Holiday Inn San Antonio Northwest/Sea World Area is a unique hotel. This hotel is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council and intends to pursue certification under USGBC’s LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program. Once achieved, this property is very likely to be the first Holiday Inn hotel in the country to obtain this certification.

The guidelines for becoming LEED certified are very stringent, and they involve strict adherence to green building practices. The result is a building that will leave a much smaller footprint on the environment than a traditional hotel.

What does that mean to our guests?

A significant amount of what needs to be done to make a building green is done in the building process. Most of this is not easily evident to our guests; however, some of the green elements that were implemented during the construction process include:

• Green certified cellulose, made from recycled paper, was used for insulation between all guest room walls, and high-rated insulation was used in attic spaces.
• The amount of construction materials shipped was limited. Most of the materials were sources from San Antonio to limit shipping emissions.
• Recycled construction material “scrapes” were used.
• Dust pollution was limited.
• Low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and glues were used to improve the air quality of the hotel.
• Many of the existing trees on the site were retained in order to reduce the suns heat on the parking lot by creating shade.

You may have noticed some of our green features already. Make sure you check out our “green touch screen” in the main lobby. This interactive touch screen lets you know how much energy the building is using at any time, highlights some of our green features and provides a recap of some of our recycling efforts around the hotel. Other key features of the building are as follows:

• Water Cisterns. You may have noticed the large cylinders attached to the hotel. These are water cisterns, and there are three of them at the property. These units are used to collect water run-off from all of our air conditioning units. In addition, you may have noticed the unique pitch to the hotel’s roofline. The main roof areas of the hotel are designed to funnel all rainwater into one of the three cisterns. This water is then used to irrigate the landscaping around the property. These efforts will result in a reduction in landscape water needs of 50 percent, or 1.7 million gallons, of water every year.

• Solar panels. There are 24 panels on the roof. These are used to pre-heat water for the hot water heaters. This water is funneled through the panels, circulates to the hot water heaters and ultimately ends up in your shower or faucet. Use of these panels will result in an annual gas savings of 20 percent.

• Texas native drought-resistant landscaping. This has been used to reduce the need for watering.

• A highly reflective roof with a radiant barrier. This reflects the sun’s rays, thus reducing energy needs by at least 5 percent annually.

• Bike storage and changing rooms. These are provided to encourage alternative transportation means to the hotel for our associates.

• Preferred parking for vanpool, car pool and low-emission vehicles. This is provided in front of the hotel to encourage use of this type of transportation.

• Shuttle van. The hotel’s shuttle van is an alternative fuel vehicle.

You will notice numerous guest room energy efficiencies in your room. Some of these include the following:

• Guest room lighting. The Watt Stopper will turn off all hardwired lights in guest rooms when the key is removed from the slot at the entry door. This feature will not turn off lamps or any outlets for the television or clock radio. The resulting reduction in energy use will save 5 percent annually versus traditional building.

• Dual-flush toilet. This unit is designed to reduce the use of water. Lift up for liquid, and use .9 liters of water; press down for solids, and use 1.6 liters of water. If used properly, this can result in an annual water savings of up to 30 percent.

• Water-efficient showerheads. These units incorporate air into the water flow to give the feel of a normal shower, while reducing annual water consumption by up to 30 percent.

• Low-flow faucets in vanity sink.

• Guest room energy management system. A door sensor and motion detector determine if a room is occupied. If the room is occupied, the air turns on and stays on until the room is unoccupied. When the room is unoccupied, the temperature will default to the preset temperatures of 65 degrees in the winter and 80 degrees in the summer. This system will reduce annual energy consumption by 17 percent.

•Recycled and environmentally friendly materials for guest room amenities. These include toilet paper, tissue paper, soap, shampoo and conditioner, as well as all cleaning and laundry chemicals.

• Light bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs are used throughout the hotel; they’re dimmable in most public spaces, and there is a central control at the front desk for all public areas, giving the ability to reduce usage in hallways and public space.

• Recycling. There are stations on all floors – combined units for paper, glass and plastic. The hotel recycles cardboard from kitchen and bar areas.

For more information regarding the environmental programs at Holiday Inn Northwest/SeaWorld Area, please stop by the front desk and ask for the general manager or any of our management team, or visit www.hisatx.com.