Populus, the country’s first carbon-positive hotel, will officially open its doors in Denver, Colorado on September 18. The hotel will immediately begin offsetting its operational emissions with the launch of its “One Night, One Tree” program. Launched in partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF), the program will plant a tree for every night spent at the hotel, with a total of up to 20,000 trees planted by 2024.

The program is part of Populus’ broader sustainability focus, which aims to sequester more carbon than its physical and operational footprint combined through initiatives such as regenerative agriculture, 100% renewable electricity and zero-waste food throughout its lifecycle.

“We are excited to invite our guests to join our commitment to plant a tree for every night of their stay, right here in Colorado. This takes the guesswork out of sustainable travel and helps reshape our environment one tree at a time,” said George Prine, CEO of Populus.

Developed by Urban Villages and part of the Aparium Hotel Group, the 265-room Populus will reduce its carbon footprint through forestry – or silviculture – and regenerative agricultural partnerships. These programs will ensure the hotel sequesters more carbon than is emitted over its entire lifecycle through the construction and operation of the building, demonstrably removing carbon from the atmosphere and creating a net positive impact on climate change.

The carbon emitted by the hotel, i.e. the carbon produced during the Manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance and disposal of the materials used to build the hotel – have already been reduced through a combination of sustainable design and construction techniques and offset by the planting and growth promotion of over 70,000 trees in Gunnison County, Colorado in the summer of 2022.

The architecture and design of the building, designed by AD100 Studio Gang, is biophilic, meaning it seeks to use natural elements to create a sense of connection with the environment. The design was inspired by the growth process of the aspen tree native to Colorado, Aspen.

“Populus will demonstrate that conscious travel doesn’t have to be a sacrifice,” Prine continued. “In fact, it can significantly enhance the guest experience through thoughtful design, engaging programs, delicious food and drink, world-class service and the knowledge of making a positive impact.”

A tree is planted for every overnight stay

Guests of Populus can actively contribute to reforestation through the hotel’s partnership with the NFF by planting a tree on behalf of guests each night. Guests also have the opportunity to purchase additional trees to support Populus’ efforts.

“When we began construction on Populus in 2022 and committed to being carbon positive, we wanted to remain transparent about our ever-evolving strategy in hopes of making an impact on our environment and inspiring others – developers, hoteliers and consumers – to take a more environmentally friendly approach,” said Jon Buerge, President of Urban Villages.

Cottonwoods will be planted in two regions of Colorado: the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, which are focused on improving forest health in response to a spruce bark beetle epidemic and aspen decline, and the White River National Forest, which is focused on restoring degradation from the 2018 Lake Christine Fire and is located at the summit of Basalt Mountain. The trees planted will be a mix of Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine and Douglas fir – native and ecologically appropriate species selected by Forest Service professionals to improve conditions for each individual forest.

Populus chose NFF as a partner because of its ability to meet the hotel’s forestry goals in Colorado. The organization has a close relationship with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. Together, they provide long-term tree monitoring and protection through regular seedling monitoring, sampling, and browsing protection.

On-site, Populus will also incorporate a diverse variety of trees and local vegetation into its rooftop garden and streetscape, designed by Denver-based landscape architecture firm Superbloom. The green roof will include a four-season garden of perennial trees, shrubs and plant species that support habitat and pollination, provide a cooling effect during high solar exposure through shading and evapotranspiration, and enhance biodiversity in the dense urban environment.

Around the hotel’s streets, Populus is planting a tree canopy that mimics the conditions and benefits of a forest. Made possible by grants from The Nature Conservancy and the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Urban Forest Initiative, which aims to reimagine the way trees are planted and cared for in downtown Denver, the trees will be planted on-site at Populus in Silva Cells, underground structural supports that provide the trees with access to uncompacted soil similar to a natural forest environment where tree roots intermingle, while supporting the weight of the concrete walkway. This technology allows for mature tree growth and also brings benefits to the local atmosphere—including a 10-degree reduction in ambient temperatures and a reduction in particulate matter from car exhaust.

“Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure that every detail reflects our commitment to the environment and that we partner with organizations like the National Forest Foundation that share the same commitment,” said Prine.

“This level of innovation requires bold thinking and careful planning. That’s why we’ve never seen anything like this on this scale before.”

An environmentally friendly guest experience

Sustainability is also at the forefront of other aspects of the Populus guest experience, including in-room botanical products from Grown Alchemist, a bar and snack menu featuring spirits from Dry Land Distillery, a Longmont-based distillery inspired by Colorado’s landscapes and Quinn Pretzels, whose mission is to create change in the food system, and reusable water bottles from MiiR, a carbon neutral certified brand, that can be refilled at water stations throughout the hotel.

As a LEED Gold certified building, Populus is also committed to purchasing 100% renewable electricity through Xcel Energy, which provides the hotel with renewable energy certificates equivalent to 100% renewable electricity generated from wind farms in Colorado.

Eating with farm ingredients and a circular solution to food waste

Populus’ restaurants, Pasque and Stellar Jay, will continue to be committed to zero-waste dining, offering natural, farm-to-table menus complemented by locally sourced proteins. The restaurants will then convert 100% of food waste into compost that will be distributed to local farmers, creating a circular solution to food waste.

To achieve this, Populus will also be the first hotel in downtown Denver to utilize technology from BioGreen360 – an innovator in decentralized food waste management solutions that diverts 100% of food waste away from landfills and into natural compost – called food cycling. All food waste will be fed into BioGreen360’s waterless aerobic digestion system, which uses microbial formulas, mechanical and evaporative technologies to convert waste into a range of compost and fertilizer products that are then distributed to local Colorado farms.

Populus will also partner with Zero Foodprint, the Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide grants to Colorado farmers and ranchers to scale up regenerative farming and ranching practices that restore soil health, sequester carbon in the soil, and improve the food system while mitigating climate change. By pulling carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil, these regenerative farmers are not only contributing to climate restoration, but they are also producing better food, thriving farms, and a food system that remains resilient in the face of climate change.

As a member of Zero Foodprint, Populus will donate 1% of its restaurant sales to regenerative agriculture, which will be matched by Wolfe’s Neck as part of their USDA Climate-Smart Commodities Partnership.

Populus also strives to source its produce directly from its regenerative agriculture partners whenever possible. Through these relationships, Pasque and Stellar Jay receive consciously sourced ingredients and can track each farm’s carbon sequestration potential and its contribution to the hotel’s carbon-positive commitment. The two restaurants also source proteins and wine from small farms and producers who share sustainability efforts due to long-standing relationships with Chef Ian Wortham and Director of Food and Beverage Curtis Landrum.

Tracking and transparency

To ensure ongoing tracking and transparency of all sustainability efforts, the Populus team has engaged Lotus Engineering & Sustainability, a data-driven, women-owned company that delivers responsible and progressive sustainability solutions to companies across Colorado and the country.

The Lotus team collects all relevant Populus data related to sequestered carbon, operational carbon, building energy systems, transportation, waste streams and current offset strategies to create a dashboard that regularly tracks the hotel’s performance throughout its lifecycle.

“Our approach goes beyond removing carbon from the atmosphere and aims to rebuild our local forests, support regenerative farmers and create a deeper connection with nature – all without ever compromising the guest experience,” said Buerge.

“We believe (Populus) will inspire the industry to think about how hotels can make a positive contribution to the environment.”

Populus is located at 240 14th Street in Denver. Reservations are currently possible with rates starting at $299/night for guest rooms and $499/night for suites.