Baltimore BWI Airport gets its first LEED Hotel

TownePlace Suites by Marriott at Baltimore BWI Airport will receive LEED Existing Building Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making the hotel the first property at BWI Airport to earn the highly-sought-after distinction.

Originally built in 2007, the TownePlace Suites property is undergoing comprehensive programs to qualify for LEED status, including composting all breakfast waste to achieve zero waste, using sustainable and environmentally friendly cleaning products, replacing plumbing hardware with low-flow devices and purchasing renewable energy wind credits to offset the hotel’s carbon footprint.

“We’re thrilled that the TownePlace Suites property will be BWI Airport’s first LEED certified hotel,” said Michelle Emley, general manager of the hotel. “Going green is not only good business, it’s the right thing to do. Because we host so many business and leisure travelers every day, we have the opportunity to set a great example and teach people the easy steps they can take to make their own homes more environmentally friendly.”

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building was designed and operated to provide enhanced energy savings, water efficiency, emissions reduction and overall environmental quality. LEED certification is available for existing buildings that have been retrofitted to comply with USGBC standards and those newly constructed.

The owners of the TownePlace Suites property also recently opened downtown Baltimore’s first green hotel, on track for Gold LEED-certification, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Baltimore. Located on the site of the former Baltimore Brewing Company, the hotel’s distinctive and environmentally friendly design includes a rain barrel made from the brewery’s repurposed grain storage silo, which is now used to capture and store rain water to serve the property’s landscaping irrigation needs.

Both the TownePlace Suites Baltimore BWI and the Green Fairfield Inn Baltimore have also been awarded the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Rating, the first step in LEED certification.

ENERGY STAR, which provides an energy performance rating system used for consumer products, appliances and commercial and industrial buildings, is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Buildings that rate in the top 25 percent nationwide for energy efficiency qualify for the ENERGY STAR.