One of Australia's most energy efficient hotels is officially open for business in Melbourne.

The Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Southbank incorporates the Australian hotel industry’s most significant energy and environmental initiatives, delivering a 25 per cent reduction in energy usage compared to other typical city hotels

The 345-room hotel was the first to attract funding from the Federal Government's Clean Energy Finance Corporation, with the $39 million construction and term debt facility enabling the Southbank project to target a 5-star National Australian Built Environment Rating System energy rating.

Positioned on City Road, the project features a 22-storey mixed-use development including a 370 square metre retail space, and 4,500 square metres of commercial space and car parking.

CEO of developer Pro-invest Group, Ronald Barrott, said his company's commitment to highest levels of sustainability was driven by the opportunity to work with CEFC to establish a template for environmentally-sensitive urban hotels.

"Our partnership with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation will see the Southbank hotel and all our future new-build hotels complying with strict energy-saving initiatives to ensure attainment of a 5-Star NABERS energy rating,” he said.

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Source: Holiday Inn

“By its very nature, the hotel industry is a high energy user, with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership estimating that tourism contributes about 5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

"It’s important for new hotels to invest in energy efficiency design and construction and incorporate state-of-the-art environmental measures across the full-operation of the hotel."

To help achieve the 5-star rating, the Holiday Inn Express has incorporated high-performance glazing, high-efficiency air-cooled chillers and condensing boilers and solar photovoltaic systems on the hotel’s roof into the hotel development.

Other initiatives include regenerative lift drives rather than standard lift motors which will enable the hotel to recycle energy, and integrated building management and guestroom energy management systems to both monitor and drive building performance.

Even fittings such as carpets have been selected for their environmental sustainability, with Interface flooring delivering 100 per cent carbon neutral carpets for the hotel.

The new dispensers, containing high-quality shampoo, conditioner and soaps, will be introduced into the hotel from mid-year and then across the Australian Holiday Inn Express network over the rest of the year.

The hotel will recieve its NABERS rating after it has been operating for 12 months.

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