Go Green with La Quinta Inns and Suites


	Our Industry Leading Green Strategy If trees could give us a hug, they would. That's because to us, green is more than just a color in our palette, it's part of our culture. And it's why we continue to be a leader in the hotel industry when it comes to being environmentally responsible. When you stay at any La Quinta, you'll find that we have implemented guest-sensitive green strategies and practices to help make your stay with us an even greener one. And our efforts have not gone unnoticed. We were asked to lead a hotel industry breakout session sponsored by The Edison Electric Institute —the association of U.S. shareholder-owned electric companies that specifically addressed green initiatives and best practices. We take our environmental leadership position in the hotel industry very seriously and we will continue to do everything we can to make our environment and its future as bright as it can be.				Energy Star® Partner In 2000, La Quinta was named Energy Star Buildings Hospitality Partner of the Year by the EPA for our energy-efficiency initiatives. This award honors partners for their commitment to successfully manage energy use and promote Energy Star products and practices within their own organization, or for providing products, services, and education to consumers and their community. La Quinta continues to use “green” Energy Star rated products at our hotels.

					Balancing Energy Conservation & Guest Comfort When it comes to conserving energy, La Quinta is continually looking for ways to save that not only serve to help the environment, but also enhance your stay. Linen Reuse Program At La Quinta, we want to help conserve energy and water but not at the expense of our guests. So to that end, we have developed our Linen Reuse Program. This program allows our guests to choose when it is time for bed sheets to be replaced. This environmentally friendly practice not only saves on energy and water consumption, but also uses less detergent. Efficient Lighting Energy-efficient lighting has been in all our guest rooms since 1999. Most recently we performed a second property wide group re-lamp with energy efficient compact florescent lighting. Energy Management Currently being installed in all our properties, our Energy Management Systems are designed to control the cooling/heating temperature in La Quinta's unoccupied and unsold guestrooms. Also, our Energy Management Systems will soon allow our hotels to participate in utility demand response programs. By always having the latest and most innovative services available from EMS, La Quinta continues to lead the hotel industry with its initiatives.

	Energy Efficient Practices in Action Opened in April 2009, our Chicago downtown hotel employs “district cooling.” This innovative system significantly reduces our carbon footprint by eliminating the need for legacy equipment such as a central chiller plant located at the property. This also helps to create a more energy-efficient and well- maintained distribution network. Our Chicago downtown location also participates in the city's Green Roof Program. Green roofs help keep cities healthy and help conserve energy because they work to lower surrounding urban heat temperatures. Green roofs also help reduce storm water runoff, improve water quality and create conditions for longer-lasting roof systems.


	La Quinta Prepares to Open Its First Registered LEED Certified Hotel In Cordova, Tennessee, just outside Memphis, franchisees Bhavesh Patel and Hitu Bhakta are leading the La Quinta franchise green movement. This hotel is set to become the first registered LEED certified hotel in the La Quinta system. LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Innovations at the Cordova La Quinta property include: a 20-kilowatt grid-tied photovoltaic solar-electric system, with more than 2,300 square feet of solar panels on the roof; a 2-kilowatt solar windmill for energy generation, and a solar-assisted hot water heating system to help heat water. The property is expected to reach completion and open to the public in early 2010.

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