Pebblebrook to Debut Green-Centric Brand in San Francisco

Hotel Vitale. Image courtesy of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust will soon transform San Francisco’s iconic Hotel Vitale into a model in green hospitality, courtesy of a $25 million renovation. The 200-key luxury hotel will be reintroduced as 1 Hotel San Francisco and will be the first lodging property in San Francisco to operate under the sustainability-focused, experiential 1 Hotel brand.

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Located along the Embarcadero Waterfront at 8 Mission St., the Heller Manus Architects-designed Hotel Vitale welcomed its first guests in 2005 and maintained its luster over the years with subsequent upgrades totaling $6.5 million. Pebblebrook came into possession of the asset in 2018 through its $5.2 billion acquisition of LaSalle Hotel Properties, which had purchased the hotel for $130 million in 2014. The eight-story building also features a full-service spa and fitness center, a restaurant and approximately 11,300 square feet of meeting space.

The conversion plan at Hotel Vitale will imbue the property’s guestrooms, public areas and event space with nature-inspired designs and environmentally focused aesthetics. Additionally, the hotel’s dining options will center on farm-to-table offerings and its spa will provide a comprehensive wellness program. Pebblebrook expects to reintroduce the property as 1 Hotel Vitale in 2021. SH Hotels & Resorts will take on management responsibilities following completion of the conversion.  

A greener way of lodging

Pebblebrook is a leading proponent of conscious consumption in the hospitality sector, and the conversion of Hotel Vitale into a 1 Hotel property dovetails with the lodging REIT’s commitment to sustainable initiatives. Pebblebrook’s environmentally sustainable business practices have generated a 24 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emission intensity and a 12 percent decrease in energy intensity across its portfolio since 2016, as the company touts in its inaugural Environmental, Social & Governance report, released in late 2019. Furthermore, 93 percent of Pebblebrook’s properties use an environmental management system and 55 percent of the hotels have a sustainability coordinator or green champion in place.

The hotel industry in general is becoming increasingly green, due in no small part to a big push from guests. According to digital travel platform Booking.com’s 2019 Sustainable Travel Report, 66 percent of U.S. travelers believe that people need to act now and make sustainable travel choices to save the planet for future generations. And 64 percent of survey respondents indicated they plan to book eco-friendly or green accommodations at least once in 2020.