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Ritz-Carlton opens first "eco-hotel"

4 Oct 2009 by Mark Caswell

Luxury hotel group Ritz-Carlton has opened its first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified property, a 146-room hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The building of the Ritz-Carlton Charlotte includes a green vegetated roof to help insulate the property, slow rain runoff, and cool the air through evapotranspiration (the evaporation of water from leaves).

Other green measures include an in-house water purification system, employee uniforms made of fabric derived from regenerated plastic bottle materials, complimentary parking for hybrid vehicles, a “bike valet” with complimentary bike hire for guests, recycled aluminium conference tables, and an air transfer system that circulates outside air into guest rooms.

The hotel - which opened on October 1 - features a 13,000 square foot Wellness Centre with a saline-treated pool, as well as BLT Steak restaurant on street level, and 12,000 square foot of meeting space.

Ritz-Carlton is due to open a property in Hong Kong's Kowloon district next year (see online news July 8), and announced its second property in the Egyptian capital of Cairo earlier this year (see online news May 14).

For more information visit ritzcarlton.com.

Report by Mark Caswell

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