As part of Resident Hotels’ work with Green Tourism, the group has created a policy to outline and communicate its sustainability journey. Currently the group’s initiatives include deploying light sensors to save electricity, recycling 80% of date and installing a hot water system which features heat recovery technology.
The Resident Covent Garden has been awarded Gold in the Green Tourism accreditation, a scheme which recognises the commitment of tourism businesses working to become more sustainable.
The certification is part of a wider programme of ESG initiatives and objectives at the hotel operating platform, Resident Hotels, as it plans to add Green Tourism accreditations to the remainder of The Resident hotels.
David Orr, CEO, Resident Hotels, said: “At The Resident, we are working with Green Tourism and Mission: Net Zero to minimise negative impacts and seek every opportunity to drive sustainability within our developments and operations to enhance and improve both the local and global environment keeping our guest experience and team’s experience in mind.
“The hospitality sector is a key part of the race against time to halve global emissions by 2030 and reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Guests are rightly demanding that we do the work to ensure that their trip has a positive, rather than negative impact on the environment and communities around them.
“At The Resident we are proud of our brand’s reputation in the sector, which is thanks to our motivated team and our wonderful guests -our net zero aspirations are a journey for all of us to be a part of.”
Green Tourism CEO Andrea Nicholas commented: “By attaining a Green Tourism Gold Award, The Resident Covent Garden has demonstrated how balancing running a sustainable business and maintaining customer care at a high level is not only achievable but a requisite of a responsible, progressive, forward-thinking hospitality business. We wish the teams at The Resident Hotels in London, and in Liverpool, every success as they work towards earning their Green Tourism accreditation in the coming months.”
Actions undertaken by each of The Resident Hotels include working to support local communities, partnering with charities Springboard and Hospitality Action and following an ethical policy.
Green Tourism takes a holistic approach to promoting greener operations; through people, places and planet. The group encourages involvement in local communities and businesses, which aims to inform and inspire participating businesses about the circular economy, ecological and cultural diversity and ensuring efficient use of the planet’s resources.
As part of Resident Hotels’ work with Green Tourism, the group has created a policy to outline and communicate its sustainability journey. Currently the group’s initiatives include deploying light sensors to save electricity, recycling 80% of date and installing a hot water system which features heat recovery technology.
One of its more unusual strategies sees Resident Hotels keeping bees in an apiary in Bath with Knight’s Bees, to support the declining honeybee population and contribute to the biodiversity and the wider environment.
Short-term goals include periodical reviews of energy usage as the group aims for a 7% reduction in energy, waste and water in 2023. Resident Hotels is also implementing a programme where a tree is planted in lieu of housekeeping, at the guest’s request. Every tree will sequester 0.3 tonnes of CO2 over the years of its growth, with trees to be planted in North Haiti, East Kenya and Madagascar.
Longer term, the group is planning to have all its hotels certified by Green Tourism by 2024, and to become B-Corp certified by 2027. Certified B Corporations are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
