SEATTLE—The developers of 1 Hotel & Residences, Seattle announced that buyer excitement surrounding its first-in-the-market City Suites product has prompted modification of the building to accommodate an additional three floors of fully furnished condominiums, which can be included in a rental opportunity with the hotel. With the retrofit, the nation’s first eco-luxury 1 Hotel will now offer 176 City Suites on floors nine through 16, says Paul Brenneke, president and CEO of Avalon Holdings, developer of the property. The 560,000-square-foot, 23-story, mixed-use project, which broke ground in June, plans a public sales debut for early October.
Built on the principle that one does not have to give up to give back, 1 Hotel & Residences’ City Suites will be Seattle’s first eco-luxury condominium hotel rooms, says Gary Raymond, managing director of Starwood Development LLC, a subsidiary of Starwood Capital Group Global, LLC, When in residence, City Suites owners may enjoy all of the amenities and services of the hotel, including those of a concierge, in-home dining from a certified-green restaurant and treatments at an organic spa. When not using their City Suite, each owner will be given the opportunity to participate in a voluntary rental program offered by the developer and managed by the professional staff of 1 Hotels. Starwood and Avalon Holdings formed a joint-venture partnership to bring 1 Hotel & Residences to Seattle.
“The project’s enviable location at Second Avenue and Pine Street between Pike Place Market and the Retail District is particularly well-suited for an in-city resort,” says Raymond. “Hotel developer Barry Sternlicht of Starwood Capital Group recognizes the need for Seattle to have additional all-suite hotel rooms at the luxury level, especially from a leading hotel brand that also embraces Seattle’s pioneering commitment to sustainable living. 1 Hotel & Residences offers a sophisticated, modern environment that dares to be the best of everything without sacrificing the greater environment. The addition of more City Suites to the Seattle housing market—currently one of the most stable in the nation—will allow more people to enjoy this exceptional lifestyle of choice.”
While shoring and excavation have been completed, the developer is taking additional time to redesign portions of the building in addition to expanding the City Suites—further limiting the project’s carbon footprint before proceeding with vertical construction.
Project Will Open in 2009
The $200 million project will redefine mixed use for the city. 1 Hotel & Residences, Seattle will house seven floors of condominiums comprised of 51 large format residences that range in size from 1,200 square feet to more than 6,800 square feet; a 176-suite eco-luxury 1 Hotel; a 40,000-square-foot full-service athletic club and day spa; and a destination restaurant and specialty grocer that promotes organic, local and sustainable ingredients in tune with the building’s environmental conscience. The project is expected to become the inaugural property under the 1 Hotel brand when it opens in 2009 with plans for other 1 Hotel & Residences in New York City, Scottsdale, Ariz., Mammoth Mountain, Calif., Fort Lauderdale, Buckhead (Atlanta), Paris and Washington D.C.
The project was designed by Sienna Architecture, with the public spaces, restaurant and hotel room interiors by international design firm Yabu Pushelberg. PCL Construction Services, Inc. is the contractor, with structural engineering services provided by KPFF Consulting Engineers and landscape design by Berger Partners. Design-build services are provided by PSF Mechanical, Auburn Mechanical and Nelson Electric. Avalon Holdings is the developer and construction manager.
The 1 Hotel brand is the latest innovation from Starwood Capital Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht. Sternlicht’s previous trend-setting hospitality creations included the W Hotel, the first hotel brand to combine a unique, hip and useful urban style with superior service and facilities for business travelers, and the Westin Heavenly Bed, bath and suite of products, which he introduced during his nearly 10 years as founder, Chairman and CEO of Starwood Hotels.
Consistent with Sternlicht’s desire to create the world’s first five-star, eco-luxury global hotel brand, the National Resources and Defense Council (NRDC) will serve as an environmental advisor on each 1 Hotel project, including Seattle, with the goal of helping set a new standard for environmental excellence in the hospitality industry. Green Building Services of Portland and Sienna Architecture’s in-house green design expert are also serving as consultants for the project.
As with all 1 brand projects, the 1 Hotel & Residences Seattle will be a LEED-certified project. The LEED rating system was created by the U.S. Green Building Council and is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Once open and operating, the hotel will also donate one percent of its profits to local environmental organizations chosen by a steering committee with NRDC representation.
Go to Starwood Capital.
