As the first new hotel on Jekyll Island, Georgia, in 35 years, Hampton Inn & Suites has taken a sustainable approach to its site, design, and operations. The 138-key property was built on an existing footprint of an older motel in order to avoid cutting old growth trees on the five-acre site, while materials such as steel, copper, concrete, and aluminum were recycled from the demolished former hotel. The hotel’s developer, New Castle Hotels & Resorts, also planted new oak trees to replace the trees removed to accommodate the building, as well as those that were in poor health. Mounted elevated exterior downlighting on existing trees avoid the cost and energy use related to manufacturing and installing aluminum poles for parking areas.
Other sustainable practices include:
- Rainwater collected from the 25,000-square-foot roof and stored in a cistern for irrigating landscaping.
- A laundry system that recaptures final rinse water moisture from the dryers for reuse as wash water, conserving both water and energy. The system also scavenges waste heat from the dryers and reuses it to preheat water for the washing machines, recovering up to 90 percent of the waste heat and reducing overall energy consumption in the laundry by more than 50 percent.
- Use of solar thermal panels on the south-facing roof to preheat water for hot water systems that service guestrooms, restrooms, and kitchens. The system reduces the burning of propane, a fossil fuel, to produce heat, thus reducing the total amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases produced by the property.
- Thorough insulation and cladding with cement board, as well as the four-story design, require less energy for HVAC systems. Motion sensors control bathroom ventilation fans, and ENERGY STAR rated appliances and equipment further reduce overall energy consumption.