Marriott is opening two ultra-green hotels in Atlanta. SpringHill Suites Atlanta Airport Gateway (pictured) is on track to become the city’s first LEED Gold, while the Atlanta Marriott Gateway will apply for LEED Silver status upon opening in August. Both properties were built on a site near alternative transportation and are accessible via Atlanta airport’s newly built SkyTrain. Each hotel was created using 10 percent recycled materials and a landscape and irrigation design that reduces water consumption by 50 percent. The SpringHill and Marriott will also use 30 percent less water and 28 percent less energy than a non-LEED hotel. Twenty percent of all hotel supplies are sourced within a 500-mile radius, and each have a white roof to reduce heat absorption. The hotels also utilize non coal-produced energy; low-flow plumbing and shower fixtures; energy-efficient lighting; and low-VOC paint, sealants, and carpets. In addition, SpringHill Suites offers 90 percent natural light throughout the hotel.
Other sustainable practices implemented at the two hotels include regularly monitored indoor air quality, centralized recycling, paperless billing, parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, and green meeting options and materials.