Hotels win eco awards, add green space

Sheraton Seattle began construction of The Garden Walk, a pedestrian corridor and urban garden designed by landscape architects Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, last month. The walkway turns Seventh Avenue into a green space in the middle of Seattle, right along the route visitors take from the hotel to the convention center. Sheraton Seattle Hotel is the largest hotel in the Northwest with 1,258 rooms and 75,000 square feet of event space, including an 18,300-sq.-ft. grand ballroom.

Fairmont Pittsburgh received LEED Gold certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). It’s the first LEED certification for a Fairmont property. The hotel, which opened in March this year, is located in Three PNC Plaza, a mixed-use building in downtown Pittsburgh. A few of the hotels green practices or features include: energy-efficient lighting and appliances; water-reducing fixtures, including low-flow toilets and automatic sensors in public restrooms; building materials and furnishings made from recycled materials; organic bedding and linens; and sustainable cuisine in the restaurants and in-room dining. Fairmont Pittsburgh has 12,000 square feet of meeting space with a ballroom, boardroom and three meeting rooms. All meeting space is equipped with wireless Internet.

Element
Houston Vintage Park recently earned LEED Silver certification from the USGBC. The boutique-style Starwood property also recently won a local honor as best green project by the Houston Business Journal. In addition to recycling and water conservation efforts, the hotel installed a charging station for electric cars and added eco-sensitive bamboo landscaping. “There’s a real
appreciation among guests for all of the thoughtful eco-friendly
practices that have become an integral part of the Element experience,” said Timothy Douglas, the hotel’s general manager.