In Maryland, hotel executives and investors recognize the benefits of LEED-certified properties

All across the country, people are discovering the advantages of energy-efficient homes and buildings, realizing firsthand that it's not only the environment that benefits from this shift in thinking. Most recently, hotel executives and investors in Frederick, Maryland, have become advocates of eco-friendly initiatives. 

Liam Brown, Marriott International's COO of select-service and extended-stay lodging of the Americas, knows how difficult it is for companies to solicit financing for new-build projects, reports Hotel News Now. But after learning that Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings are often sought out and preferred by lenders and investors, he began looking into more sustainable options.

Developers are often intimidated by the prospect of having to learn about energy-efficient alternatives, Loren Nalewanski, Vice President and global brand manager of TownePlace Suites and Marriott Executive Apartments, explained to the source. But, as building owners and executives are figuring out, the return on investment of these initiatives makes it all worthwhile.

In order to undergo the LEED certification process for the TownePlace Suites, Frederick, the owner and developers had to reach out to their lender and notify them of some of the additional costs, but everyone agreed that it was a sound investment.

"It was not a difficult conversation to have," Pete Plamondon Jr., owner of the TownePlace Suites Frederick, told the source. "We were able to convince our bank (that) 'Yes, we're going to spend the extra money, but we're going to do it for all the right reasons.'"

Nalewanski added that it's important for developers and investors to remember that sustainability is more than just a fad.

Home or business owners looking to purchase new property or hoping to increase the energy efficiency in their current houses or buildings can contact a home inspection contractor to get started on upgrading to a more eco-friendly lifestyle.