Better than CFL? Dimmable LED Downlights in Hospitality Facilities

In hospitality facilities, past efforts to reduce lighting energy use have mostly consisted of implementing compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). CFLs offer reduced energy consumption, higher efficacy, and much longer lifetimes than incandescent and halogen lamps, but they also have drawbacks. LEDs improve upon many of these drawbacks and offer an attractive combination of additional energy savings, longer lifetimes, and other lighting and control benefits. The Hilton Columbus Downtown hotel installed more than 3700 dimmable LED downlights in guest rooms at 450,000 square foot facility, which opened in October 2012. Why did they choose LED and not CFL? Do the LEDs deliver the light levels and color quality needed? How did they make sure the dimming and controls would work properly? Are they saving energy? Did they pay more initially? Would they do it again, and what would they change?