Energy-efficient Measures Turn Waterslide Investment into Money-maker for New Hampton Inn

Online, February 11, 2012 (Newswire.com) - SHELTON, CONN. - When local hotel owner/developer New Castle Hotels & Resorts acquired the former Holiday Inn Express on Bridgeport Avenue, here, in 2010, project managers knew a sweeping renovation was in order, and that the improvements presented an opportunity to seize share in this very competitive region. So they did something market-watchers might have found surprising.

They built a waterslide.

Water features like slides, large pools and indoor water parks can be costly to build and operate. Yet New Castle managers, who operate a property in Nova Scotia that also has a waterslide, approached the project with confidence, optimism and a healthy dose of savvy. They infused nearly every aspect of the $1 million natatorium, including the 154-foot-long indoor/outdoor waterslide, with energy-efficient construction and operating systems. "The Sheltonator" was designed to ensure the highest level of operating efficiency-and the lowest possible operating costs.

The showpiece of their energy-efficient measures is an advanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) that uses excess heat from the dehumidification process to heat the pool water-for free. That heat would normally be vented outdoors through electricity-hogging condensers. By recycling this excess heat, the system also reduces the amount of electricity used by the HVAC system.

Other energy-efficient measures echo the kind of best practices currently utilized in high-end residential construction, including:

• While guests enter and exit the waterslide indoors, the bulk of the slide is outside the building, which allowed designers to reduce the size of the building and its related energy demands;

• Occupancy sensors that turn off lights when no one is in the room;

• Internet-based thermostats in public areas, including the pool, that allow managers to adjust thermostats without the need to physically visit each unit;

• High-efficiency spray-foam insulation that helps keep the room at a consistent and toasty 82 degrees;

• A variable frequency drive water pump that uses less electricity to run the water slide.

New Castle's commitment to energy-efficiency has already paid off - in the form of incentives from the local utility company, United Illuminating. "The utility company provided significant incentives for the thermostats and variable speed pump," said Jeremy Buffam, New Castle's project manager for the Hampton renovation. "The total incentives saved us about $15,000."

Guest response to the waterslide has been overwhelmingly positive, said Fernando Solis, general manager. "The guests love it. It's fun and exciting because the slide actually runs outside the building before returning to the interior. We're finding it appeals to both leisure and business travelers."

While the newly reopened property, with its shiny new waterslide, has only been operating a handful of weeks, managers are already seeing a return on their investment, Solis says. "Sports teams, leisure groups, even wedding parties all respond positively to this type of amenity."

About the Hampton Inn, Shelton:
Located at 695 Bridgeport Ave. in Shelton, Connecticut, the Hampton Inn, Shelton offers an executive boardroom with the latest in audio-visual equipment. The hotel is convenient to area attractions, including museums, sports and entertainment venues, as well as more than a dozen area colleges, including Yale. The hotel is just 10 miles from the Bridgeport train station and about an hour's drive to both LaGuardia and Bradley International Airports.

About New Castle Hotels & Resorts:
New Castle Hotels & Resorts portfolio includes 30 hotels the company manages, owns or is developing in the United States and Canada. The privately held hotel management company consistently ranks in the country's top 100 hotel management and development companies in hospitality industry trade publications. New Castle celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2010. For more information on New Castle Hotels & Resorts, please contact Gerald P. Chase, president, chief operating officer, at (203) 925-8370, or visit the corporate website at www.newcastlehotels.com.