Element Gainesville – University will open in 2017, offering stylish, extended stay lodging next to the University of Florida Campus.
STAMFORD, CONN. – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that its eco-wise Element brand will soon arrive in Gainesville, Florida. Element Gainesville – University will open in March 2017 in a convenient location near the University of Florida campus. Operated and developed by H.I. Development Inc., the newly constructed Element hotel will offer a fresh, new option for travelers with 123 stylish, sustainable rooms and a light-filled atmosphere designed to fuel a life in balance and on the move. It will be the fourth new Element hotel slated to debut in Florida in the next three years.
“Our eco-wise Element brand is a great fit for the vibrant city of Gainesville and will provide visitors with a smart, sustainable extended stay hotel right near the University of Florida and leading attractions,” said Brian McGuinness, Senior Vice President of Specialty Select Brands for Starwood. “At Element, guests enjoy a bright, energizing environment that’s conducive to both work and play, as well as innovative brand-led programming.”
Located at the intersection of Southwest Archer Rd. and Southwest 16th Ave., the hotel will be just across the street from the University of Florida’s Shands Hospital and less than one mile from the University of Florida’s main campus. Nearby attractions include Florida Museum of Natural History, Kanapaha Botanical Gardens and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, home of the Florida Gators football team.
Element Gainesville – University will boast light-filled studios as well as one bedroom suites featuring a fluid design of modular furniture, swiveling flat-screen televisions, large desks with open shelving and custom-designed closets. Rooms will also offer fully equipped kitchens and the signature Heavenly® Bed, and spa-inspired bathrooms will feature an invigorating rain shower and dual-flush toilet. Other brand signatures will include a state-of-the-art, 24-hour fitness center, outdoor pool, and 900 square-foot meeting room with modular furnishings, a flexible layout and state-of-the-art technology that can be customized to meet any business or social needs. Guests can stay on the move with Element’s complimentary bikes to borrow and enjoy fun and free extras including complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, the signature RISE breakfast, RELAX evening reception, and salon bar carts stocked with premium wines and beers, soft drinks and snacks, available after hours.
“Element is gaining momentum across Florida and throughout North America due to the brand’s successful positioning and emphasis on clean, sustainable living,” said Allison Reid, Senior Vice President of North America Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “Equipped with everything guests need for a life in balance, Element Gainesville – University will offer an entirely fresh perspective on the extended stay experience.”
Element is the first major hotel brand to mandate that all properties pursue the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for high-performance buildings. It’s recognized as an industry leader in the eco-space, and offers travelers a fresh, reimagined interpretation of the extended stay hotel experience.
Also, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that it will participate in Concur’s TripLink program. By joining Concur’s T&E Cloud, Starwood is now offering travel management companies an improved travel experience by providing Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members the ability to connect their SPG and Concur accounts and receive their company’s negotiated discounts and have their expense reports in Concur auto-populated whenever they book directly at any Starwood brand. In addition, their company will have visibility to those itineraries to significantly enhance their duty of care and spend management programs.
“We strive to be the easiest company to do business with and are excited to be joining Concur TripLink to provide Starwood customers with a seamless travel management solution,” said Alice Harrington-Caravello, Vice President, Global Corporate Sales at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “By partnering with Concur TripLink, we can also offer increased booking flexibility through our branded sites and SPG.com, and ensure that business travellers are receiving the best rates regardless of how their booking originated.”
With an unmatched portfolio of nine distinct lifestyle brands, Starwood is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with nearly 1,200 properties in 100 countries. Starwood is focused on inventing in new technology, programming and services to transform connections with customers across transient, leisure and group business to deliver more personalized and holistic solutions.
Concur, the leading global provider of spend management solutions and services, enables corporate travel booked directly from Starwood Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Marriott International and Avis Rental Car to automatically receive corporate negotiated rates and appear in Concur via Concur TripLink. As more than 50 percent of corporate travel hotel transactions are booked outside of corporate systems, Concur TripLink provides the cost savings, compliance and total spend visibility that our customers require.
“We are thrilled to welcome Starwood Hotels to the growing number of car and hotel providers connected to Concur TripLink,” said Michael Koetting, Executive Vice President of Concur. “We are committed to enabling the Perfect Trip for our customers and their employees. When SPG.com members connect their SPG and Concur accounts, they will receive their company’s negotiated discounts and have their expense reports auto-populated whenever they book directly at any Starwood brand. In addition, their company will have visibility to those itineraries to significantly enhance their duty of care and spend management programs.”
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