Marriott Indianapolis Downtown Goes Green

MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Sept. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- White Lodging recently announced that the Marriott in downtown Indianapolis has been named a Certified Green Hotel.  The Green Seal Certification was bestowed upon the hotel by the Washington, D.C. based non-profit Green Seal.

"We are the first hotel in Indiana to be recognized by Green Seal and only the third Marriott hotel in the nation," said the property's General Manager Phil Ray.  "This is truly an honor."

The Green Seal Standard for Hotels and Lodging Properties (GS-33) is one of the most stringent environmental standards in the hospitality industry. In order to receive GS-33 certification, the Marriott Indianapolis Downtown had to meet and adhere to guidelines that included requirements in waste management, energy efficiency, water conservation, wastewater management and green procurement. Green Seal conducted an on-site audit of the hotel and Ray and his staff must submit to annual monitoring to ensure the hotel's continued compliance.

"To achieve our green status, we examined all we were doing in the hotel and made some adjustments that are more eco-friendly," Ray said.  He continued by naming a few of the changes that were made in the operation of the hotel. "We have 622 guest rooms and suites, so we go through a lot of laundry. We've instituted a program for towels and sheets asking guests to reuse their linens if possible." Ray said the Marriott Downtown Indianapolis is also using non-toxic or less toxic cleaners and sanitizers, and that they've converted to LED lighting and their light bulbs to energy efficient compact fluorescents.

Green Seal was founded in 1989 and provides science-based environmental certification standards that are credible, transparent and essential in an increasingly educated and competitive marketplace.

White Lodging Services Corporation was established in 1985 and is headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana. White Lodging is a fully integrated hotel ownership, development, and operations company – a recognized leader that has defined and cultivated the ability to achieve consistent, sustainable growth among mid- to large-scale hotels across the country. Their current portfolio consists of over 156 hotels in 19 states and encompasses representation of the following leading brands: Marriott International, Inc., Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Global, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental Hotel Group, and Carlson Hotels Worldwide.

For more information about White Lodging, please visit www.whitelodging.com or call 219-472-2900.

SOURCE White Lodging Services Corporation