PHOENIX-Althoughit may cost a developer more to build a green hotel, the payoffwill come when the property is sold. That was the message during apanel discussion, “Going Green: Environmentally Profitable Hotels,”held Thursday during the 13th annual Lodging Conference.

As president of Atman Hospitality, Wen-I Chang built the firstLEED Gold-certified hotel project in the US, the 133-room Gaia NapaValley Hotel and Spa in American Canyon, CA. The project opened inNovember of last year. Chang said that constructing the Napa Valleyproperty to LEED Gold standards added about 15% to the developmentcosts. However, he noted that he has a second project now underconstruction in which the premium to build with environmentallyfriendly specifications will be between 6% and 8%.

Gary Golla, an associate with the Portland, OR-architecture firmSERA, said he has seen two studies on the issue. One said the costto go green increases construction costs by 5%, while another saysit has no significant impact. Therefore, he said the cost probablyfalls between those two estimates. The expense, he added, furtherdepends on the level of LEED certification the building aspires toand where the project is being constructed. His firm is currentlyinvolved in the development of two hotels in Portland–the 331-roomthe Nines, part of the Starwood Luxury Collection, and 256-keyCourtyard by Marriott–using green principals. Golla pointed thatOregon has “great incentives” to go green.