Element Lexington on TripAdvisor
Over the past year or two, there has been a lot of hype revolving around Starwood’s newest brand – Element Hotels. As you may know, the Element brand takes great pride in being arguably the greenest hotel brand in the world.
It’s easy to get caught up in the marketing sound bytes around LEED certification, Energy Star appliances, and a slew of other eco-friendly features that risk greenwashing. At the end of the day, a hotel is a hotel and its guests need to feel like they’re sleeping in one and not a botanical garden or a nature preserve. However, having the right (and effective) environmentally friendly initiatives can be a major differentiator in today’s competitive market. Is it possible to pull off both superior energy conservation practices AND a high degree of guest satisfaction?
Let’s take a look at the Element Hotel in Lexington, MA, which opened its doors on July 1, 2008. This was the first hotel to carry the Element brand name on its facade, and it’s currently the flagship Element in the world. It’s been open for four months now, so it’s about time to see what people are saying.
According to TripAdvisor, the Element Lexington is the #1 hotel in Lexington. Okay, okay . . . I know what’s you’re thinking . . . there are only three hotels in the rankings (the second place finisher is the Aloft Lexington). Nonetheless, the 16 guest reviews on the site to date chime loud and clear with positive reviews. Included in these reviews are phrases like, “a stay like home” – “didn’t want to leave” – “the perfect hotel” – “I booked four weekends upon my departure”
Element Lexington kitchen
Element Lexington bathroom
On a related note, Starwood just signed a deal with Philips to replace existing LCD TVs in its hotels with energy efficient TV monitors across all of North America.
Source: TripAdvisor
Hi Thomas,
I’m a blogger for a recently launched start up, Whole Travel (wholetravel.com). We boast the largest collection of green hotels on the internet and it is our intention to give consumers easy access to these unique opportunities around the world.
I really enjoyed your blog and wanted to know if you would be interested in posting a blog or two for us about your experience with sustainable hotels?
I can be reached at fblendstrup@wholetravel.com.
- Francisca
Comment by Francisca — November 3, 2008 @ 4:31 pm
[...] While the Element Lexington’s mission is to raise the bar for the greening of Starwood’s hotels, this property hasn’t lost sight of guest services and the creature comforts necessary for extended stay trips. The hotel interior would pass aesthetics tests for any Westin or W. As for comfort, the hotel even offers modular furniture that can be arranged to guests’ liking. According to the first round of reviews on Trip Advisor, this is all around one damn good hotel. [...]
Pingback by Element Lexington wins the first LEED Gold Certification for Starwood « *wood — December 20, 2008 @ 10:52 pm