Sustainable Boutique Hotel Brands UK
Biofilico wellness real estate consultants review the best sustainable boutique hotel brands in the UK today, from The Pig, to Good Hotel, Treehouse Hotels, Room2 and The Zetter Group, each one takes a slightly different approach to their sustainability policy, some focus more on wellness, others on carbon emissions, others on the food or guest experience. Read on to find out more!
our hotel sustainability consultant perspective on the eco friendly hotel chains and boutique hotels leading the way in their sustainability efforts - from social responsibility, to environmental awareness and a focus on guest wellness
good hotels - a socially responsible hotel in london
The Good Hotels are a people-oriented brand of boutique hotels on what looks to be a genuine, founder-led mission to do good and make the world a better place through the medium of real estate, hospitality and social uplift.
The mini group currently just about fits into the ‘hotel chains UK’ category although they have three hotel locations, of which two are in Guatemala (Guatemala City and Antigua), the third is a floating platform hotel located in London that was previously a pop-up in Amsterdam before being shipped across to the Royal Victoria dock in East London.
As a social business, 100% of profits are pumped into community projects, from kids education to training locals who might otherwise not find a way into the hospitality industry. Their Good Training program involves working with local authorities to identify individuals who have been in long-term unemployment and providing them with several months of hospitality training leading to potential job opportunities at a network of partner hotels.
By repurposing derelict buildings they minimize their environmental impact, as new build construction has far higher embodied carbon that a refurb, provided the refurb. takes into consideration long-term energy saving measures such as Passive design to ensure a tight building envelope.
In Guatemala, the properties feature locally crafted textiles, joinery an organic amenities while in London there is a clear Dutch design influence - clean, crisp, unfussy but with plenty of personality too.
The focus is on natural, durable, and repurposed materials, meaning all kitchen ingredients are locally sourced for example. Clearly in Guatemala the two properties are surrounded by worthy causes, artisanal crafts and traditional makers. The transition to a premium London hotel concept from that starting point was always going to be interesting to watch.
Bedrooms in London do not offer a mini-bar or TV instead focusing on communal social areas, this reduced both their initial Capex costs on the IT and ongoing operational energy consumption. By way of ‘compensation’, each night spent in the property helps fun a week of education for a child in Guatemala via their Good Global Foundation (GGF), which supports social causes all around the world such as Niños de Guatemala, a foundation co-founded in 2007 by Marten Dresen, the founder of the Good Hotel.
This raises an interesting question around guest expectations in terms of the in-room facilities, their hotel pricing strategy and the role of pre-arrival, check-in and in-room communications to ensure guests are aware of the ‘give & take’ scenario on offer here. We imagine these three elements have to be closely coordinated right from the start, even from the marketing strategy that needs to tap into a certain target audience of travellers with a social conscience.
room2 hometels - a truly sustainable hotel in london
Room2 is a relative newcomer to the UK boutique hotel scene with locations in Chiswick, Hammersmith, and Southampton on the south coast with a stated expansion strategy of 5,000 keys under lease or management by 2030. The first of these new properties will include Belfast (2022), Liverpool (2023) and Fulham (2024) making them one of the sustainable hotel chains to watch in the UK over the next few years.
The brand is part of the Lamington Group, a family owned business with over 50 years of history as a real estate investor, developer and operator with over 14,000m2 of real estate across its portfolio.
This background information is crucial to understanding what comes next in terms of their extensive hotel sustainability strategy efforts - Room2 is part of a wider organization that includes residential development, residential letting, a serviced apartment operations business and a Coworking concept.
Having committed to achieving Net Zero by 2030 for Scope 1 & 2 emissions, the Lamington Group began their sustainability strategy by establishing a baseline of their Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG), switching to renewable energy sources, integrating sustainability into operational decisions, implementing energy efficiency programs in existing properties and committing to Net Zero whole life carbon - net zero in terms of operations and embodied carbon.
A lot of resources and expertise has clearly gone into this to align with London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) and the UK Green Building Council Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework, making the effort all the more admirable. A dedicated 2-woman sustainability team is supported by a Green Team including the Managing Director and Finance Director (the brothers Godwin at the helm of the company), with external consultants including Elements on Net Zero Building standards, Climate Partner on carbon offsets and Verco on assessment and reduction of embodied carbon in their development projects.
At property level, we see a rarity in the boutique hotel chains - a brand that has a sustainability strategy covering an impressive range of key concepts from energy, to water, food waste, biophilia / biodiversity, support for local communities and a local procurement policy.
Energy demand for example is met by renewables such as solar, wind and hydro, while ‘lab rooms’ in each property monitor energy use, air quality and water usage in detail to provide data on possible untapped efficiencies. Carbon offsets come from a bamboo project in Nicaragua while low carbon and circular materials are given priority in the build and fit-out of each property.
Locally sourced, plant-based food options are always on offer and Biophilic design brings the outside world in to connect guests to nature while improving the indoor air quality at the same time. This is boosted by a green roof, herb garden and an apiary at Room2 Chiswick for example.
