1 Hotel West Hollywood Is a Leader in Sustainability

West Hollywood is a city of trendsetters—from the stylish shoppers browsing the designer boutiques to the celebrity chefs presenting their latest culinary creations and the up-and-coming musicians playing their hearts out on the Sunset Strip. This city has always been ahead of the curve on trends in design and architecture, especially around green building. The newly renovated 1 Hotel West Hollywood, with its earth-conscious elegance and innovative environmental practices, exemplifies this shift toward sustainability.

Way back in 2007, the City of West Hollywood became one of the first cities in the United States to adopt mandatory green building ordinances. In 2019, they expanded the requirements even further, adding energy-efficient outdoor lighting, electric-vehicle charging stations, the use of recycled water to irrigate landscaping, and more. Two of the city’s newest hotels are sumptuous examples of how to do sustainability right.

The Kimpton La Peer Hotel, which opened in West Hollywood in 2018, earned LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its environmentally conscious construction. More than 80 percent of the West Hollywood hotel’s construction waste was recycled, keeping it out of landfills. The hotel used low-VOC paints, sealants, and flooring, and created an indoor air quality management plan to flush out chemicals emitted during the construction process.

1 Hotels’ companywide commitment to sustainability guided the recent renovations at 1 Hotel West Hollywood, which expects to become certified LEED Silver in the next few months. The hotel pushes the boundaries of sustainability without compromising on luxury. Hannah Bronfman, 1 Hotels’ Director of Sustainability and Impact, says, “We really want to focus on reconnecting our guests and our team members with nature while being a platform for change so that we help move the needle forward. A big part of that is bringing nature back from the outdoors into our internal spaces so that we start to care for it and love it again.”

The new hotel blends five-star luxury with rustic simplicity. Tony Machado and Christopher Kochuba, Vice Presidents of Design at 1 Hotels’ parent company SH Hotels & Resorts, worked with 1 Hotels to create a biophilic design. Bronfman explains that the term literally translates as “love of nature,” but it’s also a design principle: “It’s a scientific design practice which says that if you incorporate natural elements and patterns, natural textures, and natural materials into your design spaces, people have a physical reaction to that where they are more relaxed, where they feel calm, and they feel secure. So we incorporate natural materials, patterns, textures into our hotels as a means to create that sense of serenity.”

One of the most striking features is the use of raw, reclaimed wood throughout the hotel in everything from planters to the reception desk. The hotel sourced more than 75 tons of “urban lumber” from Angel City Lumber, a company that removes fallen Los Angeles trees from the waste stream and transforms them into furniture. The lobby lounge, called Juniper Tree, is both chic and welcoming. The décor includes native plants and a daily farm stand that stocks fresh, seasonal fruit.

Off to one side, you’ll find the entrance to 1 Kitchen by Chris Crary. The Top Chef fan favorite, formerly with SBE, serves a local, sustainably sourced menu with several zero-waste options. Many of his ingredients are very local—he has an organic garden on-site at the hotel. Crary also oversees the menus for Juniper Tree, The Pool Lounge, and the hotel’s in-room dining and catering. 1 Hotel West Hollywood partnered with The h.wood Group on Alice, a marketplace and full-service restaurant located adjacent to the hotel, and the popular cocktail lounge Harriet’s Rooftop.

Upstairs, there are 235 guestrooms and 50 suites, and the biophilic design elements feel especially important here. The impressive views will remind you that you’re in Los Angeles, while the live plants, organic linens, and reclaimed wood give each space a calming ambience. If you’re inspired to meditate or do a few stretches, you’ll find a yoga mat in your closet, alongside a plush cotton robe and hangers made from recycled paper. On the bedside table, a small chalkboard replaces a notepad. (Instead of sticking a paper note in your pocket, snap a pic with your phone.) Guests of the hotel also have exclusive access to the pool deck, The Pool Lounge, and The Field House x Performix, the state-of-the-art gym.

Looking for a souvenir of all this sustainability? Head back to the lobby. Instead of a gift shop, 1 Hotel West Hollywood has Good Things, a boutique of sustainably made goods. Curated by actress and eco-friendly jewelry designer Nikki Reed and ceramicist Elizabeth Di Prinzio, the airy shop offers their own pieces as well as other eco-conscious selections, many of which are made locally by women-run companies. 

It’s evident that 1 Hotels put careful consideration into every decision they made regarding the new West Hollywood location. The Kimpton La Peer and 1 Hotel West Hollywood show that it’s not only possible to combine sustainability and luxury, but that the combination takes hospitality to the next level.