Visitors to the new Fairfield Inn & Suites in Baltimore may not realize that many of the design materials are recycled or that the staff is wearing uniforms made from old plastic bottles. But there are some other more obvious elements making the hotel a bona fide green building.
There is the giant rain barrel, once used by the former beer brewery owner to store grain, that collects roof water runoff in the courtyard. There are the mountain bikes available in some rooms and dual-flush toilets. And there is a skylight that pivots to capture the most sun.
The Fairfield is on track to become the city's first LEED green-certified hotel, and officials are banking that travelers will appreciate the designation. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is something of a gold standard issued by the U.S. Green Building Council, a group that promotes sustainable building practices.
The first hotel certified anywhere was the Inn & Conference Center at the University of Maryland in 2005, and others in the region and around the nation are seeking the status or taking smaller steps to green their rooms.
The green label means travelers won't have to leave their environmental beliefs behind while they are on the road. It also means the hotels will rack up lower utility bills - the Fairfield expects to use 25 percent less energy and 10 percent less water. The hotels also will be afforded bragging rights that may help sell them during a recession-induced travel slump, provided the trend doesn't touch on so many hotels that it loses it eco-cachet.
"It was a snowball thing," said Patrick R. Leary, the Fairfield's general manager, about how the hotel started going green. "Now, we've totally changed our philosophy. As a general manager, I used to ask suppliers what does that cost. Now I ask if it's a green product, where it came from, what's the company's sustainability policy."
Others lining up for an official green stamp include the Starwood hotel brand Element and hotel giant Marriott. That Bethesda-based company says it will "green" 30 of its hotels, open or planned.
Hotel Monaco, a Kimpton-brand hotel opening its doors this week in downtown Baltimore, also aims for the eco-conscious traveler. The hotel has green features including in-room recycling, eco-certified cleaning supplies, energy-efficient lighting and paperless check-in. But it's biggest claim to greenness is its shell. The hotel's new location reuses a Beaux-arts style building that dates to 1906 and once was the headquarters of the B&O Railroad. The historic building retains many of the original features including marble floors and Tiffany-glass windows.
