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Two London hotels shortlisted for Green Tourism Awards.
The Green Tourism Awards are awaited with keen anticipation in the hospitality industry. This year two London hotels have been shortlisted
Green businesses can benefit from a cleaner environment, lower running costs and good publicity to name just a few benefits. Many London hotels have been seeking to boost their green credentials in recent years and two of them - Base2Stay Kensington and the Lancaster London - have now been nominated for the Green Tourism Awards 2012.
The Green Tourism Awards are held in conjunction with Green Tourism Week (21-27 May) and organised by the Green Tourism Business Scheme - the national sustainable tourism certification scheme for the UK and Ireland.
Previous winners of the Green Tourism Gold Award include the Cavendish Hotel, a central London hotel known for its eco-friendly management culture and processes
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The Green Business Tourism Scheme has more than 2400 members comprising not only hotels but also B&Bs, visitor attractions, conference venues and more. Businesses that choose to join the scheme are assessed on a range of environmental issues, including energy and water efficiency, transport and innovation. Those that meet the requirements are then awarded either Bronze, Silver, or Gold status, according to their level of achievement in greening their business. In London 84 hotels have been awarded by the scheme, including 22 that have achieved Gold status.
Greenest of the Green
The Green Tourism Awards, held in Edinburgh on 25th May, will recognise those which have excelled even among the elite. Nominees are chosen from the Gold level businesses which got the highest scores in 2011.
The Base2Stay Kensington uses energy saving lightbulbs and power switches that reduce energy usage when the rooms are not in use
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To anyone familiar with them, the appearance of Base2Stay Kensington and the Lancaster London in the shortlist will not be all that surprising. They appear alongside nine other hotels from around the UK and Ireland who have been nominated for the award. Cornwall is particularly well represented, with three hotels in the county making the shortlist.
Base2Stay are well known for their many green schemes, which they have implemented in both their Kensington and Liverpool hotels. These include the recycling of approximately 80% of the hotel’s waste, energy efficient electricity and water saving measures, a ‘Visitor’s Charter’, and the option for guests to make use of the hotel’s electric car.
Base2stay guests are encouraged to buy local food to store in their mini kitchens
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Environmental innovation
We’ve also covered the green credentials of the Lancaster London previously. One of the most striking is that the hotel is one of the few in London to have its own beehives. The hives are located on the roof of the hotel and are home to approximately half a million bees. The honey they produce is served to guests in the hotel’s restaurant, thus eliminating emissions relating to transport; with the wax also used for gift candles.
The Lancaster is quite possibly London's buzziest hotel
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Initiatives like the Green Business Tourism Scheme play an important role in encouraging hotels and other businesses to adopt greener ways. And with the number of Gold status London hotels on the scheme growing, perhaps next year’s awards shortlist will contain even more hotels from the capital.
Do also check out the London Hotels Insight shortlist of best eco-friendly London hotels, which has proven to be bang on the money in having already listed both Base2stay Kensington and the Lancaster London.
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Photo credits: Green Business Tourism Scheme, Cavendish Hotel, Base2Stay Kensington, Lancaster London.
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