Press Release
Hampton Inn & Suites Preserves, Enhances Unique Natural Setting
SHELTON, CONN. – Feb. 18, 2010 – Some hotel developers might have deemed it an impossible task – build an eco-friendly, beachfront hotel using sustainable practices to help preserve and honor one of the eastern seaboard’s few remaining true maritime forest and dune eco-systems. But the developers of the new Hampton Inn & Suites on Georgia’s Jekyll Island did just that when building the island’s first new hotel development in 35 years.
Among Georgia’s 14 barrier islands, Jekyll Island (www.jekyllisland.com) is one of just four accessible by causeway. Owned by the state since the late 1940s, it’s been a favorite beach destination for families, tourists and business travelers for decades. State law restricts development on the island to less than 35 percent of its upland area – the rest of the island is to remain undeveloped as a natural conservation area.
New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel ownership and development company and third-party manager, and co-developers Jekyll Ocean Oaks, LLC, an affiliate of the ownership group of the island’s existing Jekyll Island Club Hotel, saw an opportunity to fill a need for additional hotel rooms on the island. An extensive set of guidelines adopted by the Jekyll Island Authority require that any development on the island be undertaken in a way that respects and preserves the unique natural environment and historic character of the island. To meet those guidelines, developers applied a range of creative conservation practices throughout the building process, and incorporated leading-edge sustainability practices into the hotel’s operation.
In the development and construction phases, these included:
• Building the new hotel on the existing footprint of an older motel in order to avoid cutting old growth trees on the 5-acre site – some standing as high as 55 feet. The footprint was repeatedly adjusted to maximize the ability to preserve trees.
• Detailed mapping of tree locations and evaluation of their health and relative importance by a certified arborist.
• Planting of new live oak trees to replace a dozen trees removed to accommodate redevelopment of the site, and more than two dozen trees that were in poor health.
• Recycling materials like steel, copper, concrete and aluminum from the demolition of the older motel.
• Mounting elevated exterior downlighting on existing trees to avoid the cost and energy use related to manufacturing and installing aluminum poles for parking areas.
“By a happy coincidence, the developable portion of the site lies behind a maritime forest that cloaks a mature dune system leading to the beach and ocean,” says Vance Hughes, an environmental lawyer and owner/developer of the hotel. “Dune elevations range from 18 feet to as high as 30 feet above sea level. We were faced with the challenge of preserving one of the few remaining locations where an automobile-accessible barrier island boasts a mature maritime forest and pristine dune field leading to the beach and ocean.”
It was necessary to provide hotel guests with beach access, but developers also needed to preserve this unique natural area. An elevated wooden walkway solves the problem, minimizing impact on flora and fauna and providing guests a scenic route to access the beach.
Hotel operations were also planned to maximize the property’s eco-friendliness. The Hampton Inn & Suites, Jekyll Island employs a host of sustainable practices, including:
• Rainwater is collected from the 25,000-square-foot roof and stored in a cistern for irrigating landscaping.
• The hotel’s laundry system recaptures final rinse water moisture from the dryers for reuse as wash water, conserving both water and energy. The system also scavenges waste heat from the dryers and reuses it to preheat water for the washing machines, recovering up to 90 percent of the waste heat and reducing overall energy consumption in the laundry by more than 50 percent.
• Use of solar thermal panels on the south-facing roof to preheat water for hot water systems that service guestrooms, restrooms and kitchens. The system reduces the burning of propane, a fossil fuel, to produce heat, thus reducing the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by the property.
• Thorough insulation and cladding with cement board, as well as the four-story design, require less energy for HVAC systems. Motion sensors control bathroom ventilation fans, and ENERGY STAR rated appliances and equipment further reduce overall energy consumption.
• Use of low-flow toilets and urinals and water-conserving showerheads to reduce the property’s overall water consumption. The showerheads reduce water used for bathing by 40 percent, also reducing the energy required to heat the water.
“Hoteliers have learned that green building not only benefits the environment, but their bottom line,” says Gerald P. Chase, president and chief operating officer of New Castle, which manages the hotel. “With the Hampton Inn & Suites, Jekyll Island, we saw an opportunity to take sustainable building and operational practices to the next level, and to create a property that not only helps preserve the environment, but pays homage to the breath-taking beauty of its truly unique natural setting.”
The Hampton Inn & Suites Jekyll Island opened in January 2010, the first new hotel to be built on the island in 35 years. The beachfront property boasts 138 guestrooms, including 88 suites with balconies, and direct access to the beach. Amenities include a heated outdoor pool, children’s pool, large hot tub, fitness center, business center, meeting facilities, nature trails, complimentary hot breakfast buffet and free wireless Internet throughout the hotel. Located at 200 South Beachview Drive, the hotel is minutes from the shops, restaurants and attractions of Jekyll Island’s historic district.
New Castle Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio includes 28 hotels the company manages, owns or is developing in the United States and Canada. New Castle will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2010. For more information on New Castle Hotels & Resorts, please contact Gerald P. Chase, president, chief operating officer, at (203) 925-8370, or visit the corporate website at www.newcastlehotels.com.
