I would not call it a flurry of announcements about LEED Platinum hotel developments but it is quite unusual to read about two in less than a month. The first one, in case you missed it, is the College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Hyattsville, Md. That property, originally named the Marriott Inn and Conference Center University of Maryland University College, was the first hotel in the United States to earn any type of LEED certification. The property, which has 237 guestrooms and suites, recently went through several years of renovation and emerged as one of just four LEED Platinum hotels in the United States.
Just announced in the last two weeks is “Project Bella,” a yet to be officially named hotel project that will be located across the street from the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Cannery Row in Pacific Grove, Calif. The developer, Domaine Hospitality Partners, is intent on building one of the most luxurious, sustainable hotels in the United States.
I spoke with Michael Crall, Founder and Chief Development Officer of Domaine Hospitality Partners this past week to learn more about Project Bella. Michael began the conversation by providing me with a history of his and his company’s work in the hotel industry. The list of hotel projects the company has been involved with is impressive. On the Monterey Peninsula, Domaine principals built the Residences at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach, which is consistently ranked among the top five resorts in the United States, and the Nicklaus Club Monterey. The company has developed many other notable hotel projects around the globe, five of which involve UNESCO World Heritage locations.
“Sustainability and historic renovation have always been in our DNA,” Michael said.
Ideal Location for New Hotel
A representative of the City of Pacific Grove, Calif. approached Michael a couple of years ago about developing a site across from the Monterey Bay Aquarium into a hotel. He immediately thought it was a great idea. It is a site he had driven by countless times and an area that attracts millions of visitors to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Monterey Bay Peninsula each year. Currently on the site is the American Tin Cannery building, a former tin can plant. A retail center is in operation there. The plan is to demolish the retail center and recycle and reuse as much concrete, steel and bricks as possible.
Much of the design work has yet to be done but Michael said his team is exploring many different types of technologies to ensure the hotel is as efficient as possible. Graywater recycling is being explored with the goal of recycling 85 percent of it (sink, laundry and shower water). Solar and geothermal technologies are being considered; the property sits on what Michael described as “some interesting water tables.” Because of the hotel’s location, ventilation with natural air will be maximized.
Charging stations for electric vehicles will be on property and developers are exploring an automated parking station to reduce emissions from parking cars. Vehicles will be automatically shuffled to parking spots or to return to the guest.
Part of the project’s mission is to support the work of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and nearby Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station.
“We view sustainability as a three-legged stool—the environmental and physical piece, the societal and social aspect, and the economic component,” Michael said.
Because of permitting processes, Project Bella will not open for at least three to four years. “To meet all the requirements will take about two years,” Michael said. “It will take another 18 months to two years to build the building.” It may be another year before a real name is decided for the project.
Another hotel project pursuing LEED Platinum, on the campus of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, was at last report scheduled to open later this year.
GLN Adds JVA Art Group, Intus Windows as Directory Partners
Green Lodging News has added JVA Art Group to its Green Product & Service Directory in the “Artwork” category and Intus Windows in the “Windows & Doors” category. JVA Art Group is a global art design firm dedicated to creating environmentally respectful art programs in hotel properties. The company produces artwork from its 600,000 photographs worldwide utilizing reclaimed wood and recycled paper. JVA Art Group helps clients tell their stories by embedding art into architecture and interiors to create artistic environments. JVA artwork can be customized to fit individualized projects or standardized since JVA Art Group is a Preferred Vendor with the Marriott, Hilton, Wyndham and IHG Brands. Call (619) 299-3232 and ask for Janet. You may also e-mail skip@jvaartgroup.com, or go to www.jvaartgroup.com.
Intus Windows is one of the pioneers in manufacturing and distributing of super energy-efficient windows and doors in the United States. The company has developed three distinctive product lines: Wood, Aluminum, and U-PVC. Each of them offers multiple choices of finishes and styles as well as different price points. The company’s super energy-efficient Passive House certified and suitable windows, doors and curtain walls will fit any commercial, residential or industrial application. Intus Windows currently is covering 40 states. Call (888) 380-9940, e-mail info@intuswindows.com, or go to www.intuswindows.com.
Green Lodging News Adds EcoRaider Case Study to Website
Green Lodging News has added an EcoRaider case study to its website. The case study details the results of a USDA study that measured performance of a green bed bug killer in infested housing apartments. Based on the field study by entomologists from Rutgers University, the report revealed that EcoRaider, a natural insect killer, shows strong effectiveness in eradicating bed bug infestations in housing apartments, comparable to a leading professional grade pesticide.
The field study was conducted in a high-rise public housing apartment building in New Jersey with a known bed bug infestation. EcoRaider and a top pesticide brand called Temprid SC were used side by side for means of comparison. After 12 weeks of evaluation on 24 treated apartments, the study concluded that both products are equally effective and “no significant difference was found” between EcoRaider and Temprid SC in the overall bed bug eradication rate. According to its label instruction, Temprid SC is a synthetic pesticide “hazardous to humans and domestic animals”. It is normally used by licensed pest management professionals.
EcoRaider was developed by Reneotech Inc, North Bergen, N.J. The company also supplies products to the professional pest management industry. EcoRaider was previously reported in the Entomological Society of America’s Journal of Economic Entomology as “the most effective natural bed bug killer” among 12 natural and traditional pesticides tested. It is a minimum risk pest control product exempted by EPA and may be used without restriction. For more information, call (201) 751-0011, ext. 110, e-mail info@ecoraiderusa.com, or visit www.ecoraiderusa.com.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
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