In an industry game changer, Starwood Capital Group Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht has announced the launch of the new mission-driven luxury lifestyle brand 1 Hotels which aims to change industry standards. The first property opened 25 March in South Beach, and will be followed by Central Park in late spring and Brooklyn Bridge Park at the end of 2015. 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.
Showcasing the art in nature
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 will be 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.
An evolution of the entire hotel experience
“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,” said Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, the parent of SH Group, a lifestyle hotel brand management company which will manage the hotels. “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.”
Living Greens
In a celebration of nature and the locales surrounding the properties, 1 Hotels brings the outside in with living greenery throughout the guest experience, from the instant they approach a 1 Hotel until the moment they enter their room.
At 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach, guests will be welcomed with 3,000 feet of living wall wrapped-around its exterior with 11,000 local tropical plant varieties and playful art as nature pieces such as interactive hanging terrariums, a plant laboratory from local Miami artisans Plant the Future.
Partners with a shared vision
For interiors and landscaping, 1 Hotels has collaborated with architects and designers who share the brand’s vision on sustainability. At 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach, boutique design Meyer Davis Studio transforms a iconic Miami building on 600 feet of pristine oceanfront into a visionary statement of design inspired by nature and Nikola Gradisinki of NGNY revamped the property’s celebrated rooftop.
Impact on the environment
Considering guests’ wellbeing in everything it does, 1 Hotels mindfully creates a healthy, service-focused environment. The daily operation of the hotels has been carefully orchestrated to minimize its footprint by leveraging local resources, conserving non-renewable resources, mitigating paper consumption and reducing landfill waste.
Materials for construction and furnishings are regional, reclaimed, or repurposed, whenever possible.
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.
1 Hotel South Beach Oceanview King Room (Photo Credit: Eric Laignel)Room to retreat
Guestrooms and suites at every 1 Hotel feature custom hemp-blend Keetsa mattresses topped with soft, fluffy, hypoallergenic 100% organic linens; custom-created 1 Hotels bath and body products with crisp, fresh scents of nature; soft socks in lieu of slippers to provide a touch of home; hangers made from recycled paper; yoga mats for guests to achieve zen at their own leisure; and natural stones engraved ‘not now’ to place outside the door to replace the traditional ‘do not disturb’ door hanger.
Ingredients first
1 Hotels’ approach to food is ingredients first, from the full dining experience at on-site signature restaurants and in-room dining to freshly sourced snacks created daily for guests. The brand has partnered with celebrated chefs united by a common focus on ingredients, seasonality and responsible sourcing from local purveyors. Each chef will showcase his signature culinary sensibilities in individual, distinct spaces.
Daylife & Rituals
1 Hotels aims to fill guests’ waking hours with happy, healthy and more meaningful experiences. The brand has curated “Daylife” activities and a collection of rituals designed to cultivate positive connections with nature, the community, and the local environment. Furthermore, each property will arrange activities that will afford guests the opportunity to fully embrace the location. Offerings available at each 1 Hotels include:
- Lobby Farmstand: Guests will enjoy a daily offering of freshly sourced items from the hotel’s signature restaurant and once a month a farmstand in the lobby will feature local farmers and purveyors presenting their goods for purchase by guests and the community.
- Dark Sky: Each month the lights will dim for a candlelit evening in public spaces, with specially crafted cocktails and a series of activities, allowing guests to unplug for a few hours.
- Star Gazing: Either on property or with local partners, guests will be treated to stargazing opportunities with telescopes or sky maps.
- Well Seasoned: As the seasons change, 1 Hotels’ rituals will follow suit with lobby events to mark the present moment, such as gatherings to usher in the new moon or solstice.
- Do-Gooder: Local non-profit partners will offer volunteer experiences for guests to contribute to sustaining the environment, from planting a tree to cleaning a beach.
Connection & Communication
Through a variety of digital resources, 1 Hotels seeks to maximize technology to help guests simplify, streamline, personalize and control their stay, while at the same time using less paper and energy. 1 Hotels has developed industry-first technology that encourages constant, real-time communication that means no more phones in rooms, no more remote controls, no more reams of paper, just a simple, instant, brand-new way to connect. Before arrival, an intuitive shopping experience will enable guests to curate all aspects of their visit. And during their stay, whatever they desire will be only a click away.
The guest journey begins virtually on the brand website, 1Hotels.com. Designed with an editorial look and feel, the highly-visual, tablet-friendly site offers an interactive tile layout that defies traditional hotel booking channels by offering the first uniquely designed e-commerce-style website.
1 Hotels has developed a groundbreaking mobile app that will serve as equal parts reservation system, service platform and in-hotel guest communication tool. The app will be the hub for pre-arrival experiences, permitting guests to seamlessly integrate their hotel stay and personalize preferences prior to checking-in while also being able to request services on-site through their in-room Nexus device. Guests may set room preferences remotely; the app remembers guests’ settings from one stay to the next. Climate control, housekeeping, restaurant reservations, every comfort and more are within easy reach.
About SH Group
SH Group, an affiliate of global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group, is a hotel brand management company that operates 1 Hotels, a nature-inspired lifestyle brand that will launch in 2015 with the opening of exclusive properties in Miami’s South Beach, Manhattan, and Brooklyn.
The group also operates Baccarat Hotels & Resorts, a luxury brand set to debut in March 2015 with the opening of its flagship property in New York, followed by projects under development in Morocco, Dubai and Doha.
About 1 Hotels
As a luxury lifestyle hotel brand inspired by nature, 1 Hotels cultivates the best of eco-conscious design and sustainable architecture, together with extraordinary comfort and an unrivalled level of service. 1 Hotels, which will launch in 2015 with the opening of exclusive properties in Miami’s South Beach, Manhattan and Brooklyn, was developed with the simple idea that a hotel can be more than a brand, it can be a cause. Each 1 Hotel upholds this vision by channelling nature through design, culinary partnerships, connecting with the local community and taking small steps to make a big difference.
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