STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has unveiled its new extended-stay hotel brand: Element, a brand extension of Westin Hotels & Resorts.
The company anticipates 500 Element hotels worldwide, the first set for Lexington, Massachusetts in early 2008.
Element, formerly known by its working title Project ESW, will redefine extended-stay hospitality, incorpor-ating smart design, modern style and a social environ-ment into a category often associated with look-alike brands and generic features. The hotel has been designed to help guests live their best lives on the road.
The Element name, new logo and website, elementhotels.com, were at the 2006 Lodging Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. “With Westin, we recreated the upper-upscale segment in the hotel industry. Strategically, Element fits into this mould—it is about creating a new category from the ground up,” said Starwood CEO Steven J Heyer. “We know Starwood’s guests are hungry for a new kind of extended-stay experience, and Element fills this space perfectly. The name Element really gets at what we are aspiring to — a new approach that will offer guests a brand experience, not just a hotel.”
Element will feature several signature flourishes that evoke nature. A dramatic multi-story window-wall will flood Element’s lobbies with natural light. Public spaces in the hotels will also include a tranquil water feature and design touches inspired by nature.
Element will also incorporate an outdoor haven, with a courtyard and patio where guests can socialise and relax by an outdoor fire pit. Smart design features promise to make the guest’s exp-erience easier, from modular furniture designed to encourage multi-tasking and productivity, to swiveling flat-screen televisions.
“The name Element really evokes the spirit of the brand,” said Sue Brush, senior vice- president of Westin Hotels & Resorts. “This brand is about smart design, features inspired by nature, and creating space where guests can be ‘in their element.’”To bring the Element brand philosophy of ‘a space to live your life’ to fruition, Starwood partnered with leading residential architect, Costas Kondylis, and interiors firm AvroKO, considered innovators in smart space living. The result includes large kitchens with stainless steel appliances, custom-designed closets, in-room offices and gourmet pantries.
The brand will be introduced in major destinations in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South America, and North America.