Eco Chic Hits South Beach

When the man behind the W Hotels brings eco-friendly to posh South Beach, people pay attention. Here, mycation investigates whether the all-green 1 Hotel South Beach is worth a visit.

The 1 Hotel South Beach is the latest brain child of hotel visionary Barry Sternlicht, the man behind Starwood Hotels & Resorts and it’s offshoot, the W hotels.  The 1 Hotel brand is the first major hotel group to go big in the “eco-friendly luxury” travel category.  The South Beach location is first, followed by the 1 Hotel Central Park this summer, with at least 12 more properties in the pipeline. And green construction clearly doesn’t come cheap. Formerly the Gansevoort, the complete gut renovation of 1 Hotel South Beach reportedly cost $270 million. Whether from South American rain forests or trees ruined by beetles, the reclaimed wood used in the ceilings, doorways and furniture each has it’s own interesting backstory.  Each of the spacious 426 rooms have water filters, mattresses filled with hemp, yoga mats, and in-room apps (mediation anyone?). The eco-love doesn’t stop there. A few examples: reclaimed wood key cards, reusable socks (instead of slippers), chalk bedside notepads, and clothes hangers made out of recycled paper. Plus, at the beachfront 1 Hotel you can be eco-friendly and relax in style – the property has five pools (including one on the rooftop), a spa and fitness center. And if that wasn’t enough, the hotel’s three restaurants were created by Top Chef guru, Tom Colicchio. Sorry Kermit, but with the 1 Hotel, now it is easy (and luxurious) to be green.