Green Lodging News this week reported on the opening of Limelight Boulder, a new lifestyle hotel by Aspen One located on the University of Colorado—Boulder’s campus. Built to LEED Gold standards, Limelight Boulder is the largest all-electric hotel in the country. Through energy-efficient systems and the utilization of environmentally responsible materials, the design lowers energy use and minimizes environmental impacts. Early in the design process, WATG coordinated with project stakeholders to remove soil contaminants from the former brownfield site, advancing ecological restoration efforts. In addition, the team carefully designed around a century-old underground spring to preserve its natural flow and the site’s hydrology.
Limelight Boulder joins other Limelight by Aspen One properties in Colorado: in Aspen, Denver, Ketchum, Mammoth, and Snowmass.
“We’re not just committed to doing our part locally—we’re dedicated to the global effort to address climate change and promote equity,” Limelight by Aspen One says. “We engage our guests, our community, and our industry to collectively raise our voices and advocate for change. That’s why our ‘Citizenship Kiosks,’ located in select lobbies, empower guests to write to their congresspeople about the issues that matter most. It’s why Aspen One includes a sustainability report in your room–so you can learn about us and be a part of the movement. And it’s why we partner with Protect Our Winters to bring the outdoor industry to the climate fight in Washington.”
Under the guidance of its parent company, Aspen One, Limelight hoteliers work every day to cut emissions, engage with the community, and fund and advocate for the causes that matter to the company. Guests can contribute a dollar of each stay towards local community funds, which support local environmental, educational, and community nonprofits. An Aspen One sustainability report is found in every hotel room and guests are invited to join for an Aspen U, where sustainability experts give free talks to the community.
The Driving Force Behind a Lot of Firsts
Sustainability is a core part of Aspen One’s values, and therefore a part of Limelight’s DNA. As longtime champions for real change versus lip service, Aspen One is fully committed to growing the climate and social justice movements, modeling leading-edge solutions, and changing policy on both a local and national level. Aspen One has been the driving force behind a lot of firsts, from the first sustainability department in the ski industry over 25 years ago to the first-ever published sustainability report and first-ever employee-run environment foundation.
“We’ve done the little stuff—from swapping lightbulbs to local food sourcing—but we know that’s not enough,” Limelight by Aspen One says. “The systemic problem of climate change needs a systemic solution. As buildings account for a huge portion of global carbon dioxide emissions, smart, energy-efficient design is critical to minimizing our carbon footprint. Limelight Snowmass, Denver and Ketchum are all LEED Silver-certified, while Limelight Aspen was completely overhauled to achieve radically improved energy efficiency and will use 100 percent clean power by 2030 thanks to Holy Cross Energy. Our efforts don’t stop with design: we offer EV charging everywhere and an electric Audi e-tron at each of our mountain properties.”
Aspen One has been aspiring to power its operations with renewable energy for over 20 years. Early on, it installed solar panels on some of its buildings. But they only covered a fraction of energy consumption. It decided to help change the board of directors for its utility Holy Cross Energy, which at the time was only sourcing 8.7 percent from renewables. Today, Holy Cross Energy is on track to reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2030 and is a model for utilities nationwide.
Limelight properties lead unique community foundations funded by employee-paycheck donations, optional guest contributions, and a company match. All dollars raised by each property’s Community Fund go to local causes like health care, mental health treatment, education, open space, climate action, trail building and more. A board of employees researches local community nonprofits and determines where to grant funds to best serve the community. These targeted programs are designed to support the people, places and progress that make its communities stronger. By giving back locally, Aspen One is able to uplift and amplify what makes its locations so unique.
