LEED Gold for Columbia Hotel

By Eliza Theiss, Associate Editor

The Holiday Inn & Suites Columbia-Airport has announced receiving LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The certification was awarded based on energy and material use, lighting and water efficiency, and various other sustainable strategies implemented by the hotel.

“The urgency of USGBC’s mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and this Holiday Inn property serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish,” said USGBC President, CEO and Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi in a press release. “Holiday Inn Columbia-Airport’s LEED Gold certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership.”

Among the features for which the Holiday Inn & Suites Columbia-Airport has been awarded the prestigious certification are tankless hot water heaters connected to solar panels, Kone Eco-Space traction elevators, high-efficiency fixtures that reduce water usage, Amana Digismart Energy Management Systems in all guest rooms and a green housekeeping program. Furthermore, rainwater is collected in an underground cistern and used for irrigation.

Yet eco-friendly features are not exclusive to the hotel’s functioning; they were also implemented in the hotel’s construction, with 88.6 percent of waste being diverted to landfills. Additionally, the interior of the hotel was designed with all recycled materials. The hotel’s carpets, paints and adhesives are all low-emitting volatile organic compounds that reduce indoor air contamination.

“This is the crowning moment in what has been an amazing journey,” declared Hema Patel, owner of Courtesy Management Inc. “Our vision started with a hotel in the Columbia, S.C. market and it grew to the vision of constructing South Carolina’s first eco-friendly green hotel.”

Located at 110 Mcswain Dr. in West Columbia off I-26, the Holiday Inn & Suites opened on Earth Day—April 22, 2010. It features a saltwater filtered outdoor pool, 24-hour onsite fitness center, 24-hour lounge, 24-hour staffed business center with high-speed wireless internet access and 5,000 square feet of meeting space, with the grand ballroom seating up to 336. Rooms feature work desks and 32-inch flat panel TV’s with high-end video equipment and sound systems.

Photo courtesy of GoogleMaps