Westin hotels have just opened up a ground-breaking, LEED Gold Certified hotel in Times Square in New York City. LEED Gold certification means that this hotel was not just "green" enough, or sustainable enough to be LEED certified, but it was awarded the second highest LEED certification. For those of you who don't know, LEED stands for Leaders in Energy Efficient Design. LEED certification is awarded to spaces that truly make sustainable choices by using certain materials and systems inside the space to ensure that the building creates only a small amount of waste.
The Element Hotel by the Westin not only uses green materials, but it also uses sustainable practices such as daylighting. Daylighting is the process of using the natural sunlight to light a space compared to relying on the use of artificial lighting. There are two types of daylighting, passive and active. The Element uses both types in the space. There is a large sunroom like structure off of the building that uses the natural sunlight throughout the space in a passive manner. Also, installed on the roof of the building are some parabolic sensors that track the sunlight and harvest its energy in order to act as the electricity of the space. In addition to the public spaces, the guest rooms, which each have their own kitchenettes, have energy efficient appliances as well as plumbing fixtures. This hotel truly gives the user a luxurious, sustainable experience. Starting at around $265/night, if you are into staying at posh hotels in New York City, do not hesitate to check this one out. I will be sure to book my room for when I get back from my vacation in my ecopod in the Swiss Alps. :)
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