Member Article

London Heathrow Marriott recognised with Green Hotelier award

London Heathrow Marriott Hotel has been announced as the European winner of the prestigious Green Hotelier Awards.

Beating competition from a variety of hotel companies, the property was judged the greenest hotel in Europe for innovating and investing in new technology to improve its sustainability and reduce its consumption footprint.

The Green Hotelier Awards were designed to recognise hotels in Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas with the best environmental and responsible initiatives and practices. It celebrates the best in class when it comes to hotels that are leading the way in implementing initiatives to reduce their impact on the environment.

The hotel was commended for its extensive sustainability plan, which has seen initiatives put in place across the board. These include a 12% reduction in carbon emissions through LED lighting, solar power systems, a hybrid windmill and a on-site greenhouse to reduce carbon footprint. Water savings of two million litres per year have also been made through the installation of efficient washing infrastructure including innovative pot wash equipment provided by GRANULDISK, as well as tap flow restrictors, rain water harvesting and energy saving appliances.

Community action is also very important to the London Heathrow Marriott Hotel, which takes part in local initiatives with organisations such as WWF Earth Hour, Green Corridor and Project Search. River cleaning to promote healthy plant growth has proven to be very popular with the community and hotel staff alike.

A tracking system is used at the property to determine where waste can be reduced and, as a result, food wastage has been cut in half. Recycling of soap and toiletries has also been introduced through a partnership with Clean the World and the hotel has demonstrated an exemplary effort in increasing landfill diversion, while seeking out innovative and sustainable ways to handle waste streams.

Talking about the award, general manager, Ron Vos, said: “We pride ourselves on doing as much as we can to reduce our impact on the environment and this accolade is testament to the fact that the entire team works really hard to achieve this.

“We are so pleased that our initiatives have captured everyone’s hearts. Within the team there’s a lot of willingness to improve and, now that we’re seen as a hotel that likes to test new initiatives, we’re keen to continue to implement new projects. Our thorough research and our dedication means we’re heading in the right direction.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by C Franks .