When Choice Hotels International announced earlier this week that its future headquarters would be housed in a LEED Gold-targeted building, it was part of a trend followed by others in the hotel industry. Choice’s new offices in North Bethesda, Md. are expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2023. More than three years ago, Marriott International broke ground on its new headquarters in Bethesda, Md. Set to open next year, it is also designed to LEED Gold standards, allowing an abundance of natural light, while providing new opportunities for flexible, collaborative workspaces. The campus will also offer Marriott associates a childcare center, a fitness center, and a cafeteria. In addition to the headquarters building, the location will also be home to a new Marriott Hotel, a 244-key, full-service property. Almost exactly three years ago, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts received a LEED Gold recertification for the company’s headquarters in Parsippany, N.J.
LEED certification is now an expectation for new hotel company headquarters. Of course, it makes sense in so many ways—higher energy and water efficiency, better indoor air quality, more healthy and productive employees, etc. A non-hotel company, but a provider to the industry, Carrier, announced two years ago that its world headquarters, the UTC Center for Intelligent Buildings, was the first commercial building in Florida to earn LEED Platinum v4 certification. I know there are other suppliers to the industry that have also built to LEED specifications. It is great to see this trend and hopefully the bar will be set even higher in the years ahead.
