Hotel & Motel Management - October 15, 2007 - (Page 22)

22 Construction GREEN BUILDING TRENDS H&MM October 15, 2007 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Eco-conscious hotels look for certiﬁcation IN THE details Building green hotels Only a handful of hotels have achieved LEED certiﬁcation, but many properties are in the process of obtaining it. Aspects of hotel development that can be green: Landscaping and irrigation Lighting Natural ventilation By Christine Blank CONTRIBUTING EDITOR IN THE works La Quinta Inns & Suites broke ground on its ﬁrst hotel in Chicago’s Financial District. Estimated to open in fall 2008, construction is under way to convert the existing structure–which was the former Jewish Federation Building built in 1958–and to add on two new wings for a total of 241 guestrooms. A s the green building industry takes off, hotel and mixed-use developers are paying more attention to site selection, recycling water, and better landscaping to prevent water waste. Choosing a hotel or mixed-use site close to bus lines, thereby reducing employees’ use of petroleum, and sorting construction materials before they are diverted to landﬁlls are becoming more common among builders and developers. “When evaluating pros and cons during site selection, developers should be aware that there are a lot of pros of getting [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certiﬁcation. The majority of our projects moving forward utilize dense, urban sites with adjacencies to mass transit,” said Ben Cien, v.p., construction and design for Gatehouse Capital Corp. in Dallas, developer of the W Hol- The W Hollywood Hotel & Residences, which is being developed by Gatehouse Capital Corp., is being planned for LEED certiﬁcation. lywood Hotel & Residences. Developers are working toward the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certiﬁcation on the mixeduse project, scheduled for completion by late 2009. Only a handful of hotels have achieved LEED certiﬁcation, but many properties are in the process of obtaining it. W Hollywood is achieving additional LEED points by sorting its construction waste, which is Fox picked up by recycling GREENFIELD companies, rather than dumping it all in landﬁlls. Another green construction trend that developers of the W Hollywood and other projects have latched on to is designing more efﬁcient landscaping and irrigation systems. “It means not planting vege- tation that is demanding in terms of water. Also, you are not using sprinklers that have a lot of runoff. It cuts down on your water bill and is good for the environment,” Cien said. Rainwater can also be collected from hotels’ rooftops and be used to water landscaping or ﬂush toilets, according to Frank Fox, president of Greenﬁeld Architects in Lancaster, Pa., which designs hotels and other commercial properties using sustainable building materials and methods. To conserve water, Gatehouse Capital is also considering low water-usage urinals in public restrooms and other low-ﬂow water ﬁxtures at W Hollywood. To reduce utility costs, green designers and builders suggest con- sidering natural lighting, more efﬁcient artiﬁcial lighting and window ventilation. “Integrate the most energy-efﬁcient light ﬁxtures out there, including T5 compact ﬂuorescent bulbs and LEDs,” Fox said. More green buildings are being designed with windows that open, contrary to the traditional hotel model of sealed hotel room windows. “That’s a section within LEED certiﬁcation: to get natural ventilation and not just force air through the mechanical system,” Fox said. Green builders are also using more low volatile organic compound products and sustainable materials, including cork, bamboo and wool carpet for ﬂooring. “You need to document that you are using paints, sealants, carpets and other materials with low VOCs,” Fox said. While alternative woods, ﬂooring and textiles are considered less toxic or better for the environment, style and quality do not have to be compromised when using these products, according to Cien. “There can’t be a sacriﬁce in quality in selecting the types of products and materials that are consistent with the style of a luxury brand,” he said. White rooftops, which are designed to ward off heat, are becoming more popular in eco-conscious hotels, as well as rooftops planted with vegetation to absorb water runoff and other environmental beneﬁts. hmm@questex.com GATEHOUSE CAPITAL CORP. First Hospitality Group, together with Rudolph/ Libbe, broke ground on the companies’ newest property–a 108-unit Residence Inn in Maumee, Ohio. The hotel will be built in Marriott’s new Generation 7 prototype and will feature suites that are 50 percent larger than traditional guestrooms. The property is expected to open secondquarter 2008. AMC Delancey Group and Paramount Hotel Group will partner to develop an eight-story, 228-room Westin Hotel at the Connell Corporate Park in Berkeley Heights, N.J. This is the ﬁrst ground-up development project between the companies. The property will be the ﬁrst new upscale hotel built in the market since 1989. Hillwood and Kim King Associates will partner to fund and develop Atlanta’s new Hotel Palomar-Atlanta, a high-end hotel managed by Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants Group. Construction on the 21-story, 304-room property began in August, and a grand opening is scheduled for May 2009. Maple Two Development of SW Florida broke ground on a 75-room Microtel Inn & Suites in Lehigh Acres, Fla. Scheduled to open in April 2008, the hotel is located 10 miles from SW Florida International Airport. Compiled by Stacey Higgins, shiggins@questex.com Loews Atlanta Hotel Loews Hotels announced it will open its ﬁrst property in Atlanta. The centerpiece of 12th & Midtown, a luxury mixed-use development spanning four city blocks in Midtown Atlanta, Loews Atlanta Hotel will feature 414 guestrooms, ﬁtness center and spa services, signature restaurant, lobby bar and more than 24,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel is slated to open in April 2010. The hotel will be the focal point of a $500-million contemporary urban mixed-use development featuring 750,000 square-feet of Class A ofﬁce space, more than 60,000 square-feet of ﬂagship retail space and 60 luxury residences. LOEWS HOTELS http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition

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Hotel & Motel Management - October 15, 2007 Contents Concord Sets Goal to Double Portfolio Leaders: Budgetel Brand Off and Running Pension Funds Put More Capital Into Hotels Perspective Letter to the Editor At Your Risk Consultant's Corner Sales Clinic On Finance Guest Column Trends & Stats Industry Leaders Say Healthy Times Will Continue Eco-Concious Hotels Looks for Certification Events Removing Chemicals, Suds from Housekeeping Products Handhelds Help Track Safe Activity People on The Move Awards Transactions Supplier News Ad/Editorial Index Bath Trends Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - October 15, 2007

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