ITC’s newly launched Welcomhotel in Bhubaneshwar becomes first hotel to receive LEED Platinum certification in the state

Today, GBCI India, the nation’s foremost authority on sustainability in building design, construction and operation, announced that it has awarded ITC’s newly launched Welcomhotel in Bhubaneshwar, with the prestigious LEED Platinum rating. GBCI is the world’s leading sustainability and health certification and credentialing body and is responsible for administering the LEED green building program. LEED is the most widely used green building program in the world and recognizes projects that are saving energy and water, avoiding waste, improving indoor air quality, creating less environmental burden on their communities and enhancing occupant health and wellness. With this honor, Welcomhotel Bhubaneshwar, which was inaugurated by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha Mr. Naveen Patnaik, has become the state’s first LEED Platinum certified hotel.

ITC’s latest addition to its long line of luxury hotels, Welcomhotel is a landmark hotel with 107 rooms and eight suites in Bhubaneshwar. This beautiful five-star property reflects ITC’s commitment towards offering sustainable hospitality to its guests. The hotel received an overall score of 82 points enroute to securing its LEED Platinum certification from GBCI. Some of the many green and sustainable features deployed at Welcomhotel include the presence of electric vehicle charging points. This EV charging points are conveniently located across 5% of the total parking space available at the hotel. Further, the hotel has installed a rainwater harvest pit to manage 100% stormwater. It has also installed low flow water fixtures that can reduce water consumption by 48%. Additionally, reclaimed water is used for flushing, irrigation and cooling tower make-up water to reduce the use of potable water demand.

Mr. Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC Ltd., said, “The ITC Hotels growth story is rooted in sustainability. We strongly believe that sustainable luxury is the way forward and strive to offer this to our patrons at all our properties. We understand the value of going beyond efficiency and have showcased extraordinary sustainability leadership by integrating energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste reduction and greenhouse gases emission mitigation measures at Welcomhotel Bhubaneswar. It is our constant endeavor to provide our customers with the best comfort and luxury layered in sustainability that ultimately reflects their own drive towards pursuing a green lifestyle. We  cannot  be individually well in a society that is unwell.” 

Mr. Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, Managing Director – Southeast Asia & Middle East, GBCI India, said, “Welcomhotel by ITC is a stellar example of how hospitality can make a positive global impact by committing to sustainability and green initiatives. Welcomhotel’s sustainable practices and focus on green initiatives have contributed to its defining distinction of becoming the first hotel in Bhubaneshwar to be LEED Platinum certified. This is a testimony to the zeal of ITC to encourage responsible luxury across its 

properties. We are truly proud of ITC Welcomhotel and are confident that its stakeholders will reap the tangible socio-economic benefits brought about by its LEED certification.”

Inspired by the culture and architecture of the city, ITC Welcomhotel is not only aesthetically beautiful but also reflects the state’s focus on sustainability. ITC group’s sustainable initiatives include investments towards agriculture, social forestry, livestock development, health and sanitation, as well as multi-dimensional interventions that contribute to social development in Odisha. The hotel has been meticulously designed to incorporate green materials using FSC certified wood, CRI certified carpets and low VOC paints and adhesive. It is also one of the most energy efficient properties having lighting control device in all common areas, LED lighting fixtures and 4.2 KLD solar hot water system.

GBCI

GBCI is the premier organization independently recognizing excellence in green business industry performance and practice globally. Established in 2008, GBCI exclusively administers project certifications and professional credentials and certificates within the framework of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems, as well as the PEER standard for power systems, the WELL Building Standard, the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES), EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), TRUE certification for zero waste, Investor Confidence Project (ICP) for energy efficiency retrofits and RELi for resilient design. Visit gbci.org.

GBCI India

GBCI India was incorporated in 2016 to facilitate the global growth of GBCI and its sustainability programs and to provide on-the-ground support to the project teams and professionals advancing LEED in the region. The more than 50 technical experts and professionals who make up GBCI India’s core team bring years of subject matter expertise and come from diverse backgrounds, but all share a passion and underlying commitment to being part of the sustainable transformation of the real estate and construction sectors in India. For more information, please visit www.gbci.org/india and follow @GBCI_India on Twitter and LinkedIn.

LEED 

The LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction, maintenance, and operations of green buildings. Every day, more than 2.6 million square feet of space is certified using LEED. More than 110,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial LEED rating systems, comprising more than 25 billion square feet of construction space in 183 countries and territories. In addition, there are nearly 2 million registered and certified residential units. India is currently the fourth largest market in the world for LEED. Learn more at usgbc.org/leed and review the Foundations of LEED development process. 

ITC

With the enduring Namaste as the symbol of its brand experience, ITC Hotels is one of India’s leading luxury hotel chains offering comprehensive hospitality solutions through more than 100 hotels in over 70 destinations in the country. Embodying ‘Responsible Luxury’ as its guiding premise, ITC’s hotels integrates India’s fine tradition of hospitality with globally benchmarked services to reflect the culture and ethos of each destination, through a collection of hotels. The brand features opulent accommodations, state-of-the-art business facilities, renowned signature cuisine and award-winning wellness experiences.

ITC’s hotel group operates under six distinct brands: ‘ITC Hotel’ at the Luxury end, ‘Welcomhotel’ in the 5-star segment, ‘Fortune’ in the mid-market to upscale segment and ‘WelcomHeritage’ in the heritage leisure segment. Brand Mementos in the Luxury segment and brand Storii in the premium segment are the latest addition to the ITC Hotels portfolio. Each ITC luxury hotel is certified with a *LEED® Platinum rating for its endeavours towards green building, using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource efficient. *LEED® – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.