San Diego: Eco-roofs will crown soon-to-debut Hotel Indigo

Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp Quarter is going for the green. Scheduled to open Aug. 1, the 12-story hotel one block from Petco Park is pursuing LEED certification and claims that it will be the “first sustainably built hotel in San Diego.”

Part of its environmentally focused design features what will likely be downtown’s first “eco-roofs.” The ninth-floor terrace and 12th-floor rooftop will hold native plants and shrubs that will help reduce heating and air-conditioning as well as filter storm-water runoff.

Pictured above is the 12th-floor roof at present, with gardeners scheduled to begin greening it in late May or early June, according to hotel media representative Caroline Counihan. This garden will hold four primary plants: stone crop, silver carpet, sea pink and gazania.

Here is a shot of the terrace herb garden area — before the arrival of the herbs, that is:

Plants on the ninth floor will include Tuscan blue rosemary, English ivy, dwarf New Zealand flax, horsetail and star jasmine.

Other environmentally focused features of the hotel-to-be:

- The onsite recycling program will include recycling and composting on the roof.

- Food and beverage containers will be eco-friendly paper or recycled corn plastic.

- Low-VOC paints, coatings, carpet and more are being used.

- There will be reserved parking spaces and discounts for hotel guests who arrive with low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles.

- Employees who carpool to work will receive preferred parking; bicycle racks and showers will be available for staff who bike to work.

And, being in downtown San Diego (at 9th Avenue and Island, to be exact, as pictured just above), hotel guests and staff will be within walking or biking distance to San Diego’s buses, trolley and harbor ferry.

Reservations are now available. Rates in August start at $199 per night (pre-tax). Note that the daily valet parking fee is $32. And no extra fees are charged for pets.

Tip: Got green envy? Become a Facebook fan of “Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp Quarter,” and you’ll be entered to win two tickets to a Padres game and a complimentary night’s stay after the hotel’s opening. The drawing will be held at the end of May.

Contact: Hotel Indigo, (877) 846-3446

- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Photo credit: Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp Quarter

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This entry was posted on Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 7:50 am by Susan Derby and is filed under California, Eco-Travel, Hotels, San Diego. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.