by Janet Latremouille

As “green” becomes more important, planners who work with environmentally conscious clients need to be sure that the products and services they recommend meet environmental targets. And that includes hotels.

For event and meeting planners who are looking to “green” their events, booking clients into LEED® certified properties is an excellent start. But what exactly constitutes a LEED® certified property?

To obtain a LEED® certification, hotels must be constructed or renovated by a LEED® certified developer or builder. Under the LEED® system, builders are required to incorporate as much recycled material into their buildings as possible. Building products used in the finishing process, such as sealants, caulking, paints, etc. must be environmentally friendly. And, the building’s heating, air conditioning and plumbing systems must also be energy efficient with a focus on emissions reduction.

In North American, the move towards LEED® certification for hotels has been sporadic. According to Lodging Magazine, there are only a handful of certified hotels in the US and Canada. However, there are also over 500 hundred hotels registered to go through the certification process.

Many new LEED® certified hotels are “one-offs”; smaller properties belonging to a single owner. For example, the new Hilton Garden Inn Toronto Airport is expected to meet and exceed the requirements of LEED® Canada in the areas of: sustainable site selection and development density; water efficiency and fundamental building commissioning; recycling of all paper, aluminum, plastics and glass; organic dry-cleaning services; construction waste management; use of regional materials; 100% non-smoking building; low-emitting material usage; controllability of systems (thermal comfort and daylight usage); innovation in design; organic menu items; and a LEED®-accredited professional on staff.

Many well-known brands like Ritz Carlton, Marriott and Hilton are obtaining LEED® certification for new properties. The Green Hotel Association provides a state-by-state listing of green hotels, which can be quite useful.

Janet Latremouille is a sales associate at WTTC.com – The Meeting Planner’s Best Resource. She can be reached at 1-888-224-3178 or by e-mailing amjl@wttc.com

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