The Sustainable Hotel Marcel in Connecticut Reviewed - AFAR

"Set in a retrofitted 1950s brutalist office building by Marcel Breuer, this 165-room property has been touted as the country’s first net-zero hotel while awaiting formal certification. Its sustainability strategy centers on on-site renewable generation—large solar canopies over the parking lot supply about two-thirds of the hotel’s electricity (with a planned expansion to push generation above 80%), rooftop panels provide most of the remainder, and a room of battery racks on a guest floor stores extra power; the property can also sell excess electricity back to the grid. Energy demand has been cut through triple-glazed windows, all-electric systems (heat pumps, electric clothes dryers, and an all-electric kitchen), regenerative braking in the elevators, and other efficiency measures; the kitchen is deliberately developing a lower-carbon menu that reduces reliance on fryers. Guest-focused amenities to support low-carbon travel include 12 Tesla Superchargers, five level-2 dual chargers, and an electric shuttle to local transit hubs and attractions, while historic-preservation specifications were followed to retain the building’s original facade and qualify for incentives. Project leaders emphasize that net-zero is a dynamic target that requires ongoing measurement and model recalibration based on occupancy and guest behavior, with contingency plans to add more solar if needed, and they say these sustainability features were implemented without sacrificing guest comfort or control over room systems; at least one guest reported the property’s net-zero status influenced their booking decision." - Bridget Reed Morawski