Populus Hotels, a collection of carbon-positive hotels, has revealed that Populus Seattle is set to open in late spring. Formerly known as the Westland Building, the 120-room, adaptive-reuse property will feature Pioneer Square’s first rooftop bar and a signature restaurant. The property was developed by Urban Villages and will be managed by Aparium Hotel Group.
“We are incredibly proud to introduce Populus Seattle as the second carbon-positive hotel in our portfolio and in the country,” said Jon Buerge, president, Urban Villages. “The greenest building is the one you don’t have to build from the ground up. With adaptive reuse, we’ve preserved the character of this historic building while prioritizing the health of the planet. Populus Seattle represents Populus Hotels’ commitment to responsible hospitality and meaningful guest experiences that reflect the city’s rich culture, arts and vibrant local ecosystems.”
Mario Tricoci, CEO/founder, Aparium Hotel Group, added, “Populus Seattle brings to life a vision of hospitality that’s rooted in place and purpose. This isn’t just a hotel with a strong sustainability story. It’s a living, breathing space that reflects the character of Pioneer Square and the people who bring it to life. Whether you’re visiting or a local, the design, the culinary perspective and the spirit of the place feel distinctly independent, thoughtfully elevated and deeply personal.”
The hotel highlights the neighborhood’s creative spirit and heritage through architecture by The Miller Hull Partnership, interior design by Curioso and landscape design by Seattle-based Site Workshop, informed by the natural ecology of Washington. Guests arrive through a biophilic entryway into a grand lobby featuring native plants, nature-inspired art and preserved Douglas Fir beams. A wood staircase leads to the second-floor restaurant and the glass-wrapped Solarium.
The hotel will also feature an art collection curated by global art production house ARTXIV. Featuring more than 300 original commissions by 35 local and international artists, the collection celebrates the region’s landscapes, heritage and creative energy.
On the ground floor, The Library and The Art Room provide venues for meetings, social gatherings and celebrations of up to 70 guests, and will regularly host community events and programming.
Populus Seattle will be carbon positive—meaning it will sequester more carbon in biomass and soil than it emits through both embodied and operational activities over its full lifecycle. The hotel’s sustainability strategy includes preserving and revitalizing a historic structure, reducing its embodied carbon footprint by 36%—the equivalent of 2.2 million miles driven or 492 tons of coal burned. Rather than constructing a new building or an onsite parking garage, the project encourages a pedestrian-friendly lifestyle and avoids additional carbon-intensive development. Design choices like adding new windows and increasing natural light help lower energy use, while certified carbon credits are acquired to offset remaining emissions.
As the country’s second carbon-positive hotel, Populus Seattle follows a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impact of every material, system and process from construction to decommissioning. The team identifies opportunities to reduce embodied and operational carbon through low-impact means and methods, renewable energy and waste reduction strategies. After every possible reduction has been implemented, the property offsets the remaining footprint with U.S. nature-based carbon credits to ensure a net negative carbon outcome.
Continuing a program launched at Populus Denver, a tree will be planted for every night stayed at the hotel. Additional efforts include partnering with local farms for regenerative practices, using 100% renewable electricity and deploying BioGreen360 “Food Cycling” technology to divert all food waste into compost while tracking real-time diversion data.
