Marriott in Downtown Portland aims for LEED Gold

Read more about: green building, hospitality, hydroelectric power, LEED, Marriott, Oregon, Portland

As the latest initiative toward the city’s downtown revitalization effort, The Courtyard by Marriott – Portland City Center has recently opened its doors. Formerly known as the Toronto National Building, the property endured a total interior and exterior design overhaul by Sage Hospitality and is expected to earn LEED Gold status by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The property spans 16 floors and 256 guestrooms, and is located along the upcoming “MAX Green Line” giving guests and visitors easy, car-less access to the Oregon Convention Center and Portland International Airport.

“Clearly the strength of the Marriott brand will be an advantage for this hotel and its central location and unique amenities will appeal to a healthy mix of business and leisure travelers,” said Walter Isenberg, president and CEO of Sage Hospitality. “We are thrilled to be a part of revitalizing this neighborhood in Portland to bring such a unique hotel to the market. We are confident in the property’s potential to become a major draw for this area of the city.”

The hotel blends the region’s natural elements with rich, local artwork and design. Local artist Paige Powell served as a consultant to Sage Hospitality and SERA Architects to build on a vision of the hotel; filled with artwork and photography that represents Oregon’s regional culture.

Large photo samples are aligned throughout the property as large wall murals in each guestroom as well as the walls opposite each elevator landing, complimenting the interior design concept of textural, abstract and varied landscapes of Oregon.

“This artistic collaboration is significant because the typical Courtyard by Marriott properties do not feature original art,” said general manager Mike Castro. “Working with Paige…gave us the opportunity to break out of the traditional Courtyard model and put our Portland stamp on this exciting new property in the heart of downtown.”

Eco-conscious design

Aiming for LEED Gold, the newly-renovated property is designed to greatly conserve on overall energy and water consumption, while over 75% of the construction waste materials was recycled and/or reused. Meanwhile, 100% of the of the property’s electrical power is derived from renewable sources, including wind and hydroelectric power.

“The complete renovation of the old Toronto National building gave us the opportunity to apply all of the best thinking around sustainable development,” said Isenberg. “Restoring an existing building rather than just tearing it down was the first important decision, and then every decision after we considered the best option to create an eco-conscious hotel that offers our guests an amazing hotel experience.”

The hotel is also a smoke-free environment and utilizes “green” housekeeping products, non-PVC wall coverings and low VOC paints.

For more information, visit www.marriott.com/pdxpc.

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