AVON, COLO.—Colorado’s Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa announced that it has been awarded Silver Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Westin Riverfront is the first hotel in Colorado to achieve this coveted green accolade and only the ninth hotel in the country to earn Silver LEED status. The Beaver Creek resort, which opened a year ago this week, is also the first Silver LEED Certified hotel in the Westin brand, which includes more than 160 hotels around the world.
“East West Partners is proud to have been a leader in developing this world class resort,” said Westin Riverfront general manager Bob Trotter. “We are dedicated to being respectful of the pristine mountain environment in which we do business and committed to operating this resort in the most sustainable way possible.”
To achieve this high level of sustainable luxury, the 100 percent smoke-free resort implemented numerous environmentally conscientious building strategies and operational practices, including:
• Low and non-emitting paints, adhesives and carpets utilized throughout the resort to help ensure healthy indoor air quality;
• Construction of the Riverfront Express Gondola—the ultimate in free public transportation—which delivers guests and locals to the Beaver Creek ski area in less than three minutes;
• Fifty percent of the resort’s electricity comes from renewable sources, including wind power;
• Forty percent of the total building materials and products were sourced within 500 miles of the project;
• Ten percent of building materials were made from post consumer/industrial recycled content, such as the roof tiles made from recycled automobile tires;
• Enhanced and donated a five-acre riparian zone along the Eagle River to the Town of Avon as permanent public open space;
• Sophisticated building control system allows front desk associates to adjust the temperature in individual rooms upon guest arrival/departure so that unoccupied rooms are not unnecessarily heated or cooled; and
• Spa Anjali is Colorado’s first dedicated green spa, using only environmentally-friendly products and organic spa linens.
“The management and staff at the Westin have worked hard to develop innovative ways to achieve this prestigious certification, and as a result, the resort fits the mold for new, efficient, and eco-friendly businesses that are the future of this state and country,” said Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter in a letter of congratulations to The Westin Riverfront.
Creative ‘Green’ Sales Package
In celebration of its Silver LEED status, the resort has created The Westin Riverfront Green Package. The package includes:
• Accommodations in a spacious studio suite;
• Purchase of Verified Carbon Credits to offset the carbon emissions from a round-trip drive to the Vail Valley from metro Denver, purchased from Sustainable Travel International;
• A bottle of in-house purified water delivered in a recycled glass container from Restaurant Avondale;
• Participation in Westin’s “Make a Green Choice” program, which allows guests to opt out of towel/linen replacement and housekeeping for up to three days for their choice of either a $5 resort gift card for each night of participation or 500 Starpoints for each stay; and
• Complimentary valet parking when guests arrive with more than two people in the vehicle or in a hybrid vehicle.
Developed by Colorado’s East West Partners, The Westin Riverfront was designed by the architectural firm of Hornberger & Worstell of San Francisco in conjunction with OZ Architecture of Boulder, Colo., which is the architect of record. The interior was designed by internationally recognized leader Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP. Nestled on the banks of the Eagle River with views of Beaver Creek Mountain, The Westin Riverfront was named to “Condé Nast Traveler’s Hot List 2009” as one of the 140 hottest new resorts worldwide.
“As a company, East West Partners recognizes that our resorts depend upon the beauty of a healthy natural environment,” said East West Partners project manager Andy Gunion. “Throughout construction, the team stayed focused on our LEED goal—from close monitoring of construction waste recycling to procuring the drywall directly from a gypsum mine and processing plant located just 30 miles from the site.”
The Westin Riverfront features 210 guest residences ranging from studio suites to three-bedroom condominiums, all featuring contemporary “mountain modern” décor, expansive windows, custom kitchens, five-piece bathrooms and gas fireplaces. Spa Anjali at The Westin Riverfront offers signature treatments inspired by the healing traditions of the mountains. A member of the Starwood Spa Collection, Spa Anjali offers a unique “Green Check-In” program where guests receive a discount on their services if they come to the spa in the robe from their guest residence, reducing the need to launder a second robe.
Restaurant Avondale, by chef/owner Thomas Salamunovich, features a West Coast inspired, seasonal menu and utilizes time honored cooking methods, such as slow roasting and braising, to create simple dishes that are rich in flavor. Restaurant Avondale, which purchases local ingredients whenever possible, uses a unique in-house water purifying and bottling system to help reduce emissions from water bottling plants and transportation.
Go to The Westin Riverfront.
