InterContinental San Francisco – recently featured by GBE – has been awarded LEED Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED EBOM).”
InterContinental San Francisco is the first property in the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts portfolio to achieve LEED certification for an existing building. LEED is USGBC’s rating system for designing, constructing and maintaining energy efficient buildings.
The hotel was evaluated on operational efficiency and minimization of environmental impact. To date, it is the largest hotel property to receive LEED EBOM certification in California. The hotel joins only thirteen other hotels in the nation and is the third largest to receive this distinction.
“We recognize the importance of becoming more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable and are committed to working with the hotel community to deliver sustainable hotel solutions,” said Simon Scoot, Vice President, Brand Management, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, IHG.
Prior to opening in 2008, InterContinental San Francisco’s Chief Engineer Harry Hobbs (see photo next page) asked all hotel employees to pledge to incorporate sustainable practices into their day-to-day activities. Shortly after opening, the hotel formed a “Green Team” with Hobbs at the helm, making the pledge a reality and beginning the certification process.
The 550-room hotel is located in the city’s South of Market district. Since its debut, the hotel has integrated many sustainable features and practices into daily operations including:
- Floor to ceiling windows throughout the entire property
- Public transportation is used by more than 95% of the hotel’s staff, reducing the carbon dioxide emitted by commuting.
- Energy efficient ENERGY Star labeled appliances are used throughout the property.
- Retro-commissioning of its energy systems by bringing in a third party to evaluate and upgrade its current systems, making them more efficient.
- Motion sensors in guest rooms, meeting spaces and other areas to reduce power and conserve energy.
- Implementation of a comprehensive recycling and composting program, diverting 80% of the hotel’s generated waste away from landfills.
- Guest room eco-features include a linen and towel re-use program.
- Green cleaning methods are used throughout all hotel operations.
The InterContinental San Francisco is owned by Continental Development Corporation of El Segundo, CA.
