It was a whirlwind day. I wrapped up a meeting last Tuesday at the Hotel News Now office and found out shortly thereafter I’d be flying to Newark, New Jersey, the next day to cover the grand opening of the Element Harrison-Newark hotel. These last-minute trips happen in our line of work. Luckily my favorite black pants were clean.
I am grateful to have these opportunities to travel, especially when I get to crash in the Westin Heavenly Bed, which is a staple of the Element by Westin brand, hence the “by Westin” addition.
Element hotels have a few differentiating factors that will help the brand carve its own niche within Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s portfolio of nine distinct brands.
For starters, it’s an extended-stay brand, which means I have so much more room for activities! In case you didn’t catch my reference to the movie “Step Brothers,” it means guests have a lot of additional room to move around. Perhaps my favorite part of the room, however, was the addition of a full-sized refrigerator and microwave. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to fit my leftovers in the small, rinky-dink refrigerators hotels typically have.
Secondly, Element is a lifestyle-focused brand in its truest form. Everything about the Element hotel screamed “wellness” and “sustainability.” When guests walk into the lobby, they will be surrounded by all white soft goods, floor-to-ceiling windows and boxes of succulent plants placed around the lobby and the living room. The brand also has done its homework when it comes to fitness. Starwood executives spent a great deal of time researching trends in wellness, said Paige Francis, VP of global marketing for the Aloft, Element and Four Points by Sheraton brands.
“A lot of travelers would say they have to give up working out on the road,” Francis said, adding that the company worked hard to make sure the fitness center was not an afterthought. With the rise of fitness-tracking apps, I believe it was a right call for Element to focus on its fitness center. A typical hotel features state-of-the-art Life Fitness cardio and strength training equipment and is open 24 hours. Every hotel with the exception of the brand’s Times Square property also has a saline pool.
Prior to staying at the Element Harrison-Newark, I had never thought twice about whether the paint on the walls was emitting chemicals (developers of the brand must use low-VOC paints on the walls). While I’ve worked on sustainability-focused stories for HNN, I’ve never drilled down to the level that Starwood executives did for this brand. The Element brand was the first major hotel brand to show commitment to the environment on such a level that it mandates every hotel pursue LEED certification. In addition to the low-VOC paint on the walls, developers must also use eco-friendly flooring, oversized windows to take advantage of the extra light and sustainable roofing materials.
Aside from development, here are some sustainable initiatives the brand has implemented:
- Low-flow water fixtures—from the shower head to the faucets—are estimated to save approximately 1 million gallons of potable water a year;
- each room is equipped with a small kitchen that features all Energy Star-rated appliances;
- toiletries are housed in dispensers rather than the typical plastic bottles;
- all light fixtures use compact fluorescent light bulbs;
- the hotels offer filtered water instead of bottled water; and
- each hotel room features recycling bins for paper, plastic and glass.
Executives said during the opening that they tried to seamlessly weave the eco-friendly elements throughout at no cost to the guests. As a guest, I would agree that none of my comforts were compromised. However, I did have one small complaint. I think it’s great that the hotels’ toiletries are housed in dispensers rather than typical plastic bottles because it’s better for the environment. But I did not like that there was only a combo shampoo and conditioner in one dispenser. I think I’m speaking for most ladies here when I say that the shampoo/conditioner combo does not work for my hair. We straighten and blow dry our hair more than we should, and it’s likely we need that separate conditioner just to comb through.
Some measly shampoo/conditioner combo mishap would never keep me away from this hotel. But if I can provide one tip for my fellow female business travelers it would be to take your own conditioner to these properties.
Editor's note: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide provided airfare and hotel accommodations for one night. Complete editorial control was at the discretion of the Hotel News Now editorial staff; Starwood Hotels had no influence on the coverage provided.
Email Samantha Worgull or find her on Twitter.
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