Platinum, silver and gold. What do these colors have in common? They’re all various shades of green. Part of the U.S. Green Building Council’s designation system for eco-friendly properties, LEED certification at any level can certainly be a challenge to attain. From design to building and beyond, no small amount of time, effort and collaboration is needed to meet the USGBC’s stringent criteria. (LEED credits are given for everything from water efficiency to materials used to indoor air quality.) Yet increasing numbers of hotels are making the leap, with more than 888 hotel and resort applicants awaiting certification as of late 2009 (697 of them U.S.-based). And Los Angeles is no exception, with several of its premier properties following suit.
Montage Hotel
LEED Gold
Beverly Hills
History: Opened in November 2008 (LEED Gold-certified in April 2009)
Vibe: Refined, upscale, luxurious
Location: Situated on Beverly Hills’ bustling Canon Drive in the “Golden Triangle,” the Montage is just a short walk from prime shopping and dining.
Despite Montage’s status as one of just a handful of LEED Gold hotels globally, one might never know it to the naked eye. “Most of the comments we receive say that [visitors] would never know this was a LEED hotel by looking at it,” says Mark Slymen, the hotel’s director of sustainability. “We focus on behind-the-scenes policies and procedures that allow the guest to relax and enjoy their experience while knowing that this is truly an environmentally sensitive operation.”
Among those undercover operatives: a green housekeeping program, a “water-efficient landscape” cutting consumption by 54 percent, and an elevator system that undercuts typical energy usage by 50 percent. Not that there aren’t tangibly green parts of the Montage experience—visitors to the Spa Montage enjoy organic fruits and teas and soak in saline water pools. “Nearly all of our professional products are organic…or from vendors who have a commitment to all natural, botanical ingredients,” says assistant spa manager Cherie Rodriguez. “Part of our spa philosophy is that if you shouldn’t put it inside your body, you shouldn’t put it on your body either.”
Tips for savvy travelers: Keep an eye out for Scarpetta, the Montage’s new restaurant opening in October. Also, feel free to luxuriate as long as you’d like during your reservation—the Montage has no set check-in or check-out times. And don’t forget to flaunt your low-emission vehicle and snag 20 percent off valet parking.
Miyako Hybrid
LEED Silver
Torrance
History: Opened in November 2009 (LEED Silver-certified in February 2010)
Vibe: Business traveler-friendly, chic, innovative
Location: A short drive from LAX and the South Bay, the Miyako Hybrid brings a unique touch to Torrance.
At this authentically Japanese-inspired boutique hotel, it’s truly a case of East meeting West. In the guestrooms, coffee- and tea-makers sit side-by-side, while deep-soak Japanese tubs and heated bidets flank modern rain showers. Guests can have either USA Today or Nikkei newspapers delivered to rooms, or feast on both Japanese treats and American items at Gonpachi’s breakfast buffet. And at spaRelaken, visitors can opt for Balinese or Thai treatments, or more traditional Western spa fare. It’s all part of the hybrid concept—which also translates to its enviro approach.
“‘Hybrid’ is meant to stand for our alternate sources of fuel use and using less natural resources to operate the business,” says general manager Cherie Davis. Indeed, 90 percent of the building boasts floor-to-ceiling windows to maximize natural light, and its electrical system runs on rooftop solar panels. Guests can do their part as well, as each room’s power relies on a keycard system that cuts up to 45 percent of energy use. And it pays to go green when getting there as well: The majority of parking spaces are reserved for carpool and hybrid vehicles.
Tips for savvy travelers: Don’t miss spaRelaken’s ganban-yoku (or hot stone sauna), the first of its kind in the States. Also, the hotel offers free shuttles to LAX and surrounding attractions.
W Hollywood
LEED Silver
Hollywood
History: Opened in January 2010 (Upgraded from LEED-certified to LEED Silver in August)
Vibe: Progressive, trendy, colorful
Location: Adding even more hip cred to the Hollywood and Vine district, the W is on Hollywood Boulevard across from the Pantages.
