Time for Living , July 2011 9 Travel


Greengetaways G


OING on holiday and being eco friendly don't often go hand in hand. Flights across the ocean, followed by astay in an energy-


guzzling hotel, can lead to ahuge carbon footprint. But hotelier Chris Airey has launched what's


ly green holidays is growing, arecent survey by the Green Business Tourism Scheme, currently the UK's leading sustainable tourism certification scheme, found that approximately 60 per cent of properties purporting to have green credentials did not live up to their claims -apractice known as "greenwash". An overnight stay in Airey's Bournemouth hotel


been billed as the UK's "greenest" hotel. And with agrowing number of establishments now jumping on the eco bandwagon, that's quite aclaim to substantiate. Airey,however,isconfident The Green House -a boutique 32-room Grade II listed Victorian villa that opened in April last year -iswhat it says on the tin: aluxury and commercially-viable property operat- ing along sustainable guidelines. While figures suggest that the demand for genuine-


soon teaches guests just what being agreen hotel is all about -chairs arefashioned from recycled PlayStation consoles, the wine is biodynamic, and energy-saving lights mysteriously switch off behind you. But with no single body in place to governgreen initiatives, holidaymakers may strug- gle to make an informed ethical choice about their destination, beforethey arrive. "Our intention was to bring the environmental


ethos to the mainstream and prove that 'green' and 'luxury' can co-exist and not at the expense of one another," says Airey. "Environmental concerns


wereatthe heart of the decision-making process throughout." In the absence of any blueprint for hotels, Airey


and his business partners, Harish Sodha and Sarah Burrows, chose to follow the leading environmental assessment method for buildings (BREEAM) and operate with an environmental management system. "One of the biggest hurdles was finding local, eco friendly suppliers we could work with," Airey says of the £5 million renovation project. "Surprisingly,the actual costs weren't much higher; our biggest invest- ment was time. It took four years to meet our targets." Now amodel is in place, however,thereare


plans to repeat the success elsewhere. But while Airey's work is admirable, other hotels simply pay lip service to issues of sustainability. One scheme which Airey does vouch for is the


Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) whose members include UK properties in the Jurys Inn and Radisson group portfolios. Back at The Green House, weekend guests are


already arriving in the reception. Few will realise the sturdy wooden desk was made with teak floor joists reclaimed from ademolished school in Sussex, or that the serene mauve walls have been painted in chemical-free paint. This is acredit to the hotel's non-invasive green


policy,but it's also acause of frustration for the owners. "From the minute you walk in the door,it's not obvious this is agreen hotel. And we don't want to ram the fact down people's throats," says Airey. "But we would like to educate guests, and that's something we'reworking on."


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24