Hotel Industry News
Tempe hotel first in Valley to go green
Saturday, 19, June 2010
Aloft Hotel in Tempe has become the Valley's first hotel to gain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.Aloft is among a handful of Arizona hotels seeking LEED certification. Drury Inn & Suites in Flagstaff was the first hotel in Arizona to gain the coveted green-building standard. Aloft, which opened in 2008,got news of the certification this week.
The hotel incorporated a recycling program, environmentally-friendly cleaning solutions, a network that controls air-conditioning -and heating systems so it uses less energy when the hotel rooms are not occupied, a heat-island roof effect to deflect sun and lower energy costs, a high-efficiency ventilation system to improve air quality and a number of other mechanisms to improve the environment. The hotel also stocks bicycles for visitors who want an alternative to a car for their jaunts around Tempe.