Skip to content

Beyond Green

Seattle's first carbon-positive hotel opens this fall

By Sarah Stackhouse June 18, 2024

Modern office lobby with wooden elements, people socializing, a staircase in the center flanked by green plants, and large art pieces on the walls, enhanced by a luxury coffee bar.
A rendering of the Westland Hotel lobby, RailSpur's boutique hotel opening this fall in Pioneer Square.
Photo courtesy of Urban Villages + Another Artist

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.

Follow Us

82 Million Tons of E-Waste by 2030. Now What?

82 Million Tons of E-Waste by 2030. Now What?

Smart ways to handle old electronics after a holiday upgrade.

Every holiday season, our houses fill with upgraded gadgets and the promise that we’ll deal with the old stuff later. Meanwhile, the drawer of mystery cords multiplies, and some items just get tossed out. Most of us mean well, but those castoff electronics often end up somewhere they really shouldn’t. And with about 59% of…

Going to the Mountains This Winter? Read This.

Going to the Mountains This Winter? Read This.

A new online tool breaks down avalanche basics for anyone planning snowy fun off the beaten path.

I’m a rule follower when it comes to the outdoors. This summer, my family did some backcountry hiking in Whistler and made sure to do everything by the book—texting friends our plan and location, and wearing a bear bell even though it felt a little dorky. It’s reassuring to know you’ve covered the basics before…

Historic Flooding Prompts WA Governor to Declare Emergency

Historic Flooding Prompts WA Governor to Declare Emergency

Rivers are surging around the state amid days of heavy rainfall.

As floodwaters swelled around Washington, threatening low-lying communities along rivers, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a statewide emergency declaration on Wednesday. Ferguson says he’ll also seek an expedited emergency declaration from the federal government in response to the flooding, which is the result of an atmospheric river that has dumped multiple inches of rain in parts…

Barnes & Noble Is Coming Back to Downtown Seattle

Barnes & Noble Is Coming Back to Downtown Seattle

The bookseller will open a new flagship at 520 Pike, marking the largest retail lease in downtown Seattle since 2020.

Barnes & Noble is returning to downtown Seattle for the first time since early 2020. The national bookseller has signed a 10-year lease for a new flagship at 520 Pike Street, a 29-story tower, taking over 17,538 square feet on the corner of Pike and 6th Avenue. The store is expected to open in the…