BUENOS AIRES—Unmistakably green. There is no other way to describe the 26-suite Palo Santo Hotel in the trendy Palermo Hollywood district of Buenos Aires. The hotel’s facade, terraces, balconies, patio and roof are covered with plants. A specially designed iron structure on the building’s exterior serves as a support for the vertical gardens that reach 90 feet high. In total, more than 900 plants are spread throughout the building. The plants provide a natural insulation against climate extremes, absorb excess water, and help reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint by 80 percent by providing oxygen and absorbing CO2.
The plants are the idea of Pablo Porolli, Director of the hotel that has been open since 2014. Inspiration for the plants came from contemporary European designs and Porolli worked with architect Mario Zito on the hotel’s architecture and interior design.
“I did not want to see just walls,” Porolli says. “I wanted to see glass and plants.”
Porolli says the plants do require tending daily and one maintenance associate takes care of them on a full-time basis. Their watering by trickle irrigation is controlled by computer. In Buenos Aires, rainwater reuse, even for irrigation, is not allowed but Porolli would like to see that changed.
One Fountain is 20 Meters High
Adding to the feeling of tranquility in the hotel’s public spaces are several fountains—the largest being 20 meters high extending from the 6th floor to the lobby.
The Palo Santo Hotel was built where an old factory once stood. “Here in Argentina it was quite new—doing a green building from scratch,” Porolli says. “There are very few in Latin America. It was built to LEED Standards. Even now the costs are impossible for a hotel our size. We have an Argentina Green Building Council. We took a couple of courses.”
As with other LEED buildings around the planet, the Palo Santo Hotel is very energy and water efficient. LED lighting reduces related energy costs by 82 percent. The hotel saves almost 60 percent in energy costs thanks to a VRV inverter AC system and 50 percent thanks to state-of-the-art insulation. Filtered air flow in rooms is measured in order to avoid unnecessary conditioning. The elevator is highly energy efficient and windows are double-glazed. Low-flow toilets reduce related water consumption by 67 percent.
When a visitor to the hotel enters a guestroom, the key card placed in a slot powers up lighting and the HVAC fan. Similarly, when the guest leaves the room and removes the card, these essential items are turned off.
Other initiatives at the Palo Santo Hotel include the use of green cleaning products and eco-friendly laundry detergent, green amenities, and a reduction in the use of printed communication material.
Bike Borrowing Program Launched
For Earth Day this year (April 22) Palo Santo Hotel’s launched its borrow-a-bike program. The bikes are vintage style bikes and will be at guests’ disposal upon request. Currently, four bikes are available in the program. The hotel’s location is ideal for cycling as the hotel is only two blocks away from the start of a bike path leading to Palermo parks. Guests can also easily reach Recoleta, through a protected bike path, and stroll around Palermo. The hotel will include recommended bike itineraries in their welcome guide.
“We explain our sustainability program when guests arrive,” Porolli says.
All 2017 guests who bring a live, potted plant to donate at check-in receive 5 percent off their stay for direct bookings.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
