In a first move in the industry, the Starwood chain announced that it will require all hotels of its newly launched Element brand leed certification, issued by the U.S. Green Building Council. The brand's first hotel will open in the middle of this year and it is planned to open twenty more by the end of 2009. For its design features for longer stays and fully built newly built hotels, the brand is uniquely positioned to foster green development.
The eco-friendly features of Element hotels are designed to please the senses and be eco-friendly, so that style and comfort are not compromised. They include energy-efficient stainless steel appliances and lighting, water-efficient faucets and fixtures, and trash cans for paper, plastic, and glass. Filtered water in rooms and dispensers in common spaces reduces waste of plastic bottles, coatings have low volatile organic compounds, carpets are almost completely recycled and have antimicrobial fillers to improve indoor air quality, and priority is given in parking to guests with hybrid cars. The design uses natural light to the fullest, with walls of large windows and views of the outside in the rooms. Next July, the first hotel opens in Lexington, MA, followed by ELEMENT Summerlin (Las Vegas, NV); ELEMENT Houston Vintage Park (Houston, TX) and ELEMENT Arundel Mills (Baltimore, MD).
The certification, internationally recognized, qualifies the building's proposal to sustainability in the areas of human health and environmental impact: sustainable development of the site, efficiency in the use of water, energy performance and atmospheric protection, selection of materials and indoor air quality.
