SAN FRANCISCO—Home2 Suites by Hilton, part of Hilton’s All Suites portfolio, announced its newest property and the first open hotel built through modular construction in Bay Area history, the Home2 Suites by Hilton San Francisco Airport North. Designed for travelers who want to maintain their normal routine, the hotel features 155 suites and a range of value, tech-focused and eco-conscious amenities. Through an efficient modular building process, the hotel will meet San Francisco’s booming tourism demand, where already-strong tourism numbers grew by 3 percent in 2018 to a record 26.3 million visitors. “Thanks to its high demand but equally high...

ATLANTA—Noble Investment Group announced they have broken ground on the Element by Westin Nashville. Located in the renowned West End neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, the hotel will be the brand’s debut in Nashville and will open in 2020. The upscale, lifestyle hotel will be a part of the vibrant 19-acre mixed-use development, oneC1TY. Anchored by Vanderbilt University, three major medical centers and foremost health care providers, significant corporate headquarters and Nashville’s famous Music Row, the hotel will be prominently located in one of the fastest growing markets in the United States. The Element by Westin Nashville will be LEED certified and...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Avery Thatcher, Portland, Oregon artist behind the outre chic wallcovering studio Juju Papers, launch her latest collection last month. The new group, called FLUX, is intended for both residential and commercial spaces, and takes its cue from women’s fluctuating and generative roles over personal lifetimes and throughout history. Four complementary patterns—some literal, others abstract—in a total of 14 colorways, are rendered with arcs, curves and circles, to connote ebb and flow. Explains Thatcher, “The concept of womanhood has been an ongoing inspiration and study. Through the lens of mother, artist, and studio principal, and my experience versus those of...

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—The Beanie Sofa is a comfortable textile-covered sofa that incorporates daybeds facing opposite directions. The wooden structure of the backrest, as well as the soft seat, are filled with organic latex and lentil beans that support the natural curves and movements of the body. The sofa is made entirely of organic materials. Aside from being extremely comfortable, bean-filled seating is also beneficial for health. It can help improve and maintain good posture since it allows both the static and phasic muscles to relax. Health practitioners recommend bean bags as a way of easing back pain. Bean bags provide the perfect middle...

WILMINGTON, DEL.—DuPont announced its DuPont Tedlar Wallcovering’s new Avant-Garde collection, and additions to the Celestial collection, giving customers fashion forward options for a wide range of indoor spaces. Wood, metal and stone are the essential building blocks for any great architecture. The Avant-Garde collection embodies the look and feel of these materials in a durable, cleanable wallcovering. The collection’s new alloy pattern has a varying mixture of texture that lends to a patina metal look. “Our Design Council has been hard at work matching trends in interior design and architecture to the latest must-have design elements, and natural materials are in...

NEW YORK—Hotel visionary Barry Sternlicht, original founder of W Hotels, and Chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, a global private investment firm, has once again worked his magic to re-invent the hotel experience. Sternlicht has already received an abundance of accolades for his nature-inspired 1 Hotel and Baccarat hotel brands, each prominently featured in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards. 1 Hotel South Beach, 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, 1 Hotel Central Park and Baccarat New York are all rated among the top 10 hotels in Miami and New York City, respectively, in the short time since their debut. Sternlicht...

It was on October 22, 2006 when I first wrote about Barry Sternlicht’s 1 Hotels venture. Then, it was called “1” Hotel and Residences. For various reasons—primarily a recession—the first 1 Hotel did not open until March 2015. That one is in South Beach in Miami Beach and now owned by Host Hotels & Resorts. Since that time other 1 Hotels have opened in Brooklyn, N.Y. and by New York’s Central Park. Another is coming soon in West Hollywood, Calif. With his award-winning 1 Hotels, Sternlicht has created one of the most successful green brands in the world. The...

LOS ANGELES—Les Jardins Solar Lighting announced its new contract division in order to provide renewable energy powered lighting products for outdoor public spaces, restaurants, resorts, spas, multi-unit and hospitality projects. The contract support team invites designers, architects, landscapers and facility managers to work directly with Les Jardins Solar Lighting to specify and source their outdoor LED lighting requirements for ambiance, pathway and landscape applications. The durable, commercial-grade self-contained products from Les Jardins Solar Lighting require no in-ground installation, no wires and no power supply. They can be placed and moved at any time. The collections range from substantial outdoor lounge...

As reported this past week on Green Lodging News, The Duffie Companies’ Home2 Suites by Hilton Silver Spring (Silver Spring, Md.) is on its way to becoming LEED Platinum—the highest level of green building certification available through the U.S. Green Building Council. Earlier in May, MGM Resorts International announced that MGM Springfield, located in Springfield, Mass., has received the world’s first LEED New Construction Platinum level certification for a gaming resort. The Home2 Suites by Hilton Silver Spring and MGM Springfield join these other LEED Platinum hotels or resorts in the United States: Proximity Hotel, Greensboro, N.C.; Hotel Skyler...

SILVER SPRING, MD.—With 13 years of building to LEED standards under its belt, it is no surprise that The Duffie Companies’ first hotel project would be a LEED one. With the Home2 Suites by Hilton Silver Spring (Md.), however, The Duffie Companies has gone far beyond basic LEED certification; the hotel is on the way to becoming one of just seven LEED Platinum hotels or resorts in North America. Unique to the hotel is its location, says Shane Pollin, Director of Development for The Duffie Companies. “This community has no other hotels nearby,” he says. The property is located on...