Gainesville,I-75,Marriott,Hote travel,insurance Gainesville I-75 Marriott Hotel Certified EcoRooms & Eco

Torres del Paine is among the biggest of Chile’s national parks, occupying almost 600,000 acres (242,000 ha) of land in the south on the border with Argentina. It is also among the most important, receiving a significant proportion of domes Like any American, traveling occasionally is just what I love doing and I bet you share the same stuff with me. But traveling does not mean that you would be safe. Escaping from our job and other stressful activities is just something that w

72 1024x768 Normal 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}Residence Inn by Marriott Gainesville I-75 – a 118-suites new hotellocated three miles from University of Florida – is an exceptional new build ona restored EPA “brownfield” site. Having opened its doors just over one yearago after extensive restoration of the land that was once polluted but has beenrestored to pristine condition, the property has met EcoRooms & EcoSuitescertification standards. The Residence Inn has become thefirst-ever Marriott branded hotel property and the first hotel in the state ofFlorida to be EcoRooms & EcoSuites Certified. Both AH&LA and AAAdistinguish the certification as a go-to resource for both hoteliers andconsumers looking to verify how important the environment is to the greenhotel. To add to the list, it has also achieved Florida’s Green Lodgingcertification. “Hotels are huge consumers of energy,” says General Manager Chris Lewis.“It is not only the right thing to do. It is the smart thing to do. Utilitycompanies are increasing unit cost every year, in many cases by as much as 30to 40 percent from the previous year. It is an important part of our businessto use only what we need and continue to look for ways to use less.”  The property was designed from the top down with the environment inmind. Cool Roofing Council certified its roofing materials. Its framingstructure was made from 90% post consumer recycled steel. Demolition andconstruction wastes were recycled. The property is xeriscaped to save water,featuring all native plants, minimal turf areas and a water-saving irrigationsystem. The developers even bonded a 100+-year-old live oak tree to ensure itssurvival. The road to greenBesides green design, the green hotel incorporated variousgreen initiatives in its operating procedures, including: Using Green Sealcertified or equivalent cleaning and paper products in guestrooms Bathrooms feature amenity dispensers or small, practicalamenity sizes with guests encouraged to take the remainder of their bathroomamenities home or donate them to homeless shelters Linen and towel reuseprogram Easily identified recyclingreceptacles Energy-efficientlighting using CFL and LED technologyHigh efficiencyplumbing with low-flush toilets, water-efficient aerators and low-flowshowerheads100% smoke-free The green hotel has also benchmarked itself with industry leaders utilizingthe Energy Star Portfolio Manager, with the help of EcoGreenHotel. It’s a critical step for the hotel to monitorthe utility usage data and measure the results of their energy efficiency andconservation strategies. Beyond hospitalitySocial responsibility is a major component of the hotel’s sustainabilityinitiative. “The team has really embraced the cause,” says Lewis.  As part of their contribution to the welfare of others, the ResidenceInn is a proud supporter and contributor of Habitat for Humanity and Children’sMiracle Network (CMN). The Hotel raised $7,000 for CMN during their Grandopening, another $5,861 on their anniversary celebration and contributed over$16,000 in numerous ways throughout the past year. Not to mention, you’ll findthe hotel’s committed employees answering phones in CMN’s upcoming radiothon.That is strong dedication and definitely inspiration for all! “We began implementing our initiatives within the past two years andhave really received a lot of positive comments from our staff members andguests, as well as financial results,” says Lewis. “We believe that going greenis a winning business strategy that also has the added benefit of being theright thing to do for society and our planet.” If you are ever in the Gainesville area, step in to see what theResidence Inn’s green team is up to next. About EcoGreenHotelEcoGreenHotel LLC is a privately held company dedicated to helpinglodging facilities address a broad spectrum of sustainability issues. Thecompany provides information, tools, checklists, current news and trends to thehospitality industry through its website, www.EcoGreenHotel.com. In 2009, the companylaunched an online marketplace for green products and services at www.EcoGreenHotelStore.com.In addition to the online offerings, EcoGreenHotel provides customizedconsulting services tailored to the needs of the hospitality industry in theareas of energy efficiency and certifications, including LEED, Green Seal andEnergy Star. For those properties that have reached certified levels ofsustainability, EcoGreenHotel assists with marketing services to position theproperties within the growing “green” space and enhance revenue. For furtherinformation, email [email protected] or call 888.229.0213.