Doubletree Encourages Travelers to Go Carbon-Free With Innovative “Carbon Calculator”

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Doubletree® Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Portland-Lloyd Center has created an innovative carbon offset program with The Climate Trust. This carbon offset program is the latest accomplishment in the Doubletree’s systematic efforts to build sustainable practices into its entire operations. The 476-room Doubletree is the first lodging property in Oregon and one of the largest hotels west of the Mississippi to be certified with a Green Seal “green hotel” designation.

The Doubletree has established a designated website, www.doubletreeportlandgreen.com, to educate travelers about this innovative program. The site contains information about the carbon offset program, green meeting packages, and the Doubletree’s other sustainability programs. It also hosts a “Carbon Calculator,” which guests and groups can use to determine the global warming impact of their stay and events. The guests or groups can then make a contribution to The Climate Trust to offset their stay’s carbon footprint.

“Our entire team at the Doubletree Hotel Portland-Lloyd Center clearly understands how our everyday duties throughout our hotel can ultimately have a measurable impact on the world in which we live,” says Steve Faulstick, hotel general manager. “The Carbon Calculator is a uniquely educational opportunity to demonstrate the carbon impact of our business and leisure travel, and a great way to give back and offset our overall carbon footprint.”

The donations from the Doubletree groups and individual guests will go towards several Portland-based projects that The Climate Trust has helped fund. These projects reduce the overall carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere through improved transportation and increased energy efficiency in both commercial and residential buildings. Contributing to these projects helps allow guests and groups to make their stays at the Doubletree Lloyd Center carbon-neutral.

“The Climate Trust is very excited about this opportunity to help support the Doubletree’s innovative carbon offset program. This initiative will allow Doubletree clients to use The Climate Trust’s high quality carbon offsets to address the global warming impact of their travels and activities,” enthuses Matthew Tidwell, Offset Portfolio Coordinator with The Climate Trust. “Although carbon offsets are not the sole solution, they are an important tool to allow individuals and companies a means to address global warming.”

The Doubletree’s carbon offset program examines the hotel’s own carbon footprint from fuel usage and carbon dioxide producing resources. They have already a well-established commuter incentive program, and have eliminated their Airport Shuttle - an industry standard - in favor of encouraging guests to arrive on the highly acclaimed Portland MAX light rail system. The clean and convenient MAX Red Line whisks travelers within yards of the entrance to both the hotel and airport terminal in less than 25 minutes – even during heavy traffic periods.

To further reduce their environmental impact and overall energy consumption, the Doubletree Portland-Lloyd Center is beginning to take the following steps:

Retrofit property with high-efficiency condensing boilers, high-efficiency centrifugal chillers, and low-flow showerheads.
Install demand-based ventilation systems controls, DDC controls and dry-bulb economizers on air handling units, and VSD’s on room fan coil unit supply fans.
Install hydronic economizer for off-season cooling and de-coupled chilled water pumping system.
“As far as we’re aware, this is the first carbon calculator tailored specifically to a hotel,” states Michael Luehrs, hotel director of operations. “Not only are we finding more ways to measure our own carbon footprint, but we are also giving our group meetings and individual guests the tools to offset their own, direct impact on the environment. We’re hoping that this initiative and many others we’re exploring will help us all collectively breathe a little easier in the future.”

The Doubletree has been recognized for its stewardship by the City of Portland, and by the Environmental Protection Agency. In its ongoing attempts to grow sustainability, the property has appointed a Green Meeting Specialist, and has designated a staff person to lead efforts towards a LEED-EB (Existing Building) certification. In addition, the hotel has a full-time Green Team committee that spearheads their sustainability programs.