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Message in a Bottle: With Element Hotels "I Am Not a Plastic Package" Guests Can "Pay" for Rooms with Recyclables on Earth Day Weekend

By: Element Hotels |  0 Shares     81 Reads

By Bringing In Ten Single-Use Plastic Bottle for Recycling, Guests Get a Free Night at Eco-Chic Element

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (BUSINESS WIRE) --You can now whip out the plastic to pay for a night at Element Hotels. Just make sure it's recyclable.

Guests who bring in ten single-use plastic bottles - and book Element's "I Am Not a Plastic Package" - will get a free night over Earth Day Weekend, April 22-25. Element is the new eco-chic boutique brand from Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT).

The "I Am Not a Plastic Package" is limited to the first one hundred guests who book by calling 1.877.ELEMENT and referencing promotion code "GOGREEN" starting April 5. Element hotels are currently open in Lexington, MA, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Denver, Dallas, Houston and Ewing, NJ. The trailblazing in eco-conscious hospitality will continue with the opening of Element Times Square in October 2010 and the opening of Element Omaha one month later.

"We thought this would be a fun, timely way to engage guests on recycling, which has been in practice at Element from day one," said Brian McGuinness, Senior Vice President, Specialty-Select Brands, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. "Element guests keep telling us they want to take an active role in our efforts around environmental responsibility, and this is a very rewarding way for them to do it."

Americans use 4 million plastic bottles every hour, yet only one bottle out of four is recycled. The rest end up in landfills or incinerators. Recycling plastic bottles plays a critical role in protecting the environment; when buried, some plastic material may last for 700 years. Although they account for only eight percent of the waste by weight, plastics occupy about 20 percent of the volume in a landfill due to their low bulk density.

To help guests use fewer bottles all year, Element will also offer a complimentary reusable water bottle at check-in as part of the "I Am Not a Plastic Package".

About Element Hotels

Launched by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. in 2008, Element delivers a no-compromise, eco-chic experience enhanced by comfortable and inspiring public spaces, modern touches, and smart design. Element Hotels is the first major hotel brand to mandate that all its properties pursue the US Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for high-performance buildings.

Element's green features are cleverly designed to be as aesthetically appealing as they are eco-friendly, so guests never compromise on style and comfort. Eco-friendly materials are used whenever possible and natural light is maximized throughout the hotels. To reduce waste, guest room bathrooms are equipped with amenity dispensers, kitchens are supplied with silverware and glassware instead of plastic utensils and paper cups, and filtered drinking water is available rather than plastic water bottles. Recycling bins are available in guest rooms and public areas. Element conserves water and energy with low-flow faucets and fixtures, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and energy-efficient appliances. Even the ubiquitous "Do Not Disturb" sign has been replaced with an environmentally-friendly magnet.

Most recently, Element Hotels installed electric car charging stations at all its currently open properties to contribute to the development of the infrastructure needed in anticipation of the number electric vehicles expected to be on the market over the next several years.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1000 properties in almost 100 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), W(R), Westin(R), Le Méridien(R), Sheraton(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft(R), and Element SM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.

SOURCE: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

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