Kansas City, Mo.—The Courtyard Kansas City at Briarcliff in Missouri is Marriott International’s first hotel to earn LEED green building program status through the U.S. Green Building Council self-certification program.
The only LEED certified Marriott property in Missouri, the Courtyard Kansas City at Briarcliff was constructed on top of a mine, land previously undevelopable, and 10 percent of building materials used contain recycled content. Like all Marriott LEED certified hotels, this hotel features a number of elements that focus on energy conservation, water efficiency, and recycling.
Some of those elements include white roofing material that reflects heat to save energy; Kohler low volume, plumbing fixtures; Philips low energy consuming LED lighting and controls; a salt water pool, reducing the number of chemicals used in treating the pool; an electric car charging station and preferred parking for low-emission cars and carpoolers; and 20-foot floor-to-ceiling glass wall of windows in the ballroom for day lighting and optimal view.
“Sustainable development is a priority for Marriott. LEED certification earned by our properties demonstrates our commitment to the environment while simultaneously appealing to our environmentally conscious customers,” said Denise Naguib, vice president, sustainability and supplier diversity. “The LEED self-certification program allows our owners and franchisees to achieve LEED status throughout the development process, so that it is fully certified upon building completion.”
Marriott is the only hotel company to earn self-certification approval from the USGBC. Self-certification streamlines the process for hotel developers and owners, saving both time and money. Owners of these hotels save about $100,000 in upfront costs and six months of design time. Additionally, owners can expect to save 25 percent in energy and water consumption and should recover their additional investment in five to six years—possibly sooner depending on federal and local government incentives.
“Marriott has always been on the forefront of sustainability, in both project development and corporate social responsibility,” said Karim Khalifa, senior vice president, architecture and construction. “We are thrilled to be a leader yet again as the first hotel company to offer properties the opportunity to individually manage the LEED certification process.”
Marriott’s entire select-service and extended-stay portfolio is LEED Volume certified. Across the Marriott portfolio, 130 hotels are LEED certified or registered by the USGBC.
