Marriott to offer a more sustainable stay

On November 11, Marriott Hotels announced it will expand its green hotels trial by 1000% in the next five years, adding nearly 500 eco-hotels across the country.

A green hotel prototype for the company will be pre-certified LEED and will be available in Spring 2010. The prototype should reduce the hotel’s energy and water use by up to 25%, savings that, coupled with green incentives, should return the LEED investment in 2 years. The first green hotels will be for Marriott’s Courtyard brand, which has approximately 160 hotels in development worldwide. The company intends to expand use of the prototype to its other lines in 2010.

Marriott was the first hospitality brand to join the U.S. Green Building Council and currently has an extensive rainforest protection program in place called Marriott Spirit to Preserve. For more information on the expansion of Marriott’s eco-hotels, see TreeHugger.com’s profile on the project. To learn more about Marriott’s current eco-minded efforts, visit the Marriot Spirit to Preserve site.