# # #
ARCHIVES: 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999
SHELTON, CONN. – Feb. 18, 2010 – Some hotel developers might have deemed it an impossible task – build an eco-friendly, beachfront hotel using sustainable practices to help preserve and honor one of the eastern seaboard’s few remaining true maritime forest and dune eco-systems. But the developers of the new Hampton Inn & Suites on Georgia’s Jekyll Island did just that when building the island’s first new hotel development in 35 years.
Among Georgia’s 14 barrier islands, Jekyll Island (www.jekyllisland.com) is one of just four accessible by causeway. Owned by the state since the late 1940s, it’s been a favorite beach destination for families, tourists and business travelers for decades. State law restricts development on the island to less than 35 percent of its upland area – the rest of the island is to remain undeveloped as a natural conservation area.
New Castle Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel ownership and development company and third-party manager, and co-developers Jekyll Ocean Oaks, LLC, an affiliate of the ownership group of the island’s existing Jekyll Island Club Hotel, saw an opportunity to fill a need for additional hotel rooms on the island. An extensive set of guidelines adopted by the Jekyll Island Authority require that any development on the island be undertaken in a way that respects and preserves the unique natural environment and historic character of the island. To meet those guidelines, developers applied a range of creative conservation practices throughout the building process, and incorporated leading-edge sustainability practices into the hotel’s operation.
In the development and construction phases, these included:
• Building the new hotel on the existing footprint of an older motel in order to avoid cutting old growth trees on the 5-acre site – some standing as high as 55 feet. The footprint was repeatedly adjusted to maximize the ability to preserve trees.
• Detailed mapping of tree locations and evaluation of their health and relative importance by a certified arborist.
• Planting of new live oak trees to replace a dozen trees removed to accommodate redevelopment of the site, and more than two dozen trees that were in poor health.
• Recycling materials like steel, copper, concrete and aluminum from the demolition of the older motel.
• Mounting elevated exterior downlighting on existing trees to avoid the cost and energy use related to manufacturing and installing aluminum poles for parking areas.
“By a happy coincidence, the developable portion of the site lies behind a maritime forest that cloaks a mature dune system leading to the beach and ocean,” says Vance Hughes, an environmental lawyer and owner/developer of the hotel. “Dune elevations range from 18 feet to as high as 30 feet above sea level. We were faced with the challenge of preserving one of the few remaining locations where an automobile-accessible barrier island boasts a mature maritime forest and pristine dune field leading to the beach and ocean.”
It was necessary to provide hotel guests with beach access, but developers also needed to preserve this unique natural area. An elevated wooden walkway solves the problem, minimizing impact on flora and fauna and providing guests a scenic route to access the beach.
Hotel operations were also planned to maximize the property’s eco-friendliness. The Hampton Inn & Suites, Jekyll Island employs a host of sustainable practices, including:
• Rainwater is collected from the 25,000-square-foot roof and stored in a cistern for irrigating landscaping.
• The hotel’s laundry system recaptures final rinse water moisture from the dryers for reuse as wash water, conserving both water and energy. The system also scavenges waste heat from the dryers and reuses it to preheat water for the washing machines, recovering up to 90 percent of the waste heat and reducing overall energy consumption in the laundry by more than 50 percent.
• Use of solar thermal panels on the south-facing roof to preheat water for hot water systems that service guestrooms, restrooms and kitchens. The system reduces the burning of propane, a fossil fuel, to produce heat, thus reducing the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by the property.
• Thorough insulation and cladding with cement board, as well as the four-story design, require less energy for HVAC systems. Motion sensors control bathroom ventilation fans, and ENERGY STAR rated appliances and equipment further reduce overall energy consumption.
• Use of low-flow toilets and urinals and water-conserving showerheads to reduce the property’s overall water consumption. The showerheads reduce water used for bathing by 40 percent, also reducing the energy required to heat the water.
“Hoteliers have learned that green building not only benefits the environment, but their bottom line,” says Gerald P. Chase, president and chief operating officer of New Castle, which manages the hotel. “With the Hampton Inn & Suites, Jekyll Island, we saw an opportunity to take sustainable building and operational practices to the next level, and to create a property that not only helps preserve the environment, but pays homage to the breath-taking beauty of its truly unique natural setting.”
The Hampton Inn & Suites Jekyll Island opened in January 2010, the first new hotel to be built on the island in 35 years. The beachfront property boasts 138 guestrooms, including 88 suites with balconies, and direct access to the beach. Amenities include a heated outdoor pool, children’s pool, large hot tub, fitness center, business center, meeting facilities, nature trails, complimentary hot breakfast buffet and free wireless Internet throughout the hotel. Located at 200 South Beachview Drive, the hotel is minutes from the shops, restaurants and attractions of Jekyll Island’s historic district.
New Castle Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio includes 28 hotels the company manages, owns or is developing in the United States and Canada. New Castle will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2010. For more information on New Castle Hotels & Resorts, please contact Gerald P. Chase, president, chief operating officer, at (203) 925-8370, or visit the corporate website at www.newcastlehotels.com.
# # #
ARCHIVES: 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999