Top Five Eco-Friendly London Hotels

 

Eco-friendly hotel: The Savoy, London

London is a pretty green city in more ways than one. Not only does it contain close to 3,000 green spaces but there are also plenty of eco-friendly shops, restaurants and hotels that you can take advantage of during your stay here. In this guide, I take a look at five of the best London hotels doing their bit to help the environment.

 

The Zetter

86-88 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5RJ

This relatively new boutique hotel was built from the ground up with sustainability in mind. Its main talking point is a borehole built underneath the building for sourcing fresh spring water – which is great news when you consider how much is wasted in your average hotel. Zetter’s other green features include an air-conditioning system that cuts out when a window is opened and an ‘energy loop’ to re-use power throughout the building.

 

Cavendish Hotel

81 Jermyn Street, St James’s, London SW1Y 6JF

The Cavendish was the first hotel in London to win Visit Britain’s gold award for green tourism, and it still ranks as one of the most environmentally-friendly in the city. Among its eco-friendly features are energy-efficient lifts and dishwashers, ongoing environmental training for all staff, and a policy of donating old furniture/equipment to charity. Their restaurant also aims to source 100% sustainable produce.

 

At Home in London

Offices: 70 Black Lion Lane, London W6 9BE

Offering something a little bit different, At Home in London is a service which allows you to book bed and breakfasts in central locations like Chelsea, Mayfair and Kensington. This lessens the energy consumption and environmental implications of staying in a hotel. Bookings can be made through the website from a choice of over 80 properties, all with en suite or private bathrooms.

 

Base2stay

25 Courtfield Gardens, London SW5 0PG

Base2stay in leafy South Kensington offers a more affordable option than the other hotels on this list. As well as offering all the latest mod cons, it manages to recycle over 80% of its waste and to conserve electricity by using sensor and time-operated lighting throughout the building. The hotel also has an electric emission-free car for all journeys and takes 50% less deliveries than your average hotel by consolidating orders into fewer consignments.

 

The Savoy

The Strand, London WC2R 0EU

For its recent re-launch, around £3m was spent on making the luxurious Savoy as green as possible. The results are immediately obvious, with high-efficiency heating and cooling systems as standard and a policy of converting food waste into renewable energy. The hotel has also started supporting several environmental charities and is responsible for keeping a stretch of the Thames riverbank clean. In addition, the restaurant sources produce from the hotel’s herb garden and local growers wherever possible.

 

There you have it, five eco-friendly London hotels. What strikes me is that the hotels doing most to protect the environment are those at the luxury end of the spectrum. This begs the question, why aren’t budget and middle-priced hotel chains doing more to be eco-friendly?

 

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