LEED^®, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a multi-category green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Certification is awarded to select properties based on their site sustainability, water efficiency, energy use and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design for a new building, or innovation in operations for an existing building. The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte will seek LEED Gold Existing Building certification in 2011, with such dual certification anticipated to set a new benchmark for the luxury hotel industry.

The vegetated roof of the 18-story Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte is planted with 18,000 sedum plants to help reduce “urban heat island effect.” The green surface reflects, slows rain runoff and insulates the rooftop, keeping the hotel building cooler overall. It also cools the air around it through evapo-transpiration (or evaporation of water from leaves). The hotel roof is the location for the chef’s garden, cultivated for hotel culinary purposes and featuring lavender, mint and other fresh herbs and greens.

Guests driving hybrid and/or electric vehicles receive complimentary parking at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte. Additionally, complimentary local complimentary transportation is provided to guests on weekday mornings, with a hybrid vehicle used for this service, which is provided within the I-277 loop.  A Level I and Level II-capable electric vehicle charging station is located on property and is available for use by hotel guests.

The roof of The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte is home to two fully-contained beehives whose 100,000 inhabitants assist in pollination and provide natural honey for the hotel. Seventy pounds of all-naturally, chemical-free raw honey can be generated annually by the hives, depending upon foraging schedules, weather and nectar flow.

Bike Valets at the 146-room Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte offer an array of Trek Bikes for complimentary guest use, and the hotel features 150 bicycle parking spaces for hotel guests. Bike Valets are fully-trained in bicycle maintenance and repair and provide pedal-prone guests with equipment orientation, a local bike map, a water bottle and safety helmet to use. Women’s bikes also include baskets, in case shopping at the dozens of nearby stores is on the agenda. Another stop of interest to many guests might be a bike visit to Uptown’s nearby Farmers’ Market, specializing in fresh produce, cheeses and organic breads. Each Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte guest rider receives a bike lock to use, so that he or she can saddle up at the various bike racks throughout town, returning to the hotel for welcome-back chilled water and towel service.

The Spa & Wellness Center at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte incorporates treatments utilizing 100% organic products and also features a bromine-treated swimming pool designed to avoid the effects of traditional harsh pool chemicals. Signature spa experiences at The Spa & Wellness Center include the unique Green Your Body Eco-Treatment, utilizing organic and vegan essential oils as well as environmentally-respectful scrubs and polishes. The Spa & Wellness Center offers personal training sessions, weekend yoga classes and wellness counseling that can incorporate the hotel’s complimentary cycling and tasteful organic cuisine as key components in a guest’s overall health planning.

All hotel dining and beverage menus incorporate organic, local and 100% natural products, with a focus on the freshly-grown foods that showcase the Carolinas’ rich agricultural bounty. The Lobby Lounge’s regional and organic culinary choices include light fare, signature martinis, cocktails, wines, coffees and flavored ice teas – including North Carolina wines and home-churned ice cream made with honey from the hotel’s own beehives.

The following are just a few highlights of the hotel’s environmentally-mindful features and practices:

• The hotel building uses 30% less energy than a conventional hotel through use of ultra-efficient materials and the latest construction technology. The hotel is also working with a green power supplier to purchase 35% of the building’s electricity use for its first two years of operation, and on Saturday evenings, the hotel briefly dims its Lobby lighting in a salute to candle power and simpler, more energy-efficient ways of illumination.
• Guest room air quality is optimized by circulating large amounts of outside air into rooms and suites, and interior use of low-emitting volatile organic compound (VOC) paints, adhesives and carpets consistently reduces indoor air contamination.
• Water usage is reduced by 35% by the use of high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, saving approximately 700,000 gallons of water a year. Additionally, all irrigation for hotel plants utilizes captured rainwater from 1 Bank of America Center storage tanks.
• More than 80% of the hotel’s construction waste was recycled, diverting 3,900 tons of debris from area landfills.