Times Square Westin Becomes New York's First Green Seal-Certified Hotel

The Westin New York at Times Square in Manhattan has received silver-level certification from Green Seal, the nation's leading independent, science-based certification body for environmental standards, it recently announced, adding that it is the first Green Seal-certified hotel in the state of New York and the first silver-status Westin in the world. "Our goal is to leave a lasting impression on our guests, not the environment," General Manager Gerard Widder said in a statement. "It is incredibly rewarding to be recognized for our efforts in operating a more sustainable hotel."

The Westin New York at Times Square was certified under Green Seal's GS-33 Lodging Properties standard, which requires hotels to complete an extensive checklist of environmental upgrades that includes, among other things:
• Offering a common-area recycling program
• Offering paperless guest registration
• Offering organic spa products
• Using refillable, rather than disposable, amenity dispensers
• Minimizing food waste
• Installing energy-efficient in-room appliances, HVAC systems and office equipment
• Installing energy-efficient lighting and/or light bulbs
• Installing low-flow plumbing fixtures
• Landscaping with soil- and water-efficient plants
• Using non-hazardous green cleaning supplies
• Painting with VOC-free paint

In order to green its meetings in accordance with Green Seal standards, the 863-room Westin—which offers over 34,000 square feet of meeting space—now offers a variety of green meeting services.

Among the environmentally friendly options available to planners, for instance, are sustainable culinary choices, organic wine offerings, composting or donating leftover food, organic centerpieces and access to the hotel's "green" limousine company, which provides natural gas-powered transportation.



For more information about Green Seal's GS-33 standard, visit www.greenseal.org. And for more information about the Westin New York at Times Square, visit www.westinny.com.