A Look Inside Some Environmentally Friendly Buildings
At some point in time, nearly everyone has stayed at a hotel while on business or pleasure. Some experiences may be good, while others not so much, but a common thread seems to be that people prefer eco-friendly options more and more. While there are a few hotels in the U.S. with LEED certification, a lot of more are currently in the application process, and some are thinking about it. The thought of staying in environmentally friendly buildings is comforting to many, especially with the increase of consumer interest in eco-friendly products and services. Hotels that are truly green fall into similar LEED certified categories as other commercial buildings and must meet similar criteria. Here, we will take a look at a few of the LEED certified hotels around the U.S. and maybe provide some help in choosing your next vacation destination.
One of the most famous examples of a green hotel is the Orchard Garden Hotel in San Francisco. Not only are amenities inside green, but also bike rentals and a ride to the airport in a hybrid Toyota Prius are available. Although popular with many, the Orchard Garden Hotel is topped in LEED certification by the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, NC. The Proximity Hotel has been awarded Platinum LEED status, a feat that is by no means easy, and is the first to receive such certification in the hospitality industry. Platinum status means that a building has obtained over 80 LEED credits in various categories. These may range anywhere from water and energy efficiency to materials and resources used, or even innovation in design and regional priority for the particular location. For the Proximity Hotel, builders followed required standards of recycling waste and other measures to ensure the entire construction process remained as green as possible. Inside, over 60 green practices have been implemented, such as elevators that generate their own power and 100 rooftop solar panels that heat the water for guests.
A few other LEED certified hotels at varying levels include the Avalon Hotel & Spa in Portland, OR. Here, they recycle nearly 80% of their waste and have obtained silver status. Also with silver certification is The Ambrose in Santa Monica, CA. The largest LEED certified building in the world is The Palazzo in Las Vegas, NV, a hotel and casino that has worked to decrease water and energy consumption, reclaim recyclable materials, and implement state-of-the-art air purification systems. In water consumption alone, The Palazzo is saving nearly 130 million gallons annually. That’s enough to fill 195 Olympic-sized pools! In their energy conservation mission, enough energy is saved annually to power roughly 6,500 average American homes.
Although definitely not an all-encompassing list, the few hotels discussed here will hopefully perk your interest into seeing what other options are available. Environmentally friendly buildings are popping up across the U.S. and worldwide and offer the same amenities and options, if not more, than other hotels. Travelers have shown increased demand for green options. Whether remodeling or building from the ground up, inserting eco-friendly materials and services is a must.
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Tags: environmentally friendly buildings, LEED Certification