’re in a pinch, we can probably run the facility anywhere from 48 to 72 hours and still provide goods and services to the visiting public,” Metzger said.

That generator would keep things cooking in the kitchen, too, where Metzger showed off some serious square footage.

The entire kitchen is 8000 square feet and there is 3000 square feet of refrigerator space.

Food and Beverage Operations Manager Tina Breckenridge said if you really wanted to get a legitimate tribal meal, down to that house-made fry bread, this will be the place to do it.

“If it’s buffalo or if it’s a certain type of root or anything, so we’re really excited to work with the cultural council to make sure we can entwine all of that with our menus,” Breckenridge.

It’s another feature that makes Marketing Manager Echo Marshall proud to work at the hotel.

“It’s exciting to be able to pass it down to my kids and show them what it’s like to be part of something big for our tribe,” she said.

Another way the tribe is trying to stay good stewards to the earth is by having two functioning wells that provide all the water for the hotel.