Perhaps the only component missing from the Room2 hotel sustainability strategy at present is a piece addressing health and wellbeing of guests and staff but kudos to their team for this level of commitment nonetheless, they are leading from the front.
Zetter group - sustainable design hotels london
The Zetter Group are London based boutique hotel mini-group with three properties in the portfolio made up of a five-floor hotel in London’s Clerkenwell district, an additional townhouse in the same area and a third property in the more sedate Marylebone.
Interiors are unashamedly eclectic, verging on the maximalist at times, with wallpaper, artworks, carpets and textiles combining to create visually dramatic spaces. Underneath all of this though, lies a group that has made real headway on its sustainability policies.
An internal ‘green team’ meets regularly to drive the hotel sustainability agenda forward. Past wins include the roll-out of a energy loop system that reduces overall energy usage; natural light and passive ventilation via one hotels’ central atrium with a skylight'; occupancy detection in-room to reduce waste energy expenditure while not in use; paper and glass recycling; eco-friendly bathroom amenities;a reduction in packaging in their supply chain (food deliveries); a local procurement policy (food, amenities, textiles).
In terms of certifications, the Zetter Group is a member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association and Green Tourism.
At least according to their website, they are also making conscious efforts to foster staff wellbeing as part of their hotel sustainability strategy and continue to explore new opportunities to improve, reducing their environmental impact along the way.
No sustainability report available online.
Inhabit - health and wellness hotels london
Inhabit Hotels is a self-proclaimed ‘wellness oriented’ and environmentally conscious hotel group in London with properties in Paddington and Bayswater. The brand is working towards B Corp certification and clearly identified a gap in the market for boutique size hotels for the mindfulness generation of plant-based, yoga-practicing, spa-loving self-caring guest profile… and anyone who even vaguely identifies with that lifestyle presumably!
The Paddington site occupies six townhouses with 88 guest rooms while the larger Bayswater property has 158 rooms and suites. Their stated aim is to optimize the mental and physical wellness of their guests via a combination of sustainable interior design one the one hand and health-oriented guest experiences on the other.
Interiors have furniture made by locally based social enterprise Goldfinger and a soft, calming colour palette with British textiles and a loosely Scandi aesthetic using plenty of natural wood. This is essentially a mid-market product in the £150-£250 average price per night range.
Features such as a ‘peaceful library’ are a combination of clever communications and a concept-led approach looking for any and every opportunity to enhance the guest experience, even if most guests will likely not have the time or inclination to. browse through the bookshelves for reading material during their stay.
Other features of note include a pet-friendly policy, the option to choose the type of aromatherapy scent in-room and on-site fitness / yoga rooms combined with a comprehensive activity schedule covering various forms of yoga and meditation.
Plant-based, meat-free and seasonal cuisine comes courtesy of a partnership with Yeotown, a health and wellness retreat in Devon, ensuring an F&B concept fully in line with the hotel’s stance on sustainability and wellbeing.
No sustainability strategy or annual sustainability report available online.
The Pig group - sustainable hotels and restaurants uk
The Pig Hotel and Restaurant Group currently has eight countryside ‘restaurants with rooms’ in locations across England in Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Kent, Cornwall, West Sussex and two locations in Hampshire, each united by their concept of ‘gardener, forager and chef’.
Just like the roadside inns of old, the foundation stone of hospitality at each Pig site is essentially the “simple and honest” philosophy behind their F&B offer, with an organic kitchen garden providing as much of the reared or grown ingredients as possible, with everything else sourced from within a 25-mile radius to create their ‘25 Mile Menu’ concept.
In total, these gardens produce around 17 tons of food each year that would otherwise have arrived by road, increasing their transport related environmental footprint considerably. Fish is from sources approved by the Marine Conservation Society and foragers help bring in other local, harder to find wild ingredients. Several of the restaurants are members of the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
All garden waste is composted, while glass, paper, plastic, and cooking oil are dutifully recycled. Glass bottled water is supplied by BELU, a social enterprise, and all single-use plastics have been removed from their bars. Bedroom soaps are wrapped in paper and used aluminium coffee capsules are recycled.
These small details cumulatively reflect a conscious approach to sustainability that may not follow any strict set of guidelines or certification system but is meaningful and important work nonetheless.
Interior hotel furnishings are mostly antique and upcycled,while lightbulbs have been updated to LED to reduce energy consumption.
No sustainability strategy or annual sustainability report available online.
https://www.thepighotel.com/about-us/
Treehouse - biophilic design hotels uk
Treehouse hotels are (for now at least) a UK-centric sustainable hotel brand within Barry Sternlicht’s SH Hotels & Resorts Group, after his massive success with the 1 Hotels eco-luxury hotel concept this looks to be a smaller scale concept that shares many of the same sustainability values, albeit with more of a nostalgic twist towards traditional values, coziness and craftsmanship. The launch location was a 95-room property in London’s Marylebone with Manchester and Miami opening in 2023.
Sustainability is subtly interwoven into the fabric of the guest experience, from biophilic design in the restaurants to collaborations with meditation teachers and vegetarian chefs, eco-friendly homeware companies and advice on eco picnics in the park.
