Thanks to a $14 million renovation, the Sheraton Rittenhouse Square in
Philadelphia will be at the forefront of environmental design in the
hospitality market. Set to open by the end of this year, the 192-room hotel
will occupy part of the 72-year old, 17-story mixed use Rittenhouse Regency
building.
The hotel is making indoor air quality (IAQ) one of its hallmarks. Its
ventilation system will provide filtered outside air to occupied rooms 24
hours a day. Smoking will be prohibited throughout the hotel. Materials
were selected with IAQ in mind, including paint and carpeting. Furniture is
made from certified wood and only water-based glues are used. The bed
sheets and curtains are made from organic cotton.
At the center of the six-story atrium will be 60-foot bamboo trees. Bamboo
was chosen because they take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen at a 35
percent higher rate than most other plants. “When a person is having
breakfast in the atrium, the high amount of oxygen makes it feel like a ski
mountain,” says Barry Dimson, president of EcoSmart Properties, one of
developers. Lobby flooring is also made from bamboo.
Dimson says because they were able to market these features, the hotel
should reach full occupancy within a year, rather than the standard three
years.
www.ecosmart.com
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