Travel
Beyond Green
Seattle's first carbon-positive hotel opens this fall
By Sarah Stackhouse June 18, 2024
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2024 issue of Seattle magazine.
Imagine a hotel that not only reduces its carbon footprint but actually removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits. Hotel Westland, set to open this fall in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, will do just that, making it the city’s first carbon-positive hotel. Housed in a 1907 building in Seattle’s first neighborhood, the project merges historic preservation with modern sustainability. Design elements draw inspiration from the blues and greens of the Pacific Northwest, incorporating woods, bricks, and other natural materials and textures.
It will feature 120 rooms, Pioneer Square’s first rooftop bar, and a fancy restaurant. Through practices like energy efficiency, supporting green projects off-site, and buying renewable energy, the hotel plans to reduce negative effects on the environment. Hotel Westland will become only the second hotel of its kind in the nation, positioning Seattle as a leader in eco-friendly hospitality.
The hospitality industry accounts for about 1% of all global carbon emissions.
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