Starwood Launches “Eco-Friendly” Resorts
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Starwood Capital Group recently announced the planned development of the first eco-friendly, luxury resort properties. The global brand will be known simply as, “1” and the first property scheduled to open will be the “1” Hotel and Residences in Seattle, expected to be operational in late 2008. Three additional properties will follow, all of which, like “1” Seattle, will be new construction. Locations include Mammoth Mountain, California; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Shortly after launching the initial four properties, Starwood plans to renovate a historic location in Paris as the first international “1” hotel. Within the next twenty-four months, Starwood will finalize a hotel deal or hotel and timeshare deal at fifteen locations, including New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and other urban markets.
In an effort to appear more environmentally conscious, many hotels and resorts have placed signage in their rooms suggesting guests re-use bath towels and bed linens for more than one night. Starwood’s new “1” resorts will take the concept of environment responsibility to a much higher level. Each of the “1” resorts, whether new construction or a renovation, will be built in accordance with the green buildings standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, also known as LEED. The accountability system promoted by LEED promotes a whole-building approach and recognizes performance in the areas of energy efficiency, material selection, sustainable site development, water savings and indoor environmental quality.
The Natural Resources Defense Council has agreed to be the environmental advisor on the “1” project, with the goal of both setting a new standard in environmental responsibility and ultimately transforming the entire hotel and vacation resort industry.
You can enjoy Starwood vacation ownership or a Starwood timeshare deal at their worldwide resorts, which include the brands Starwood, Sheraton and Westin.