Photography by Mark Wieland
The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte opens on October 1st as the brand’s first LEED built property. The hotel has implemented a series of eco-friendly initiatives. One of the more notable green efforts is the green roof vegetated with 18,000 plants that insulate the building, slow rain runoff, and cool the air through evaporation of water from leaves. An in-house water purification and container system will divert 73,000 plastic bottles from landfills, designed to save more than 104 barrels of oil, eliminate nearly 49 tons of CO2 emissions, and save almost 605 million BTUs of electricity each year. In addition, an air transfer system will circulate outside air into guestrooms at 60 cubic feet per minute. (For more green details, click here.)
The 146-room hotel aims to attract road warriors through various innovations. The Nook features complimentary private offices for guests, offering computers, printers, office supplies, teleconferencing, wireless Internet, and copy/fax access. Travel Lite, meanwhile, offers guests the change to pre-select from a menu of daily grooming essentials to be delivered to the room upon check-in. Travelers can also use Desktop-on-Demand, where printers, phone chargers, surge protectors, cables, keyboards, and office supplies are sent directly to guestrooms.
In addition, the wellness center offers an Aqua Lounge with saline-treated swimming pool and whirlpool, four spa treatment rooms, and fitness facilities. BLT Steak serves as the hotel’s signature restaurant.
