AUSTIN, Texas — A new luxury hotel is now open in downtown Austin — and it is making a major statement about how the city’s newest skyline landmark could shape the visitor experience.

1 Hotel Austin is the first major tenant inside Waterline, the tallest building in Texas. The property brings a high-end hotel, restaurants, and rooftop pool to downtown, along with more than 300 jobs.

But the hotel’s pitch goes beyond luxury.

The nature-focused 1 Hotel brand says sustainability was built into the property from the start, from its design materials to small details inside every guest room.

Instead of a traditional ribbon-cutting, hotel leaders marked opening day by planting a tree.

“Rather than a traditional ribbon-cutting, we feel like the tree has a little bit more meaning to it,” said David Duran, general manager of 1 Hotel Austin. “We’re planting our roots. This tree is going to stay here. It’s going to be symbolic of our growth into the city.”

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The hotel includes about 4,000 plants, along with natural and reclaimed materials throughout the floors and walls. Every room also has a filtered water faucet, eliminating the need for disposable water bottles.

Duran said the hotel is also using technology to reduce waste, including digital in-room dining ordering.

“We don’t have paper in any of our rooms,” Duran said.

Raul Leal, CEO of Starwood Hotels, said Austin had long been a target market for the company.

“We’ve been working on this since 2018,” Leal said. “A market that we wanted to be in and a place that we feel is in line with our own values about sustainability … and great community.”

For Austin tourism leaders, the opening is another sign that the city is still growing as a destination for major events, conventions and leisure travel.

Visit Austin CEO Tom Noonan said the hotel’s arrival comes as Austin prepares for another busy festival and sports season, including ACL, Formula 1 and Texas football.

“We are building this great tourism destination,” Noonan said. “We already were one, but the changes that are taking place starting today and all the way to 2030 are going to make us one of the hottest destinations in America all over again.”

The hotel now gives visitors another place to stay high above downtown — and gives Austin a new skyline landmark designed to make a lighter impact below.