Dubai’s Sustainable Hotel

Dubai is known as a place of excess, where environmental impact isn’t necessarily high on the list of developers’ priorities.

That’s set to change with a new sustainable hotel, the first in Dubai. It will draw 100 percent of its energy needs from solar power.

The 143-room Hotel Indigo will be part of The Sustainable City, the emirate’s first sustainable development complex. It will include a neighborhood café and a specialty restaurant, both will source from a nearby organic farm.

The design of the building, both interior and exterior, is done with sustainability in mind. The hotel will recycle all waste water; recycling material waste will also be a major focus. A solar-powered bus will transport guests to downtown Dubai.

“Upon completion, we look forward to welcoming our guests to this exclusive property, that reflects the changing tastes of the discerning travelers who not only seek unique local experiences but are also sensitive to their own carbon footprint and believe in greater environmental stewardship,” says Pascal Gauvin, chief operating officer for India, Middle East & Africa, InterContinental Hotels Group.

Dubai’s sustainable community is set to house 2,700 people in 500 residential villas.