I recently had a business trip to Omaha, which was a hotel ghost town for me, at least based on my preferred chains. There was a Sheraton downtown, but it left Starwood several years ago. Alternatively, there is a Hilton near the sports complexes, and a Doubletree right downtown. There is a new-ish Sheraton on the west part of town, but it’s not at all convenient for me. SPG recently opened a new property between downtown and the medical center. The Element Omaha at Midtown Crossing is a shiny new building in a revitalized area of condos and shops near downtown.
The Element concept is quite new, and seems to be designed as an extended stay property, and it would be nice as that, but really, its analogous to Aloft is a cheaper version of W, in that Element is a more affordable version of a Westin. It’s not a full feature hotel, no room service, etc, but food can be delivered from nearby restaurants.
Element hotels are eco-friendly, with the intent of all properties achieving LEED certification. The lobby is a very open concept, and the building uses a lot of natural light. The property is designed like an urban condo complex which you can check here.
I only had a short stay, but various room configurations are available and they all contain kitchens. Most rooms are studios, but they also have one bedroom and some conference suites. It doesn’t seem that upgrades are available based on status.
Element Studio Room
On to some room photos:
Many people give Westin high marks for their comfortable beds. I am a fan. The Heavenly bed started the branded bedding trend at hotels, and I think it’s still one of the best. As Element is subtitled ‘by Westin’, they have the same Heavenly beds as at Westin, but typically for lower cost per night.
Sink with special filtered water spigot.
Bathroom has some eco-friendly touches. Low volume shower head and toilet, plus soap/shampoo dispensers.
Element public facilities
Each Element has a rather expansive fitness center, at least for the size of the property.
As of now, there are only 9 Element properties open. They are all in the US, with others scheduled to open in both is US and beyond.
Breakfast is included, which consists of a few hot items, like croissant sandwiches, wraps, plus typical continental items like cereals, juices, and pastries. It’s a decent spread, particularly for free. It is better than the typical continental spread at most lounges at higher end properties such as domestic Sheraton. I didn’t get a photo when breakfast when setup, but here is the breakfast bar area:
I enjoyed my short stay at the Element in Omaha. It’s a nice, affordable place, and its in a convenient location to my work location. If there are other Element hotels where I have travels, I’d definitely stay there. If the above features are of interest you, I suggest you checkout an Element if there is one in a destination that would work for your travels.
