US: Starwood Capital Group has announced the launch of its 1 Hotels eco-friendly luxury lifestyle hotel brand.
The first 1 property opened this week in South beach, Miami, and will be followed by Central Park, New York City, in late spring and Brooklyn Bridge Park at the end of 2015.
The company says: “1 Hotels aims to change industry standards-more than a hospitality brand, from no paper or plastic in the guest rooms to nature as art and lobby farmstands, 1 Hotels is a movement with a mindful purpose. 1 Hotels celebrates nature while encouraging sophisticated travellers to live well, do better, and connect with the world around them. Each hotel in the portfolio is consciously designed in collaboration with eco-friendly architects and craftsmen, and each property features high-design with low-impact, reclaimed and natural materials wherever possible. The architecture, landscaping and decor all showcase the art in nature, creating thriving spaces and inspiring rooms that bring the beauty of the outdoors in.”
Starwood Capital Group chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht said: “It’s simple. We have an impact on nature and nature has an impact on us. I decided that if I was ever going to create another hotel, I wanted it to be more than a brand; I wanted it to be a cause. People are already living like this and are now looking for ways to travel in the same fashion. At first, our guests may simply notice the graceful twist of driftwood in the furnishings. However, what we are really offering is an evolution of the entire hotel experience, one that is more natural in regards to the way we arrive, sleep, eat, relax and do. By focusing on simple changes that make life better, we will encourage guests to stop, recalibrate and hopefully gain some inspiration from the small steps we have taken to protect nature at each property.”
Materials for construction and furnishings are “regional, reclaimed, or repurposed, whenever possible”. This includes saving Colorado beetle kill pine to create headboards at 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach and Ipe wood from the property’s original boardwalk to cover the redesigned pool deck; redwood staves from NYC water tanks used on the facade of 1 Hotel Central Park and hewn beams and timbers from local New York barns and factories in guestrooms.
Both the South Beach and Central Park properties were designed from existing buildings that were “overhauled to adhere to the brand’s standards for less consumption and more conservation. Every aspect of the properties have been updated, such as: installing state-of-the-art, energy efficient heating and cooling systems; installing motion sensors; using LED illumination to reduce electrical demands and heat build-up from lighting; using low V.O.C paints, adhesives, sealants and finishes; installing Triple Clear Water filters in all taps, sinks, and showers; using low-flow plumbing fixtures to conserve water; and using eco-friendly Ipura dry cleaning machine and detergent-free Zum Clean aromatherapy eucalyptus laundry soap”.
The 2015 Boutique and Lifestyle Hotel Summit in London will feature a session called “Making Sustainabilty Pay” which will focus on many of the issues addressed by the 1 Hotels brand.
www.1Hotels.com
www.starwoodcapital.com