Treehouse Hotels have adopted a ‘soft’ sustainability stance in other words, one that takes it as a given that ‘this is how things should simply be done’ and assuming their guests will have an affinity with this lifestyle, rather than it being a defining part of the brand’s identity that needs to be driven home with communications.
That said, there is on-site composting, a recycling program, triple filtered water taps in the corridors and a reduction in single use plastics in evidence as well as an abundance of air-purifying plants, natural materials such as wood and organic cotton sheets in the bedrooms.
This does leave some questions unanswered from a sustainability strategy perspective of course (energy efficiency? carbon emissions? wellness initiatives?) but all of that can come with time as the group expands and matures.
No sustainability strategy or annual sustainability report available online.
Further Reading
Using Germicidal UV light in a healthy building plan
Our overview of the Germicidal UV light topic within the context of a healthy building plan. We review the Parsons Healthy Material Lab publication on this subject, establishing the key tenets that make UV light a worthy addition to a healthy building strategy for facilities management to use.
What is Indoor Air Quality?
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has become an increasing focus in building design over the past decade but especially with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic that threw the topic into the global limelight. Developing an enhanced IAQ plan for an entire building or indeed an interior space such as a spa, office, apartment or gym is likely going to combine a number of key components, including:
high-grade in-duct filtration
adequate ventilation rates
air purifying plants
green cleaning policies
air quality monitors
what is UV-C light and UV Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) in healthy buildings?
UV-C light and UV Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) can be used to disinfect air, water, and surfaces, thereby lowering the spread of viral infections and bacteria in building interiors.
UV light is a relatively new but well established technology that can be leveraged as part of a healthy building and interiors plan to improve indoor environmental quality, especially in the post-Covid era.
UV-C lighting can be used on scales as small as individual cabinets to sterilize cellphones or in personal water bottles, all the way up to its incorporation into a building’s HVAC system for a more building level, systematic approach.
Surfaces, air, and water can all benefit from UV-C light technology, although installation and safety should be considered, especially when put in place at the building scale.
Ultraviolet (UV) light in healthy building cleaning protocols - HML publication
The Parsons Healthy Material Lab (HML) and MFA Lighting Design programs published a doc showing their research and testing of the impacts of Ultraviolet (UV) light on viral spread.
In the wake of the global pandemic, there has been a mindset shift recognizing the importance of a healthy building interior. However, traditional disinfectants commonly contain antimicrobials and other toxins that cause a variety of negative health impacts. ‘Antimicrobial’ does not in fact mean ‘healthy’.
Since the start of the pandemic, aerosol disinfectant spray sales have gone up by 385%, which has the potential to increase health issues of building occupants in other ways.
Parsons concentrated their study on applying UVGI light safely and affordably, focusing most closely on air quality in shared spaces for this very reason.
What is Indoor Viral Transmission in buildings?
Viral spread indoors is a hot topic in the COVID-19 age but is not a new concept per se. Viruses can spread both through the air in the form of small, suspended droplets, or fall to the ground and rest on interior surfaces, as many of us have come to understand in the past few years.
In the air, these droplets are known as aerosols and the virus can be transmitted through inhalation. When the droplets make their way to surfaces, the virus spreads through tactile means.
How does UV light disinfect building interiors?
An important distinction to make early on is the difference between disinfection and cleansing. Disinfection can be done by UVGI, meaning it kills germs in the air and on surfaces, but doesn’t remove the bacteria and dirt itself.
When combined with cleansing, aka the physical removal of impurities, UVGI implementation is a healthier, safer alternative to traditional aerosol-based disinfectant strategies.
UVGI specifically refers to a light with the wavelength of 254 nm, which is the application of UV-C radiation for germicidal purposes.
The UVGI system essentially inactivates viruses and bacteria after they are exposed to doses of the light source. The light does this by changing the structure of the DNA and RNA within the microorganism, making it unable to grow and replicate in an infectious manner.
In interiors, air is carried up from the occupied area to the UVGI element through fans and ventilation. When the air reaches the fixtures, it is then sterilized and can be returned to the occupied area in a healthier, safer condition.
Safety & Installation Considerations of UV-C light
Direct exposure to UV-C light is unsafe for humans, as the radiation can cause a burning sensation similar to a sunburn in the eyes. In addition, material health can be compromised and impact human health if not considered in the design phase.
Due to human sensitivity to the UVGI wavelength, the lights must be installed in a diffuse manner, avoiding any down-facing, direct light sources. Strategies such as installing UV lights within the HVAC system and upward facing fixtures far above human head height are safe options.
Although the inclusion of UVGI light is a safer alternative to traditionally used disinfectants, care must be taken in fixture type and placement.
UV-C light can also degrade materials if the relationships are not considered beforehand. Generally, the UVGI wavelength will only superficially penetrate a material, which is nothing to be concerned about.
However, materials such as plastics and polymers are more easily damaged and can off-gas toxic chemicals and carcinogens when in contact with UV light.
Source:
https://healthymaterialslab.org/projects/improving-occupant-health-with-germicidal-uv-light