First Element Hotel in U.S. Midwest Opens in Omaha’s Midtown District

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has opened the Element Omaha Midtown Crossing, the first hotel in Omaha’s new Midtown Crossing neighborhood built around Turner Park in Omaha’s revitalized Midtown district.

The opening of the Element Omaha Midtown Crossing also marks Element Hotels’ debut in the U.S. Midwest. The hotel is owned by East Campus Realty and managed by Aimbridge Hospitality.

Part of the thriving Midtown Crossing development and minutes from downtown Omaha and Omaha Eppley Airfield, the Element Omaha Midtown Crossing is  situated beside the natural beauty of Turner Park. Omaha is home to five Fortune 500 companies and cultural attractions such as The Orpheum Theater, Rosenblatt Stadium and Joslyn Art Museum.

The hotel will be Element’s 8th property in the U.S. and its opening precedes the opening of Element Times Square West in New York City later this year.

Element says it 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. All Element hotels are designed to be “green from the ground up,” according to the brand.

This is the official logo of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.'s Element by Westin LEED-certified green-hotel brand

The 132-guestroom Element Omaha Midtown Crossing offers complimentary wellness programs and healthy food options. Rise, Element’s daily complimentary breakfast, includes well-balanced breakfast wraps and fruit smoothies, while Motion, its 24-hour fitness center, allows guests to maintain their fitness routines on the go. The hotel also features a Bikes-to-Borrow program, which encourages guests to exercise with bike rides every day during their stay.

“We’re looking forward to becoming part of the vibrant business and cultural scene in Omaha,” says Brian McGuinness, senior vice president, specialty select brands for Starwood, the owner of the Element by Westin hotel brand. “We think corporate and leisure travelers alike will be thrilled to enjoy a modern green hotel experience, and a restorative atmosphere, in one of the city’s most exciting neighborhoods.”

Element hotels’ green features are designed to be as aesthetically appealing as they are eco-friendly. Eco-friendly materials are used whenever possible and natural light is maximized throughout the hotels. Element conserves water and energy with low-flow faucets and fixtures, compact florescent light bulbs and energy-efficient appliances.

To reduce waste further, guestroom 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 instead of plastic bottles of water. Recycling bins are available in guest rooms and public areas. Even the ubiquitous ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign has been replaced with an environmentally friendly magnet.

Element Hotels has installed electric car charging stations at all its open properties to contribute to the development of the infrastructure needed in anticipation of the number of electric vehicles expected to come on the market over the next several years. For more information, visit www.elementhotels.com.

Like all brands within Starwood’s portfolio, Element Hotels offers the Starwood Preferred Guest program, which does not impose any blackout dates on Free Night Awards. To learn more, visit www.spg.com.

Midtown Crossing at Turner Park is a 15-acre, mixed-use urban development in the heart of Omaha’s historic Midtown neighborhood. Built around an expanded and revitalized Turner Park, the million-square-foot development includes nearly 500 condominium and apartment units as well as more than 220,000 square feet for restaurants, retailers and entertainment venues along with parking for more than 3,000 vehicles. For more information about Midtown Crossing, visit www.midtowncrossing.com.

Independent hotel investment and management firm Aimbridge Hospitality is based in Dallas, Texas and owns and/or manages more than 60 upscale, independent and branded hotels with nearly 11,000 rooms across the United States and the Caribbean. Its hotels’ affiliations include Marriott, Hilton, Embassy Suites, DoubleTree, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Aloft, Hyatt, Wyndham and the Phoenix Inn Suites chain of hotels.

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