THE Greenest Hotel in Atlanta: The Sheraton Downtown

Looking for one of the greenest hotels in Atlanta? Well look no further!

One hotel kept recurring in my search for the greenest hotel in Atlanta to stay at while covering the Go Green Expo this past weekend.

The Sheraton Downtown Atlanta.

It is far and above all of the rest and is, without a doubt, one of the greenest (if not THE greenest) hotel in downtown Atlanta.

Daniel Senden, Director of Sales and Marketing, for the Sheraton Downtown Atlanta was nice enough to take time out of his busy schedule to do a quick interview with me that highlights some of the greenest features of the Sheraton’s recent $70 million re-invention project.

Check out the interview and catch the details below it…

Everything about the Sheraton Downtown Atlanta was amazing for me…starting with my very 1st phone conversation with Marketing Manager, Juliana High.

I contacted her and said that I would be in town for the Go Green Expo and was looking for the greenest hotel in Atlanta to stay in. After just a few moments I asked if they would be able to accommodate me and if it would be possible to get an interview with someone at the hotel.

Not only did she accommodate me, but the entire process was the smoothest and most seamless I’ve ever experienced in a hotel.

So What Makes The Sheraton Downtown Atlanta So Green?

Here’s but a sampling of the ways the Sheraton in Downtown Atlanta has gone green.

Our current efforts include those you can see and feel in your guest room:

• Recyclable plastic cups in all guestrooms
• In-room recycled coffee cups
• In-room energy efficient 1 cup brewers
• Eco-Friendly turndown (No TV, radio or lights left on)
• E-Folio and Video Checkout to reduce paper usage
• and more…

In your meeting room:

• Recycle bins in meeting rooms upon planner’s request
• Water stations instead of pitchers on larger room sets.
• Green recycling containers available in convention pre function areas for attendees to utilize.
• and more…

And all around the hotel:

• Paperless check in
• Low energy lighting in all permanent light fixtures
• Drought tolerant landscaping

Efforts you can’t see:

• Laundry water recycle system reduces 127 cubic Tons of carbon emissions annually, saving 375,000 gallons of drinking water for public use each month
• Telecommuting program saves an average 3,500 pounds (or two tons of carbon emissions) monthly
• Recycling program for internal offices include paper, plastic, cardboard, and aluminum
• Energy efficient equipment in back of house, including a recently installed dishwasher reduces water consumption by 51%
• Purchase as many local food products as possible by obtaining commitments from our vendors
• New $700,000 Hotel-wide water heating system, increasing efficiency by more than 50%
• Participation in USA Today purchasing program to reduce number of papers unnecessarily purchased
• No use of glass cleaner
• Pool is saline, not chemically, cleaned
• and MUCH more…

Seriously, there is some seriously uber-green action happening at the Sheraton Downtown Atlanta. As you can see in the video above, the Sheraton has spent $70 million over the last 7 years or so in “recreating” their property…with most of that going towards eco-friendly improvements.

I stayed in one of the executive suites and thoroughly enjoyed the creature comforts in the hotel’s newly improved guest rooms. Such amenities like flatscreen tv’s, modern furniture, and honestly the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept on in my life!

The Sheraton Atlanta downtown is totally doing it right. If anyone had actually had the right to be eco-snobs, it would be the Sheraton….but they’re not. They realize that a hotel can be green, chic, and affordable all at the same time…and I REALLY appreciate that!

So what do you think? Will you consider a stay at the Sheraton Atlanta Downtown next time you’re in the ATL?