If you have ever slept on a Heavenly bed mattress, you can thank Barry Sternlicht for that memorably comfortable experience. He founded Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide in 1995, elevating brands like Sheraton and Westin while creating the chic W Hotels in 1998. (“I was inspired to do W by my trips in Asia where I saw that the hotels were meeting places,” Mr. Sternlicht said.)
Mr. Sternlicht, who left Starwood Hotels in 2005, is now the chief executive of Starwood Capital Group, where he has developed a new line called 1 Hotels, designed to immerse guests in eco-friendly accommodations. The ethos of 1 Hotels is intended to reach beyond its lobby doors, he said.
“Our behavior impacts weather patterns and the ozone layers here,” Mr. Sternlicht said. “We all impact one another so it’s one world.”
1 Hotels is set to open three properties this year; one in Miami on March 20, one near Central Park in New York in April and another on the Brooklyn waterfront at Brooklyn Bridge Park in November. Basic amenities for 1 Hotels include a triple-filtered water system, yoga mats and Keetsa mattresses. A week before the debut of 1Hotel South Beach, Miami, Starwood Capital’s new luxury brand Baccarat will open its first hotel, a property in New York. Following are edited excerpts from a conversation with Mr. Sternlicht.
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