NATIONAL REPORT—Many people probably don’t know that the Mandarin Hotel in Las Vegas was built with 85 percent recycled materials. Bear in mind that this is a 47-story luxury hotel that is managed by one of the most recognized multinational hospitality companies. Some examples of other hotels built with recycled materials in the United States and around the world include the LEED certified Harmon Guest House in Healdsburg, Calif., Sherwood in New Zealand, the RIMBA Jimbaran Hotel in Indonesia and many others. The recycled materials that are often used in building these hotels vary, but they nonetheless can be utilized in new construction projects for the benefit of the environment at large.
Using Recycled Metal
Recycled steel is preferred for construction because its saves money, time and the environment. For every ton of recycled steel 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone are conserved, according to the Steel Recycling Institute. Apart from that, unlike other building materials, scraps of steel left behind after a construction can be collected and recycled for other uses. Therefore, recycled steel gives your hotel green lodging credibility.
Moreover, steel is versatile and flexible, which means you can use it to create a customized building that matches your needs exactly. It is a material that is customizable with any windows, doors and exterior finishes. In addition, once the steel building is constructed it requires very low maintenance. No wonder, leaders in metal recycling such as Gardner Metals have been experiencing a growing demand for recycled steel.
Reclaimed Wood’s Natural Beauty
In some ways, the warmth and natural beauty of reclaimed wood beats recycled metal in making a hotel accommodation eye-catching to customers. Wood-knots and weathered wood give a hotel room character and authenticity that cannot be rivaled by other recycled materials. A number of hotels use reclaimed wood for biophilic design in order to improve IEQ and enhance guest’s wellbeing. In fact, guests spend 36 percent more time in lobbies with biophilic elements according to Terrapin Bright Green.
Use reclaimed wood when building hotel lobbies, rooms and even in restaurants. Using the wood for the flooring, paneling and furniture helps to unify a room, which puts the guest at ease. The warmth provided by the wood also makes guests feel like they are at home away from home. When you build with recycled wood, less trees are chopped down, and less energy and chemicals are used in wood processing.
Building hotels with recycled materials is increasingly becoming an effective marketing technique because of climate change awareness. Guests are also more likely to be on board with edgy designs if recycled materials are used.
