Rest Easy at an Eco-friendly Hotel in Philadelphia and Countryside

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. July 29, 2011

July 28, 2010 - From the coziest bed and breakfasts to the most international of corporate chains, hotels in the Philadelphia region work hard to provide their guests and employees with amenities and programs that reduce their environmental footprint on the planet. Philadelphia hotels use low-flow shower heads and energy-efficient lighting; clean with supplies that aren't toxic; recycle old batteries, lightbulbs and office equipment; donate used fryer oil to farmers to use as bio-diesel fuel; and provide guests with the option to reuse their sheets and towels for the duration of their stay. Here is a look at some of the hotels that are going even further to set examples for the industry.

Center City Philadelphia:

• Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown: Executives here have hired a consultant to instruct them on how to best go green. So far, they've made vast improvements to their utilities: an energy management system controls HVAC operations; steam service has replaced emission-releasing boilers; steam condensate is captured and used to preheat guest-room hot water; bathroom exhaust air is vented and routed through coils to pre-heat and pre-cool the hallways. As for non-engineering changes, all hotel paper and pen products are manufactured from recyclable materials, and certain meeting rooms designated as “Green Meetings” use no linen and are outfitted with tables and chairs made from recyclable materials. 21 N. Juniper Street, (215) 496-3200, philadelphiadowntowncourtyard.com
• Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia: Executives at the luxe Benjamin Franklin Parkway property embraced the green movement long ago. Since 2005, when they founded a task force to evaluate and implement eco-friendly changes, the hotel has reduced its overall energy consumption by one-third. In 2006, they began salinating their indoor pool and hot tub with minerals instead of chlorine and have since installed a liquid cover over the pool, which reduces heat loss and evaporation. In 2007, they launched a program that made them the largest composter in the city Some of that composted waste is sent to the roof to fertilize the garden that grows herbs and vegetables for their restaurants. Finally, the hotel generates much of its own electricity, heat and hot water with the first corporate Microturbines to be installed in Philadelphia. One Logan Square, (215) 963-1500, fourseasons.com/philadelphia
• Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn's Landing: Not only does staff save energy by using discount passes to take public transportation to work, they conserve electricity by working in service areas that are equipped with light sensors and timers that automatically shut lights off when they're not in use. Further, lights in the back of the house turn off every night at midnight, and escalators don't run when there's no event happening on the second floor. 201 S. Columbus Boulevard, (215) 928-1234,pennslanding.hyatt.com
• Hotel Palomar Philadelphia: As the only LEED Gold-certified hotel in the city, this Kimpton property adheres to the strictest of requirements in the areas of energy saving, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources. Three of the quirkiest eco characteristics are the recycled wall coverings, the blankets made of 100% recycled content and the parking discounts for hybrid cars. Additionally, the restaurant Square 1682 is among the city's only LEED-registered dining establishments and practices at the highest levels of sustainable food sourcing. 117 S. 17th Street, (215) 563-5006, hotelpalomar-philadelphia.com
• The Independent Hotel Philadelphia: A program called “Earth View,” currently in Phase One, governs eco-initiatives at this Midtown Village hotel. The guest experience has been altered in that they no longer receive phone books in their rooms; they don't eat or drink from Styrofoam cups, plates or bowls; and they use key cards, toilet and facial tissue and paper towels made from recycled content. Meanwhile, during their stay, the hotel's energy consumption is being tracked on two different websites. 1234 Locust Street, (215) 772-1440, theindependenthotel.com
• Sofitel Philadelphia: The Rittenhouse Square property has been awarded the highest recognition in the chain's Green Key Eco-Rating Program, which designates it as a hotel that has shown “national industry leadership and commitment to protecting the environment through wide-ranging policies and practices.” Those practices include the use of local and organic foods and the incorporation of the Natura Water filtration system that eliminates the need for bottled water. Employees are given work time to volunteer for community environmental events and are rewarded for proposing innovative solutions to environmental problems. 120 S. 17th Street, (215) 569-8300, sofitel.com

West Philadelphia & Philadelphia International Airport:

• The Inn at Penn, A Hilton Hotel: A recent multi-million dollar renovation has allowed the hotel to replace old fabrics, wall coverings and bathroom tiles with those that contain recycled content. This upgrade includes new uniforms for front-desk staff, which are manufactured from recycled plastic bottles. Staff also participates in reducing waste with the Intelity/ICE virtual concierge system delivered on Apple iPads that eliminates 90% of guest-related printing. Thanks to a $100,000 energy improvement grant, the hotel installed technology that activates in-room lighting, heating and air conditioning upon a guest's arrival. 3600 Sansom Street, (215) 222-0200, theinnatpenn.com
• The Best Western Widener Hotel and Suites: This hotel, located near Widener University, is pursuing its LEED Silver certification by taking measures like heating its water through solar panels and using toxin-free, natural cleaning products and biodegradable or recyclable products and equipment. 1450 Providence Avenue, Chester, (610) 872-8100, bwwidenerhotel.com
• Philadelphia Airport Triplex Hotels (Sheraton Suites Philadelphia Airport, Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia Airport and Aloft Philadelphia Airport): Many of the eco-initiatives at these sister hotels are conceived by a “Green Council,” consisting of individuals from the operations department who trade eco and humanitarian ideas. They help manage the Make a Green Choice Program at the Sheraton Suites, where guests are awarded a $5 voucher or points toward the loyalty program for sacrificing housekeeping service during their stay. They also oversee the donation of used soap and bottled hygienic supplies from the three properties to the national Clean the World organization, which distributes them to developing countries suffering from hygiene-related illness. 4101 Island Avenue, starwoodhotels.com

Regional Hotels:

• HollyHedge Estate: One of Bucks County's most romantic bed and breakfasts is also one of its greenest. Its blog, greeninghollyhedge.blogspot.com, chronicles the ways owners are conserving and maximizing their local resources. Among them, they make their own maple syrup from trees grown on-premise, they've reused old construction materials to build their chicken coop (which, incidentally, will have a garden on the roof), and they have a complex rainwater collection and irrigation system that keeps their gardens watered. 6987 Upper York Road, New Hope, (215) 862-3136, hollyhedge.com
• Hotel Sierra King of Prussia: Scheduled to open in September 2011, this lifestyle suites hotel utilizes some of the most modern materials in the construction industry. Framing for the floor and walls are fashioned out of wood byproducts, and the drywall contains recycled material. The white roof reflects light rather than absorbing it, which lessens the heating effect, and the high-efficiency windows are coated to similarly improve their thermal performance. Outside, architects significantly reduced the square footage of impervious surfaces that conduct runoff into nearby bodies of water, and underneath the building, an underground storm water retention system collects rainwater. 240 Mall Boulevard, King of Prussia, (610) 265-0300, hotel-sierra.com
• Wyndham Garden Exton Valley Forge: Chester County's largest hotel and conference center has just been converted to a Wyndham franchise, and with the ownership change comes a greatly expanded recycling collection program throughout guest and employee spaces, and the retention of tree and branch cuttings for use as mulch in the hotel's landscaping. 815 N. Pottstown Pike, Exton, (610) 363-1100, wyndham.com

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region's vitality.

For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit visitphilly.com or uwishunu.com , where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to HearPhilly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region; book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Historic Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.