Spring Break
Athens' Hotel Indigo boasts eco-friendly features
WHITNEY SKEETERS
Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: News
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Hotel Indigo, which is located at 500 College Ave., invited students and professionals from Emerging Green Builders for a preview tour Wednesday.
The hotel features approximately 100 luxury guest rooms and an on-site restaurant, art gallery and music venue.
Each room will feature local art and will cost about $150 per night.
In both construction and design, the construction team focused on sustainability, using recycled and local materials, and water and energy efficiency, said Michael Travis, director of business development at Wilkerson Construction, which worked on the construction of the hotel.
It also will be one of the first hotels in the Southeast to be LEED Gold Certified, a distinction on the United States Green Building Council eco-friendliness scale.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design began in 1995 as a system to rate the carbon footprint of buildings. There are three categories buildings can be scored in: LEED Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum, according to LEED's Web site.
Achieving Gold status requires an extreme attention to detail, Travis said.
Other eco-friendly features include massive windows that let in maximum natural light. The building's orientation faces in a direction that the sun is blocked to conserve energy for cooling the building, Travis said.
A cistern will be used to collect rainwater for landscaping. The faucets, showers and toilets in each room also will have controls that maintain a low flow to prevent unnecessary waste of water, Travis said.
The workers have recycled whatever possible during the construction process, including concrete, metals, wood and green waste. More than 1,000 tons of waste have been diverted from the landfill from these efforts, Travis said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 21
Sandy
posted 4/10/09 @ 8:25 AM EST
A luxury hotel just a crack-rock's throw away from Bethel Homes. Hope they have good security, or they will just be providing luxurious opportunities for the local chronics to make money. (Continued…)
Tracy
posted 4/11/09 @ 9:27 AM EST
Is there really demand in Athens for a "luxury hotel?"
How much luxury can one get for only $150 / night?
Is local art considered "luxury?"
LawDawg
posted 4/11/09 @ 9:58 PM EST
Based on occupancy rates for existing hotels in downtown Athens, there is not a market for this type of hotel, at least not enough of a market to get to profitable occupancy. (Continued…)
doggone
posted 4/12/09 @ 8:57 AM EST
What a bunch of negative nincompoops. Athens gets something truly exciting for a change - an upscale, eco friendly hotel that is remaking the north end of downtown. (Continued…)
uga_prof
posted 4/12/09 @ 11:34 AM EST
Google was a great idea. The other 5,000 search engine startups that investors poured billions of startup capital into that flopped were good ideas, too. (Continued…)
didi
posted 4/13/09 @ 1:51 PM EST
Providing the Bethel crackheads with drunks staggering back to their "luxury" hotel = easy pickins!....Maybe this is part of Obama's economic stimulus for the projects!
Bella Dee
posted 4/13/09 @ 4:11 PM EST
Idont work for the developers but as an employee for another hotel in Athens. Hotel Indigo, which is part of the Intercontinental Hotel Group (Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, etc), will profit. (Continued…)
MJ
posted 4/14/09 @ 11:17 AM EST
Great - ANOTHER Holiday Inn hotel - Athens gets more craptastic by the day
ishizzle
posted 4/15/09 @ 1:11 AM EST
I heard they aren't going to call it hotel indigo, but instead will call it HOtel indiHO, because you'll have all those Bethel HO's right outside!
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