Judging a hotel’s green factor has moved well beyond whether it has a towel and linen reuse program. Today, there are numerous certification programs measuring everything from water usage to food and beverage options.
“There are a number of trends, including the continuing popularity and proliferation of green certification programs,” says Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of the online publication Green Lodging News.
In a recent column, Hasek wrote about green lodging certification programs and noted some impressive numbers, including 2,700 Green Key-certified hotels in the U.S. and Canada and more than 4,000 hotels in the U.S. and Canada certified by some green organization.
One of the most prominent of those programs is the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification program, which has a new-build category and an existing building category.
“LEED is cream of the crop for hotel certification programs, primarily because it’s much more comprehensive than other hotel certifications out there,” Hasek says. “It’s a point-based system that takes into account what others don’t, like how well heating and air circulations are in the hotel. My understanding is that there are about 100 LEED-certified hotels in the U.S. and more than 1,000 LEED-registered hotels going for LEED. Many of those are under construction and many properties are pursuing LEED for existing building hotels that have been around for a long time.”
One chain brand requiring LEED certification is Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Element brand. Element Denver Park Meadows recently became certified LEED, while the Element Ewing Hopewell, which opened earlier this year, became the first LEED-certified hotel in New Jersey. In addition, Element Vancouver Metrotown will debut in 2014 as the first for the brand in Canada.
Adoba Eco Hotel & Suites is a burgeoning hotel brand recently launched by Atmosphere Hospitality Management Services, based in Denver, and touting itself as a front runner in sustainable hotel design and green travel operations. The company’s first properties have yet to be announced.
“Adoba hotels will at least be at the LEED Gold or Platinum level and incorporate renewable energy technologies,” Hasek says. “I think what you will see is growth of new green brands and the greening of existing brands. I also see as a trend the introduction of prototypes to hotel developers that will make it easier for them to build to LEED specifications. I think renewable energy technologies will become more prevalent on new and existing hotels as the costs for them decline, solar panels especially.”
Another trend Hasek is seeing is the formalization of product certification.
“This year the Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Consortium was created, a group of vendors that are helping to put together a sustainability index for those wanting to purchase furniture, fixtures and equipment.”
Montage Deer Valley, which opened in Park City, Utah, late last year, was recently awarded LEED Silver certification for new construction. The Hotel Andaluz in Albuquerque, N.M., recently was awarded LEED Gold certification as the only historic property to be certified LEED Gold in the Southwest.
Another new entry to the LEED Gold club, the InterContinental San Francisco, was certified for existing buildings. Hotels and residences at L.A. LIVE recently earned LEED Silver certification, recognizing the L.A. LIVE high-rise tower, which houses The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles; the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE and The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE. Las Vegas lays claim to the largest LEED-certified building in the world with its hotel Aria.
The number of LEED-certified conference and convention centers is also growing. The Salem Conference Center in Oregon this year was also awarded LEED certification, while the Los Angeles Convention Center upgraded its LEED status to LEED Gold. The Pasadena Convention Center last year also received LEED Gold status.
