Image of the Courtyard by Marriot guest room provided by Marriot
Throughout his 10 years working in the hospitality industry, Errol Thomas, General Manager of the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Hillsboro, has challenged himself to find new ways to save energy. The Courtyard has been remodeled several times over the years, helping the hotel stay competitive with changing consumer trends. Along with aesthetic changes such as fresh wallpaper and new curtains, the renovations aim to make operations more sustainable. “We try to make our hotels more efficient with every update,” Thomas said.
In 2021, Thomas and the manager of another Marriot property in Hillsboro, TownePlace Suites, identified an opportunity to save energy and improve guest comfort by replacing older terminal heat pumps (PTHPs) by unreliable rooms in their hotels by modern and energy-efficient heat pumps. -effective models. PTHPs are heating and air conditioning units in each room that maintain a comfortable environment for guests.
Older, ineffective PTHPs had begun to cause problems as they aged. Many units malfunctioned and required frequent maintenance to remain operational. The units were also difficult to use for some customers. The imprecise buttons used to control the thermostat made it difficult for customers to select the desired room temperature.
After the managers of the two Hillsboro hotels decided to research new energy-efficient PTHPs, they took the suggestion to senior management at BRE Hotels & Resorts, the company that owns the two Marriot-branded properties. Having worked with Energy Trust of Oregon in the past, BRE Hotels & Resorts staff have learned that there are incentives that can reduce the cost of investing. PTHP purchases were eligible for $6,000 in cash incentives, helping this project get started faster and on a larger scale.
“With Energy Trust, we were able to buy more units at once. Incentives have made these upgrades much more economically feasible, as they can be quite expensive. » – Errol Thomas, Managing Director, Marriott hotel courtyard
Together, 30 PTHPs were installed at TownePlace Suites and Courtyard by Marriot properties. Thanks to the superior efficiency of the installed equipment, both properties will save $3,000 annually on utility bills.
To Thomas’ surprise, he received a lot of positive feedback from guests regarding PTHPs. “I didn’t think the new PTHP units would make such a difference in a hotel room, but people love them,” he said. “The new units are super easy to use and work really well.”
Investing in energy efficiency makes sense, according to Thomas. “It pays to be more energy efficient than not,” he said. “The potential for financial savings is impressive and personally I feel better knowing that my hotel is moving in a better direction from an energy consumption standpoint.”
Adding modern amenities that improve room comfort, such as PTHPs, makes hotels more attractive to potential guests. Browse available incentives to find out how much you can save on the purchase of energy-efficient equipment and take a step towards improving the quality of your business.