Proximity - A Green Hotel In Greensboro NC
Platinum LEED Certified Green Travel Accommodation
Aug 17, 2009
When looking for the epitome of green hotels, look to Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina. Ideal for green travel accommodations, this ultra LEED-certified green hotel merges luxury with sustainability and innovation in a way that few other hospitality providers - worldwide - can match.
Best Green Hotel
A paragon of virtue among green hotels, The Proximity Hotel and its sister restaurant, Print Works Bistro, in Greensboro, North Carolina, boast platinum LEED certification. Platinum LEED certification is the ultimate green hotel certification – the rating does not go any higher. LEED certification is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). To earn LEED certification, a building project must meet certain prerequisites and performance benchmarks ("credits") within several categories. Winning them international acclaim, Proximity Hotel and Print Works Bistro are the first in the hospitality industry to obtain the USGBC's top level certification.
Depending on the number of credits they receive, projects are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification. LEED-certified buildings feature reduced operating costs, conservation of natural resources and healthier occupants.
Named one of the "top 50 new business hotels in the world" by Fortune and Wallpaper magazines (May, 2008), Proximity Hotel was also named "Best Hotel" by The Best of Southern Living (2008).
Green Building And Construction
Dennis Quaintance, the CEO and Chief Design Officer of Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels (parent company of Proximity) said, "When we started the design process four years ago, I would have never believed that we could use 39% less energy and 33% less water without one iota of compromise in comfort or luxury and with minimal additional construction costs."
There are 100 solar rooftop panels on top of Proximity Hotel. These panels heat the water for the AAA Four-Diamond hotel. That means that dishes are washed in hot water heated by the sun and guests take baths in water that is heated by the sun. This is just one of hundreds of environmentally-friendly objectives throughout the hotel and restaurant. Commodes feature 1/3rd of a gallon less with each flush. Along with other water-saving features, the green hotel looks to save two million gallons of water annually.
Additional eco-friendly hotel and building policies adopted by Proximity and Print Works include:
- At least 40% of its building materials from local sources
- 20% of the content used was from recycled materials
- The company restored 700 feet of an adjacent stream
- 90% of the furniture at Proximity Hotel came from local sources
- There is natural day-time lighting in at least 97% of occupied space
- An elaborate recovery system offers fresh outside air to guests
- Original art by local artists and craftspeople adorns the guestrooms, reception area, spiral staircases, furniture and accessories
- The elevators are particularly green - as they are going down, they generate the electricity to go back up. These represent the first "regenerative drive elevators" in a hotel in North America
- The recycling of 87% of construction debris (the equivalent of 1,535 tons)
NC Luxury Hotels For Green Travel
Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels also owns the nearby businesses: Lucky 32 Kitchen and Wine Bar, Green Valley Grill and the Four Diamond O.Henry Hotel. For more information about Proximity Hotel, call 336-379-8200 or visit Proximity Hotel online
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