Starwood Capital Introduces Luxury Hotel Brand

Starwood Capital Group today announced the creation of a new luxury hotel brand designed to conform with environmentally friendly standards, and the company aims to have 15 hotels signed or under construction within the next two years.

The brand, "1" Hotel and Residences, will begin with four new properties in the United States. Starwood Capital plans the first opening in Seattle in 2008, and others will follow in Mammoth Mountain, Calif.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In addition, Starwood Capital is renovating a historic property in Paris for the brand, and it also is targeting major urban markets including New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

The Natural Resources Defense Council will advise Starwood Capital to make "1" a green brand, minimizing its impact on the environment. They will be built using a nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of buildings in an eco-friendly manner.