Populus Hotels will debut Populus Seattle, opening late spring 2025. Formerly known as the Westland Building, the adaptive-reuse property reflects the building’s 1907 history and has been thoughtfully modernized to give it a vibrant second life. The 120-room boutique hotel will have Pioneer Square’s first rooftop bar, a signature restaurant, a strong community connection and design that evokes the feeling of a Pacific Northwest rainforest.
Located in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, Populus Seattle will anchor one of the country’s most significant adaptive reuse developments, as one of three main historic buildings that are connected by activated alleyways. It follows the fall 2024 opening of Populus Denver. Created by Urban Villages, a developer and environmental steward, and managed by Aparium Hotel Group, a hotel operator committed to creating translocal hospitality experiences, Populus Hotels have a deep reverence for nature and their surroundings–from the Rocky Mountain aesthetic of Populus Denver to the Pacific-Northwest ethos of Populus Seattle–while making a positive environmental impact.
“We are incredibly proud to introduce Populus Seattle as the second carbon positive hotel in our portfolio and in the country,” Urban Villages President Jon Buerge said in a statement. “The greenest building is the one you don’t have to build from the ground up. With adaptive reuse, we’ve preserved the character of this historic building while prioritizing the health of the planet. Populus Seattle represents Populus Hotels’ commitment to responsible hospitality and meaningful guest experiences that reflect the city’s rich culture, arts, and vibrant local ecosystems.”
“Populus Seattle brings to life a vision of hospitality that’s rooted in place and purpose,” said Mario Tricoci, CEO and founder of Aparium Hotel Group. “This isn’t just a hotel with a strong sustainability story. It’s a living, breathing space that reflects the character of Pioneer Square and the people who bring it to life. Whether you’re visiting or a local, the design, the culinary perspective, and the spirit of the place feel distinctly independent, thoughtfully elevated, and deeply personal.”
Populus Seattle highlights the neighborhood’s creative spirit and heritage through architecture by The Miller Hull Partnership, interior design by Curioso and landscape design by Seattle-based Site Workshop, informed by the natural ecology of Washington. Guests arrive through a lush, biophilic entryway into a grand lobby where native plants, nature-inspired art, and preserved Douglas Fir beams speak to the building’s historic character and layered design story.
From the lobby, a wood staircase guides guests to the second-floor restaurant, where abundant greenery creates a seamless transition into the glass-wrapped Solarium. Above, the rooftop bar offers lush landscaping and sweeping views of the skyline. Throughout, the interplay of biophilic design and preserved architectural details, including exposed historic car decking and brick, reflect a deliberate balance of natural beauty and urban edge, connecting guests to both the spirit of Pioneer Square and the greater Pacific Northwest.
Populus Seattle further pays homage to its surroundings through an art collection curated by global art production house ARTXIV. Featuring over 300 original commissions by 35 local and international artists, the collection celebrates the region’s landscapes, heritage, and creative energy, while adding vibrancy and dimension to the hotel’s guest rooms and communal spaces. The captivating works of art were created on-site and offer an immersive journey through themes of identity, resilience, and transformation.
Environmentally-Forward Hospitality
Populus Seattle will be carbon positive—meaning it will sequester more carbon in biomass and soil than it emits through both embodied and operational activities over its full lifecycle, prioritizing the health of the planet. The hotel’s sustainability strategy includes preserving and revitalizing a historic structure, reducing its embodied carbon footprint by 36 percent—the equivalent of 2.2 million miles driven or 492 tons of coal burned. Rather than constructing a new building or an onsite parking garage, the project encourages a pedestrian-friendly lifestyle and avoids additional carbon-intensive development. Design choices like adding new windows and increasing natural light help lower energy use, while certified carbon credits are acquired to offset remaining emissions.
As the country’s second carbon positive hotel, Populus Seattle follows a rigorous Life Cycle Assessment to evaluate the environmental impact of every material, system, and process from construction to decommissioning. The team identifies opportunities to reduce embodied and operational carbon through low-impact means and methods, renewable energy, and waste reduction strategies. After every possible reduction has been implemented, the property offsets the remaining footprint with high-quality U.S. nature-based carbon credits to ensure a net negative carbon outcome.