Marriott International and Ctwo Hotels announced the opening of Element Moline—the first Element Hotel in Illinois. The extended-stay brand offers guests eco-friendly and wellness-focused amenities within the historical surroundings of one of Moline’s oldest buildings. With the support of the Moline Historic Society, part of the hotel is housed in the O’Rourke Building, a warehouse that was originally built in 1916 by the Crandall Transfer and Warehouse Company.
“We are thrilled to be bringing Element Hotels to Illinois for the first time with the opening of this landmark property,” Marlon Whyte, senior global brand director of Element Hotels, says. “The O’Rourke Building is an important part of the history of Moline, and we’re excited to be part of the city’s future.”
Located near the Mississippi River, the six-story building retains the same structure and foundations of the historic building with added earth tones and nature-inspired designs throughout and a firepit in the interior courtyard. The design includes many details of the original warehouse such as exposed brick and columns in its guestrooms. The redesign preserved many components of the building’s lobby, ceilings, and flooring. The project aligns with Element Hotels’ sustainable design philosophy—the National Park Service partnered with the ownership to review and approve every aspect of the project, including the restored Art Deco façade and entrance.
“One of the great things about this adaptive-reuse project is how it has created such a unique property out of a historic landmark building in the city of Moline,” Mike Amin, owner and managing partner of The Amin Group, says. “It has been an exciting project preserving the historic charm of this building while turning it into a stylish and modern destination for the neighborhood and visitors.”
As part of its eco-friendly focus, Element Moline has decor and artwork from repurposed and recycled materials, low VOC paint, and every light bulb in the building is LED. All 96 guestrooms provide travelers with a filtered water system and bathrooms have low-flow faucets, toilets, and showers, as well as environmentally-conscious body lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and soap, all containing certified organic ingredients by Pharmacopia, an all-natural vegan and cruelty-free brand.
The hotel offers 960 square feet of meeting space, which includes two meeting rooms for conferences and gatherings–one of which is named after the original owners of the building, Crandall. The hotel also includes complimentary high-speed internet access throughout all guestrooms and public spaces, as well as access to a print and fax machine.
Designed for the longer-stay guest, Element Hotels allow guests to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle while on the road. To cater to this, the hotel offers a complimentary Rise breakfast every morning with a yogurt station, whole fruits, and more. The hotel is equipped with an indoor saline lap pool and an 830-square-foot Motion Fitness center, open 24/7. Guests can monitor themselves with the Your Trainer app, which is a virtual training app that customizes workouts to the users’ goals, fitness level, and schedule. The app has workouts fine-tuned for the equipment at Element Hotels. The property also offers Element’s Bikes to Borrow program, which is run in partnership with Priority Bicycles.
The hotel also offers Element’s signature ‘Relax’ reception hour, where guests can enjoy complimentary organic beer, wine, soft drinks, and appetizers.
“Element Hotels empower guests to stay in their element while they are traveling for work or for leisure,” adds Whyte. “At Element Moline, guests will be able to experience wellness on their own terms–whether that is keeping up their fitness regime at our Motion fitness center, enjoying a healthy breakfast, or relaxing with a glass of wine in the evening.”
Element Moline marks the hotel component of The Q, a multimodal development designed by Legat Architects that includes a train station with service to Chicago. The hotel renovation includes 16,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space, along with a new glass pavilion that serves as the rail station’s Grand Hall on the east side. The Grand Hall rail station will serve as a new Amtrak stop for the Quad Cities that is currently under construction.
