PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Sheraton Rittenhouse Square Hotel opened as one of the first environmentally smart hotels in the continental U.S. The 193-room Sheraton is “the first hotel in the continental U.S. to provide fresh, filtered air, 24 hours a day to each hotel room, independent of the heating and cooling systems,” said Barry Dimson, president and CEO of EcoSmart Healthy Properties, LLC, environmental consultant to the hotel.

The hotel’s centerpiece is an atrium lobby with a 40-foot-high bamboo garden, chosen because it takes in carbon dioxide and produces oxygen at a 35% higher rate than any other plant. Underfoot, 93% recycled granite is being used for the flooring in the lobby area.

The environmental features continue in each of the 193 guest rooms, where night tables are made from recycled shipping pallets and beds are “organic sleep systems” that use 100% organically grown cotton and 100% pure wool. Mattresses and covers are chemical free without toxic bleaches or dyes, and the cleaning materials are also free of toxins. Vacuum cleaners feature nine-stage filters to trap minute particles of dust, mold, pollen, and bacteria. The staff receives training in environmental maintenance techniques.

The Sheraton Rittenhouse Square Hotel is a joint venture of The Lubert-Adler Real Estate Opportunity Fund, LP; EcoSmart Healthy Properties, LLC; and Carlyle Construction Corp.