Marriott has opened a hotel in Vermont that runs entirely on electricity. Sugar House Hotel, part of the Tribute Portfolio collection, is in Winooski, just outside Burlington. It is the company’s first property anywhere designed to reach all-electric, net-zero energy operations and LEED Platinum certification.
The 115-room hotel is also the first in Winooski, a former mill town. Its theme comes from Vermont’s maple sugarhouses, and the design relies heavily on local makers and the surrounding landscape.
“Great hospitality is about more than making someone feel welcome while they’re with us,” said Peggy Roe, executive vice president and chief customer officer at Marriott International. “It’s also about caring for the places guests and locals alike have come to experience and making sure those communities remain special for generations to come.”
A maple tree in the lobby and a creemee at check-in
The hotel describes its location as “nature out back, city out front.” On one side is a 104-acre nature preserve along the Winooski River. On the other, Winooski’s walkable downtown circle is just a few steps away.
Guests arrive under a porte-cochère with a planted green roof. At check-in, there is a station where guests can make their own maple creemee, the soft-serve that Vermonters love. The central lounge has a hearth built from a 20,000-pound boulder of native Green Mountain schist and a 20-foot indoor maple tree. A spiral staircase winds up to a mezzanine library designed to feel like a treehouse.
Every room is named after a Vermont sugarhouse and has golden timber-paneled walls, hand-blown glass sconces and pieces by local artists.
Burlington’s only rooftop restaurant
Treetops Restaurant is the only rooftop restaurant and bar in the Greater Burlington area. It serves seasonal food, with floor-to-ceiling windows and an outdoor terrace.
Downstairs, MOSS Café + Bar sits under the lobby maple and is open all day. In the morning, it serves coffee and maple pastries from local bakers. Later in the day, the menu switches to deli food, small plates and seasonal cocktails.
A 180-foot wooden bridge runs from the hotel to a 1.2-mile loop trail through the Winooski Gorge Natural Area, passing near the Salmon Hole fly-fishing spot. The hotel plans to run wellness sessions, guided nature walks and workshops with local artisans.
No gas lines, solar on the roof
The building has no gas lines or fuel tanks, and even the commercial kitchen is fully electric. Rooftop solar panels are expected to supply about a third of its energy. A geothermal well system handles heating and cooling and helps heat the water.
Low-flow fixtures cut water use, and some of the wood has a local history. Timber from Vermont’s old North Hero drawbridge was reused for the Treetops bar and for the tables in the elevator lobby.
Outside, there are eight EV charging stations. An all-electric Volkswagen shuttle runs to Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport and downtown Burlington.
Nedde Real Estate and Lodging Capital Partners developed the hotel, and Fathom Companies manages it.
“Our goal was to create a building that wasn’t just in Vermont, but of Vermont,” said Doug Nedde, principal of Nedde Real Estate. “The opening of Sugar House Hotel is the result of a talented local team, combining world-class environmental sustainability and embracing the culture and artisans of our community.”
