Concord Hospitality Enterprises is opening the first LEED-designed Courtyard by Marriott today, located in Settlers Ridge in west suburban Pittsburgh. The property design will be the prototype for all future LEED-compliant Courtyards, and is is expected to reduce energy usage by an average of 24 percent annually while saving more than 300,000 gallons of water per year. This improved energy efficiency is expected to produce average annual operating savings of $50,000 at current energy costs, which are expected to accelerate over time.
Many of the component parts of the Courtyard's original engineering were revised to create the LEED prototype. "Green" features include:
* A heat recovery energy system that reclaims building exhaust air to pre-heat the building's fresh air system.
* An energy management system that reduces unnecessary heating and cooling run times when guest rooms are unoccupied.
* Water-saving showers, lavatories, and toilet fixtures.
* Energy-efficient light fixtures.
* An enhanced building thermal envelope that includes exterior building outsulation and increased glass and glazing u-value.
Located at 5100 Campbells Run Road in west suburban Pittsburgh, the Courtyard Pittsburgh Settlers Ridge/Robinson Township is near Heinz Hall, Post Gazette Pavilion and is convenient to downtown Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh International Airport. The 124 rooms and suites offer complimentary WiFi, a desk with ergonomic chair, 32" flat-screen TV and Marriott's signature bedding. Amenities include a fitness center with cardio-vascular equipment, indoor saline pool, onsite dining at The Bistro, 24-hour business center and more than 1,200 square feet of meeting space.
According to Mark G. Laport, president and CEO of Concord, the LEED-certified prototype adds approximately $500,000 in development cost of a Courtyard. We spoke with Laport at the Lodging Conference 2010 about Concord's LEED-certified properties. "Some developers question spending the extra dollar because there's an incremental cost premium to to building LEED-certified buildings," he said. "However, the price has come down quite radically in the last few months. We spent $600,000 incrementally on the pioneering property. Now, the cost difference is small enough that it makes it more of a no brainer, as the incremental difference of $350,000 on a 120-room hotel makes it more compelling."
Visit www.concordhotels.com.