With a price tag of $360 million and 1,040,000 square feet, the W Hollywood likes to go big—and their commitment to sustainability appears to be no exception. LED chandeliers dot the opulent lobby, while recycling receptacles, low-flow toilets, and energy-efficient lighting are guestroom staples. LA’s largest LEED-compliant property (305 rooms), the W Hollywood also sits atop the Metro Red Line, making it ideal for public transpo access. “When people see we’re LEED-certified, they inquire what that means and it starts a natural dialogue,” says general manager Jim McPartlin.
Of course, staying at the hotel isn’t the only way to check out its eco-conscious offerings, as French brasserie Delphine and rooftop hang Drai’s are two of Hollywood’s hottest destinations. “Both restaurants change their menus every three to four months, depending on what’s fresh and available; you’ll often see our chefs, Sascha [Lyon] and Patrick [Florendo] at the Hollywood Farmers’ Market on Sundays,” says McPartlin, a diehard vegetarian.
As far as McPartlin is concerned, the W’s efforts are part of a macro shift happening in Hollywood. “To see what’s happened in 15 years, it’s very much like New York’s Soho in the ‘80s—a hip, cool place to be, and we’re emerging out of it,” he says. “I love that the energy around that shift is driven by business owners who are more community- and eco-conscious.”
Tips for savvy travelers: Earn 500 Starwood Points by opting for the “Make a Green Choice” program, in which room cleaning is by request only.
—Jen Jones
Green Progress or Greenwashing?
No doubt many hotels are taking a step in the right direction, but how much truth is there to some of the more common claims? We asked LEED accredited professional in commercial real estate Kimberly Phipps-Nicol for her take:
Do you think hotels are adopting green practices simply for cost-cutting purposes?
KPN: There is absolutely no question that many of these initiatives are cost saving, along with water saving and electricity saving. It totally depends on who owns the property. In the case of big groups like Harrahs, they have a huge “Code Green” effort going on with recycling programs and green fairs for their employees. We also see big efforts by small boutique hotels that want to stand out. It’s the midsized budget hotels that don’t necessarily put a lot of effort into it, but even there, I can’t make a sweeping generalization. There’s a Hampton Inn in Southern California going for LEED certification.
What happens to all of those half-used toiletry bottles?
It depends if they have a recycling program set up. If they don’t, they sometimes let the hospitality staff take them home and use them. There are also properties that donate them to nonprofit groups like homeless shelters and veterans’ orgs, because they are always looking for small portable body care products. Some are moving from sample-sized products to having shower dispensers—over time, the waste stream is dramatically reduced and they’re not paying for plastic packaging.
What can I do as a traveler and consumer?
Never underestimate your power as a guest to put your money where their mouth is—tell them you want to make a decision based on their green efforts. Ask the questions: Are you really doing these things? Find out if they’re using ozone laundry systems, or what’s going on with their food waste. If properties know people want it, they will do it. If you’re really savvy, you can sometimes even pay less for a room if you opt not to have laundering services.
How much more difficult is it to qualify for gold certification than, say, silver?
It depends on a number of variables, including the age of the building and its infrastructure. If you have an older building, there is only so much you can do, so you may be able to get only the lower certified level. There are quite a few points embedded in the energy and indoor quality side of the LEED spectrum. If you have a newer building that doesn’t have operable windows and it’s a tightly controlled space, it could be a lot easier to get that gold rating. LEED is not just one thing; it’s a family, a portfolio of products— there is LEED for existing buildings, new construction, commercial, interiors. It’s really hard to get good quantifiable data for existing buildings. You have to design for LEED from the very beginning in order to net the best value proposition for the dollars you lay out.
Has certification become more stringent as far as maintaining standards?
In 2008 they released what’s called Version Three of LEED, which was adopted in 2009 and is the current set of standards. It’s an across-the-board change that affects new construction, commercial interiors and existing buildings. And if you want to keep LEED certification, you must get ongoing existing building operations and maintenance certification within two to five years. (Recertification is on a two-year cycle after that.) If you go more than five years, you may still have the plaque on your door, but it doesn’t mean anything any more and the hotel would no longer be listed in the online LEEDS Projects directory. If they were to market themselves as a certified property but were no longer certified, they could be subject to action by the Green Building Certification Institute, although we have not seen what the nature of that action may be as yet, other than a cease and desist letter. (Ed. note: In other words, it essentially falls to the consumer to confirm the current certification of a desired property.)
—JJ
