Home Energy Management Sheraton Phoenix Hotel Plants Seasonal Garden on Fourth Floor Deck

Sheraton Phoenix Hotel Plants Seasonal Garden on Fourth Floor Deck

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PHOENIX—With a focused eye towards being more environmentally conscious, the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel has planted a 120-square-foot seasonal garden on the fourth-floor deck of the 31-floor hotel. In addition, the hotel is working with a vendor to determine possible CFL or LED technology for custom lighting fixtures that currently only work with traditional incandescent bulbs. These two initiatives are amongst many eco-friendly practices of the new hotel, others of which include a comprehensive banquet recycling program, installment of a water filtration system to purify water and reduce waste, and an internal green team that regularly meets to proactively identify ways in which the hotel can be more sustainable.

“In this day and age, it is crucial for all companies to be good corporate citizens,” said Leo Percopo, general manager of the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown. “Since well before the hotel opened, we have been identifying ways we can reduce our carbon footprint while also operating as a first-class hotel.”

The seasonal rooftop garden has been planted and is currently growing chilies, okra, mint, peppers and a variety of herbs which will be incorporated into dishes served in District American Kitchen and Wine Bar, the restaurant located on the bottom floor of the hotel. Many of the additional produce items come from a local grower. District will also return compostable items, such as fruit and vegetable peelings, to the local grower. The compost can then be used by the farm to aid in the growing of new produce, continuing a sustainable cycle. Frank Belosic, executive chef at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, has been working closely with the grower throughout the last several months.

Goal is Sustainable Garden

“We want this to be a viable garden that can continue to produce vegetables and herbs to be used in our dishes,” said Belosic. “We worked closely with Singh Farms to look at all angles and figure out what will work best to produce the freshest and most tasteful items possible while also making this garden sustainable.”

In addition to the development of the seasonal garden, the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown has also made a commitment to utilize the most energy-efficient lighting possible. With more than 24,500 light bulbs throughout the property, utilizing CFL or LED lighting wherever possible yields a tremendous reduction on energy consumption. For example, by utilizing CFL light bulbs in all of the 1,000 guestrooms, the hotel uses just 24 percent of the electricity of a hotel that does not utilize CFL bulbs—a savings that would power approximately 31 U.S. households per year. Additionally, because the lifespan of CFL bulbs is 8,000 hours compared to less than 1,000 hours with standard incandescent bulbs, the hotel reduces the quantity of light bulbs sent to the landfill by 800 percent. (Note: Energy savings are based on a projected occupancy forecast, with every occupied guestroom bulb being utilized for six hours per day in the bedroom and three hours per day in the bathroom—yielding an estimated savings of 312,909 kWh.)

Lighting Undergoes Testing First

While the utilization of energy-saving CFL lighting is currently limited in most applications that require dimmable lighting, the hotel’s engineering team is working closely with vendors to determine possible CFL or LED technology that can work in these settings. Once a potential bulb is identified, it is sent to RCI/Unison Lighting for extensive testing prior to application in the property. For example, in December, a CFL bulb was certified by RCI/Unison for a can light fixture utilized in the public areas, and the hotel will be utilizing this bulb moving forward.

In addition to these energy-saving practices, the hotel team has also developed a comprehensive recycling program that extends throughout the entire hotel. Guests can recycle in their rooms, associates can recycle in their offices and meeting planners can customize plans and amenities to reduce waste.

Furthermore, the internal green team is responsible for identifying, implementing and training fellow associates on new sustainable practices, which includes the rollout of digital menus which are now available in all catering settings. In addition, the hotel works with other community partners such as Waste Not to donate unused items rather than send them directly to a landfill.

Go to the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown.

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