PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—With its “minimalist footprint philosophy,” Portsmouth, N.H.-based Colwen Hotel Management, along with its sister hotel development company, XSS LLC, has established itself as one of the lodging industry’s leading supporters of LEED certification. In fact, according to John Stebbins, project manager for XSS LLC, the development process for any hotel XSS invests in begins with a commitment to LEED.
“We evaluate LEED each time on an economic basis,” Stebbins says. “It has made sense so far.”
Four Colwen-managed hotels are currently LEED certified: the Courtyard Keene Downtown Marriott, Keene, N.H. (Certified); Residence Inn Portsmouth Downtown, Portsmouth, N.H. (Silver); TownePlace Suites Providence North Kingstown, North Kingstown, R.I. (Certified); and the Residence Inn Boston Logan Airport/Chelsea, Chelsea, Mass. (Gold). The Residence Inn Boston Needham (Needham, Mass.) is in the process of obtaining its LEED certification. All of the Colwen-managed hotels earning LEED so far have been Marriott hotels earning LEED for New Construction. LEED is also being considered for at least one Hilton hotel in the planning stages.
Stebbins could not specify exactly how much more efficient the four hotels are when compared to other similar hotels in Colwen’s portfolio but said, “We found that the operational costs are lower. We have seen our guests appreciate that a hotel is LEED certified. It shows the owners that we care about the properties we develop in those towns.”
Reliance on LED Lighting
Stebbins says as many LED lighting fixtures as possible are used in each LEED hotel. “All recessed cans and back of house lighting is LED,” he says, emphasizing that the cost of LEDs has come down significantly in recent years. Wall construction is highly efficient. Guestroom energy management systems and high-efficiency HVAC systems are utilized. All roofing is white roofing.
To reduce water consumption, low-flow plumbing fixtures are installed in each LEED property. Three of the four LEED hotels have underground cisterns to capture rainwater for reuse. Outdoor plants are local species and water from the cisterns is used to hydrate the plants.
All guestrooms in LEED properties have recycling containers. Recycling is practiced at all of the more than 20 hotels Colwen manages. “We use a high percentage of recycled materials in the products we install,” Stebbins says. “We are trying to recycle 99 percent of the buildings we demolish.”
Additional green initiatives at the LEED hotels include the use of eco-friendly cleaning supplies and low-VOC carpets, paints and wall coverings. All four LEED hotels are also 100 percent nonsmoking.
Go to Colwen Hotel Management for additional information.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
