1 Hotel Central Park
Growing up, my cartoon muse was Dr. Pamela Isley, aka Poison Ivy. Sassy and deviant, she was probably the first subliminal icon for "going green". There's now a hotel in Manhattan which channels her cause — 1 Hotel Central Park takes "going green" and luxury to a whole new level.
1 Hotels is on a mission to capture, honor and protect the beauty of nature by building eco-friendly, LEED-certified properties as platforms to expose guests to earth preserving practices. It's the first of its kind in New York, and recently hit its first anniversary.
Through two large steel doors made of 16,000 twigs, you are welcomed into a fresh scented lobby of giant tree stumps and sprouting botanics.
Drinks to try: Green House (Greenhook Gin, Cucumber, Kale, Celery, Citrus, Bee Pollen) & My Sharona (Cazadores Reposado, Grapefruit, Agave, Opal Basil, Chili Oil)
Living room inspiration from the second floor communal space.
Every detail in its 229 guest rooms and suites serves a purpose in protecting the environment. To cut down the use of paper, mini chalkboards are used instead of notepads and cardboard hangers instead of plastic. No more flipping through newspapers, magazines or directories — a pre-loaded Nexus lets you browse content and control all the features in the room, including the television and temperature. Triple-filtered ready-to-drink tap water completely eliminates the need for plastic bottles.
Hemp-blend mattresses, organic cotton sheets and reclaimed wood made it feel like I was sleeping in a treehouse, only better. :)
If all hotels in the world replaced notepads with chalkboards, how many trees would be saved per year?
Rustic detailings accent the cool, greenhouse vibe.
There's a hourglass to alert you when you've spent five minutes showering. Psst... time to turn off the faucet.
The amenities get even better. During your stay, you have access to a Tesla electric vehicle that drives within a 15-block radius. All electric vehicles receive complimentary valet parking.
The most rewarding thing about my experience is that I actually FEEL better after my stay. Like I helped the environment in some way, or learned ways to. As we tweak our habits little by little (I recently made the switch to a water filter), we can collectively make a difference in saving the earth. Hats off to 1 Hotels for embarking on that mission.
