Starwood Hotels’ Eco-Wise Element Brand Debuts in New Hampshire
Owner Norwich Partners Donates $100,000 to Local Children’s Causes and Announces Plans to Donate 200+ Acres for Conservation
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced its trailblazing, eco-wise Element brand has opened its first hotel in New Hampshire. Element Hanover-Lebanon offers a fresh, re-imagined perspective on the extended stay experience with 120 stylish, sustainable rooms and an atmosphere designed to fuel a life in balance and on the move. Ideally located at the entrance of Altaria Business Park, the new Element is a key anchor of a mixed-use complex owned and developed by Norwich Partners. The hotel is managed by True North Hotel Group.
"Element Hanover-Lebanon provides a compelling, new option for travelers in an unbeatable location," said Brian McGuinness, Senior Vice President of Specialty Select Brands for Starwood. "On track to more than double its portfolio in the next two years, Element is resonating with travelers who share the brand's passion for smart, sustainable living."
"We are thrilled to partner with Starwood Hotels to introduce its eco-wise Element brand to the dynamic Hanover-Lebanon area," said David Leatherwood, General Partner of Norwich Partners. "Element is an excellent fit both for our philanthropic priorities and for our new mixed-use complex and will help meet the demand for high-caliber lodging generated by the new Altaria Business Park."
Referring to Altaria Business Park as a "smart growth" project, Leatherwood announced that Norwich Partners will donate 223 acres of the property, to be conserved, to the Upper Valley Land Trust. Additionally, the company is celebrating the new hotel's opening by donating $100,000 in grants from the Children's Fund of the Upper Valley to support nine local organizations, programs and causes that support healthy lifestyles for children.
"We are delighted to be teaming up with Starwood, a company that clearly shares our approach to healthy living and community involvement," said Jenny Williams, Joint Venture Partner to Norwich Partners and Executive Director of the Children's Fund.
Lew Wiens, Chairman and CEO of True North Hotel Group, added, "Inspired by our company's national 'Give Back' program and our associates' passion for service both to communities and guests, the Element Hanover-Lebanon team is ready, enthusiastic and proud to create great experiences for visitors and residents of the Upper Valley."
Located near Interstates 89 and 91, Element Hanover-Lebanon is part of a new mixed-use complex that includes 300,000 feet of research and office space, 42,000 square feet of retail space, up to 160 residential condominiums and conservation land. The hotel is close to numerous corporate offices and just minutes away from Dartmouth College and Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Just 20 minutes south of Hanover, the area is a popular destination for fall foliage viewing and home to a variety of seasonal festivals, three ski resorts and numerous cultural attractions including the Lebanon Opera House and Hopkins Center.
Element Hanover-Lebanon boasts light-filled studios featuring a fluid design of modular furniture, swiveling flat-screen televisions, large desks with open shelving and custom-designed closets. Bathrooms are spa-inspired, with an invigorating rain shower and dual-flush toilet. Rooms also offer fully equipped kitchens and the signature Heavenly® Bed. Other brand signatures include a state-of-the-art, 24-hour fitness center, an indoor saline swimming pool, and a meeting room with modular furnishings, a flexible layout and state-of-the-art technology that can be customized to meet any business or social needs. Guests can stay on the move with Element's complimentary bikes to borrow and enjoy fun and free extras including complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, the signature RISE breakfast, RELAX evening reception, and salon bar carts stocked with premium wines and beers, soft drinks and snacks, available after hours. The new Element also offers a complimentary shuttle that runs within a ten-mile radius of the hotel.
Originally launched in 2008, Element became the first major hotel brand to mandate that all properties pursue the US Green Building Council LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for high-performance buildings with energy-efficient appliances used in all properties. Recognized as an industry leader in the eco-space, Element's global portfolio is set to double within two years from 15 to 30 hotels by the end of 2017.
About Norwich Partners
Norwich Partners, founded in 2003, is a New England- and Florida-based developer and owner of commercial real estate, primarily hotels, in the northeastern U.S. and Florida. Norwich Partners' current portfolio includes 19 hotels under the Starwood, Marriott, Hilton and Kimpton brands.
About the Children's Fund of the Upper Valley
The Children's Fund, a component fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, invests in children's charities in the Upper Valley with a focus on giving at-risk kids opportunity and building self-esteem, especially through sports and outdoor activity. The Children's Fund collaborates with the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD), the Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) program, Vital Communities and the Upper Valley Trails Alliance, among others. Since its creation in 2006, the fund has invested well over $1 million in Upper Valley youth.
About True North Hotel Group
True North Hotel Group is an established U.S. hotel management and development company with proven expertise in operating major-brand select service and extended stay hotels in well-positioned urban, suburban and emerging markets. With 26 hotels currently open and several more in the pipeline, True North Hotel Group's growing portfolio of Marriott, Hilton, Starwood and IHG brands underscores the company's continuing commitment to deliver trusted, reliable results to investors and exceptional experiences for guests. True North Hotel Group, owned by the Wiens family and Richard Merkel, is based in Overland Park, Kan.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels &
