More Hotels Opt for Fake Grass to Save Water for the Sake of Sustainability

Annalise Dewhurst will never forget event days on the grassy lawns at the California hotel she used to work at. Sprinklers would create huge pools of water that left groundskeepers scrambling to make the area attractive — and safe for guests.

"We constantly ran into issues. We’d have to put out sand or literally fans (to) dry the space," Dewhurst said. 

But cords strewn across sprawling puddles aren't an issue now for Dewhurst, the current director of marketing at La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, California. Hotels like hers are increasingly turning to artificial grass to save water and money — as well as simplify work for staff and expand the number of events they can host.

Severe and extreme droughts across most of southern California and destinations worldwide this year make conserving water a priority, especially in locations where water