WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced that it is building its new Element Hotels from the ground up as the first hotel brand requiring all of its hotels to pursue the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

The Element hotel concept will feature heat-reflecting roofing materials, energy efficient appliances and lighting, water-efficient faucets and fixtures, and bins for paper, plastic, and glass to make recycling easy. Anti-microbial carpet pads will improve indoor air quality for guests and staff.

The first Element hotel is scheduled to open in July in Lexington, Mass., followed by: Element Summerlin (Las Vegas), Element Houston Vintage Park (Houston), and Element Arundel Mills (Baltimore).

Publication date: 06/23/2008