Originally published in AAHOA Lodging Business, March 2009

Green from the ground up

Hotel construction with sustainable elements is becoming more common.
By Dan Marcec

The common stigma of “going green” suggests that shifting to a more sustainable business practice means going from black to red on the bottom line. However, just as hoteliers are implementing energy management tactics that are saving them on operating costs, many new hotels coming out of the ground are utilizing “green” practices and materials to ensure a more efficient operation in the long run.

As a result, hoteliers and hotel developers are continuing to recognize both the cost and operating efficiency of green hotels. Demonstrating the opening floodgates of this trend is the fact that while currently there are 14 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) hotels certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), more than 700 are registered to pursue certification. More hotels registered for LEED certification in 2008 alone than had from 2001 to 2007 combined, according to Marie Coleman, communications coordinator with the USGBC.

“Certainly in times where the economy has been fruitful, builders and developers have sought to remain within budget,” Coleman says. “But, within the current economic climate it’s been more apparent that builders want to see their projects not only save more money, but also make money over the lifetime of the property.”

Because lodging properties provide individual nuances that make a general “LEED for Hospitality” standard difficult to standardize, the USGBC is revising selected credits from both the LEED New Construction and LEED Existing Building certification systems. Underneath these qualifications, individual credits for green design elements are awarded.

“Judging from the growth that the green building industry is experiencing, it seems that the misconception about green building costing more than traditional building methods is starting to dissipate,” says Coleman. “The return on investment for structures built to LEED standards have a decreased operating cost from 8 to 9 percent, the value of the building increases 7.5 percent and ROI improves 6.6 percent¹.”

Developing Green Products and Practices

Accor North America is taking the lead, so to speak, on developing a sustainable prototype for Motel 6, called “Phoenix.” The sustainable efforts in “greening” this product are advanced technology and energy efficiency measures such as thermal solar water heating; a cool roof made of white reflective material keeping heat from penetrating the building; high-efficiency PTAC units with occupancy-sensing thermostats; and computer controlled dryers to detect when linens are dry. In addition, the properties utilize strict water conservation.

Interior shot of Accor's new "Phoenix" prototype, which features elements of sustainable construction.

“Yes, there is some up front expense, but going green pays back, and in our particular case, the items we’re putting in the Phoenix prototype have a payback within 2 to 3 years,” says Greg Ammon, vice president of new construction for Accor North America. “Plus it’s the right thing to do — we know that as time goes on, energy is not getting less expensive, it’s becoming more expensive. What might be a 3-year payback today, 5 years from now it may be a 1-year payback.”

For Accor’s part, they are utilizing wood laminate flooring in Phoenix’s rooms, which is made of made of 80 percent pre-consumer recycled material. This flooring wears better, and no vacuuming or steam-cleaining is necessary. Furthermore, Accor is using certified sustainable lumber for construction, low-emitting construction materials (paint, caulking and insulation), and it is recycling waste  during construction, depending on local availability.

Seriously Sustainable Materials

Sandra Vaughn, chief marketing officer of Serious Materials, explains  not only that her company’s building materials save efficiency after construction, but also that they are more efficient within the development process. For example, Serious Materials’ “Quiet Rock” product is equal to approximately 8 layers of standard sheet rock. This can provide practical solutions for improving guest satisfaction by increasing privacy while also reducing the amount of overall construction materials.

Furthermore, Serious Materials has a product that is just now coming to market, called EcoRock. “This alternative to drywall uses 80 percent less energy, and it’s very focused on being able to reduce CO2 emissions,” says Vaughan. “The way traditional gypsum and sheetrock is made today is very energy intensive, so we’ve come out with this product that right now is the only true green alternative right now to drywall.”

The Education Process

What does all this mean for the individual hotelier? Everyone knows about improving operating efficiency, and the products are out there for developers to build sustainably. The challenge remains to break the stigma that “green” is a passing fad, something that costs a lot of money just to keep up with social pressure.

Accor is not mandating these changes yet, but is undertaking the first Phoenix prototypes to set an example. “We’ve always said that we never make a franchisee do something we would not do ourselves,” says Dean Savas, senior vice president of franchising for Accor. “We’re going to make the prototype as green as possible, and when we can show our franchisees it can be done successfully and profitably, we won’t have to mandate, they will follow our example.”

Vaughan agrees that getting the word out and putting concrete numbers in front of people is much more important that trying to get them to jump on the bandwagon.

 “This is real. It’s not about spending money on something that makes you feel good,” she says. “It’s not just about looking better, or talking about ‘going green, and isn’t this fabulous.’ This is directly linked to a healthier environment, saving money, saving energy.”

¹(source: McGraw Hill Construction, Greening of Corporate America SmartMarket Report 2007)

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