Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced that its trailblasing, eco-wise Element brand is picking up momentum in Florida with plans for an Orlando debut.

Built green from the ground up, Element Orlando North is scheduled to open in July 2015 as part of the redevelopment of Orlando Fashion Square on Colonial Drive.

It will be the brand’s third hotel in Florida following Element Miami International Airport and Element Miami Doral. Owned by a joint venture between UP Development, StaySharpe and LBK Hotel Ventures, Element Orlando North will offer a smart, new lodging option for travellers with 151 stylish, sustainable rooms and an atmosphere designed to fuel a life in balance and on the move.

“Element Orlando will offer a fresh new option for travellers seeking to maintain balanced lifestyle when away from home, whether for a few days or a few weeks,” said Brian McGuinness, senior vice president of specialty select brands for Starwood.

“Popular among both business and leisure travellers, the Element brand offers guests a bright, energising environment that’s conducive to both work and play and will provide an entirely new extended stay option within proximity of Orlando’s world-famous attractions.”

Element Orlando North will rise eight stories, built above remodelled shops and restaurants at Orlando Fashion Square on Colonial Drive.

Just 20 minutes from Universal Orlando Resort and less than 30 minutes from Walt Disney World Resort, the new Element is across the street from Orlando Executive Airport and three miles from the central business district of downtown Orlando and the Amway Center.

Also nearby are the upscale neighborhoods of Baldwin Park, Thornton Park, Audubon Park, College Park, Winter Park and the historic Mills & 50 District, as well as numerous golf courses.

The hotel will boast light-filled studios as well as one bedroom suites and feature fluid design of modular furniture, swivelling flat-screen televisions, large desks with open shelving and custom-designed closets.

Bathrooms will be spa-inspired, with an invigorating rain shower and dual-flush toilet. Rooms will also offer fully equipped kitchens and the signature Heavenly Bed.

Other brand signatures will include a state-of-the-art, 24-hour fitness centre, an outdoor saline swimming pool, and a 977 square-foot meeting room with modular furnishings, a flexible layout and state-of-the-art technology that can be customised to meet any business or social needs.