The team that built the Populus Hotel in downtown Denver, Colorado, isn’t banking on the “sustainable travel” trend for success. Seven years in the making and already busy, the hotel is expected to be the first carbon-positive hotel in the United States, with an all-white exterior built to resemble the trunk of an aspen tree. Through a series of initiatives, including composting and tree planting (more on that below), the hotel is committed to offsetting more carbon than it emits.
But it’s not the promise of sustainability that customers are looking for, as it certainly is for many visitors, but the great architecture, decor, and service. John Burge, president of hotel developer Urban Villages, said green construction is the responsibility of business owners first. Once people get there, they can learn about all the choices that were made to create it that way, and hopefully take away information about why it’s so important.
Photo: Jason O’Rear
Thankfully, the building itself is a 13-story triangular wonder. Wavy windows and bright white colors complement the nearby Colorado State Capitol and surrounding parks. As you enter the front door, you will immediately see an upscale restaurant on the left and an upscale coffee shop on the right. The receptionist sits behind a giant upcycled oak desk and excitedly tells you how the key chain in your room is actually a hidden wild tree seed that you can plant when you get home. I’m talking.
