Florida's first LEED-certified hotel

CLEARWATER, FL — The Sandpearl Resort has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it the first hotel in Florida to achieve such an honor, according to Jamble magazine.

The 253-room resort, which opened in 2007, boasts several sustainable aspects, including a state-of-the-art chilled water air conditioning system that cools the hotel with water rather than Freon, the story stated.

On top of preferred parking for hybrid vehicles, the hotel also encourages a green lifestyle by outfitting rooms with water-saving fixtures and intelligent room monitoring systems that automatically shut off lights and air conditioning when rooms are unoccupied, the story noted.

The restaurants in the hotel use biodegradable packaging and make use of seasonal, organic and Fair-Trade food, the story added

According to the story, even the staff uniforms in the resort spa are made from readily renewable and biodegradable hemp.

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