Marriott International, Inc. announced the first hotel to open as part of its LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Volume Program - The Courtyard Scottsdale Salt River in Arizona.

The hotel is also the first Marriott-branded property built on U.S. tribal land in cooperation with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, creating nearly 30 jobs.

“This partnership is a symbol of Marriott’s commitment to working with diverse business partners.  Our business thrives on partnerships with organizations that share similar philosophies and values.  We believe that we have found a great partner in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community,” said Eric Jacobs, chief development officer, North American Lodging, Marriott International. “It’s a great example of Marriott’s diverse ownership program, which currently has nearly 600 diverse-owned hotels.”

Opened April 26th, the hotel boasts over 6,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 3,000 square foot ballroom.  The hotel features Native American aspects of the Pima and Maricopa tradition and culture including a mural by Pima artist Anthony “Thosh” Collins.  The mural depicts an ancient courting ritual in which young ladies showed their basket weaving skills for young men, a tightly woven basket with an intricate design was said to be of a hard working and patient woman, the ritual is known as the Pima basket dance.

“We are pleased to welcome Marriott to our community.  The hotel is just the right addition to our 101 Corridor development and expansion.  This is another important ‘first’ for our Community and is the newest addition to our emerging Talking Stick Cultural and Entertainment Destination,” says Diane Enos, president of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. “We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership.”

Featuring Courtyard’s innovative Refreshing Business lobby, the new hotel offers guests options to tailor their stay, whether it is for business or leisure.  The Bistro provides a variety of food and beverage options for breakfast and dinner, including Starbucks coffee.  Information is at guests’ fingertips with an award winning virtual concierge, Courtyard’s GoBoard™, that features QR code mobile download capability for everything from the weather to local restaurants. Courtyard gives travelers control to work, relax and socialize, when they want and how they want.

Like all Marriott LEED Volume hotels, the Courtyard Scottsdale Salt River features a number of elements that focus on energy and water efficiency and recycling.  Some of those elements include:
Light-colored roofing that reflects heat and saves energy;
70 percent ENERGY STAR® certified appliances including refrigerators, TVs, computers and kitchen equipment;
Water-efficient toilets and aerated bathroom faucets;
10 percent of the building materials used contain recycled content;
“On Demand” ventilation that provides fresh air for occupied spaces without wasting energy on unoccupied areas of the property;
LED lighting - controls that turn off the lights;
Incorporates high-tech daylight sensors to reduce electrical lighting with natural sun light and
Uses renewable energy sources such as solar or wind.

Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the LEED Volume Program removes the guess work from the process for property developers, such as hotel owners who want to build a LEED-certified hotel, saving them time and money.  Volume certification provides a streamlined path to LEED certification based on a pre-approved prototype and process.

Owners of these hotels save about $100,000 in upfront costs and six months of design time.  Additionally, owners can expect to save 25 percent in energy and water consumption and should recover their additional investment in five to six years—possibly sooner depending on federal and local government incentives.

“We live in a world where concerns about the environment and about sustainable development are a growing consideration for everyone,” says Karim Khalifa, senior vice president of architecture and construction.  “The LEED Volume program allows our owners and franchisees to build sustainable hotels economically with a predictable return on investment and that our guests will love.  This platform is an important part of Marriott’s global expansion and our commitment to build our hotels in an eco-sensitive way.”

Marriott’s entire select-service and extended-stay portfolios—Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites and TownePlace Suites – are all LEED Volume certified.  In addition to the LEED Volume certified Courtyard Scottsdale Salt River, the TownePlace Suites Denver Airport/Fitzsimons in Colorado, opened in early May and is the first of the brand to open as LEED Volume certified as will the Residence Inn Austin in Texas, which is scheduled to open in early 2013.  The SpringHill Suites and Fairfield Inn brands have projects under development.  Across the Marriott portfolio, there are more than 90 hotels that are LEED- certified or registered by the USGBC.