What makes Element green?
• In-room recycling
• Water-efficient bathroom faucets and fixtures
• Ecofriendly shampoo and body-wash dispensers
• Energy Star-certified appliances
• Green materials such as recycled carpet fibers
• Anti-microbial carpet pads for cleaner air
• Low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints
• Priority parking for hybrid cars
• Magnetic do-not-disturb signs instead of paper
LEXINGTON, Mass. -- The opening of the first Element hotel marked the debut of one of the first brands that intends to have every property LEED certified.
And parent company Starwood says it is using the brand as laboratory of sorts as it looks to incorporate LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, standards more widely across its nine brands.
"Over the longer term, we will be taking a look at all our brands as far as LEED certification," said Denise Coll, president of North America for Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
Coll said she expected that ultimately LEED certification or the equivalent would be required, either by government or by owners.
The extended-stay brand Element has been in the planning stages for years, but the decision to seek brandwide LEED certification came only in April, after Starwood had already designed a number of the hotels and signed contracts with developers to build them.
Starwood executives said that the retroactive greening of Element had not been an insurmountable obstacle.
Retrofitting for LEED
"Our owners were able to deal with the shift to LEED," Coll said. "We had to do some retrofitting with projects that were in the pipeline, but since the brand was always focused on being green, they were not big changes.
"We did work closely with developers in making the transition."
Paul Sacco, senior vice president of brand development for Starwood, said the LEED decision was good business strategy.
"Travel managers and meetings planners are interested in hotels that are LEED certified, and in green practices generally," he said.
While building a green hotel does incur additional initial construction costs, Starwood is betting that the investment will be recouped in a few years, through operational savings. In fact, Starwood executives said they saw the first Element property as "a working laboratory to test the latest in green construction, products, design and operations."
The Element hotel is not yet LEED certified, as it usually takes about a year after a building is open to get final sign-off from the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization that oversees LEED standards.
The property is seeking a silver certification, although only the basic level of LEED is required by the brand.
While Element will be primarily a franchised brand, Starwood owns the Lexington, Mass., property.
The next Element, in Houston, is scheduled to open in December. Thirteen more are in the pipeline for 2009 and another dozen for 2010. And the company just announced its first international Element project, in Abu Dhabi.
At Element hotel, it's easy to stay green
LEXINGTON, Mass. -- Staying at the ultragreen Element did not feel much different from staying at any other hotel, with one startling difference: the absence of bottled water.
It's not that the property is against water, per se; it's the environmentally unfriendly plastic bottle that's the problem.
I got a chance to stay at the new Element this month and find out what it's like to stay in a hotel that is chasing LEED certification. There is recycled art, and natural colors and accents. But the bottom line: It's not uncomfortably green.
As is typical of many hotels, there was a card on the bed asking that guests leave towels on the floor if they want them changed; however, guests were also requested to place the card on the bed if the guest did not want sheets changed. There were separate garbage cans for paper and plastic.
The lobby is bright and open, with a brand-standard floor-to-ceiling "window wall." Beyond the wall is a green space that guests can use to relax or to cook meals using an oversized gas grill.
Because it is an extended-stay brand, the rooms are larger than typical hotel rooms and feature the Westin Heavenly Bed, imported from Element's sister brand. I stayed in the smallest room type, the studio suite, which was still large by normal standards.
Element is said to be "inspired by Westin," and while the hotel's feel is far from the luxury of a Westin, Vice President of Marketing Robin Kormans said that the "inspiration" comes "in the Heavenly Bed, the natural feel, the light and the sense of balance we have sought to incorporate."
The "eco-chic" theme heralded by Starwood in its Element marketing leans more heavily on the chic at the Gourmet Pantry, located behind the front desk. It offers items like frozen lime cilantro shrimp, Korean kimchee soup, organic beer and an upscale brand of sorbet called Ciao Bella. An impressive breakfast includes freshly made fruit smoothies.
"It's all about staying whole on the road," said Korman. "When people are away from home for extended periods, they tend not to exercise, eat healthily or sleep well. We try to deal with all of those with a well-equipped fitness center, the Heavenly Bed and nutritious foods."
And with regard to the absence of plastic water bottles: Executives said that at some point, recyclable bottles or containers would likely be available for free or for sale to joggers and other guests. -- H.C.