GUESTS at a forward-thinking Scottish hotel will have the chance to make a meaningful contribution towards improving the environment, simply by forgoing housekeeping visits mid-stay.
Ten Hill Place Hotel in Edinburgh will contribute towards ecological initiatives every time a guest opts out of room cleaning during a two-or-more night stay.
Contributions made by the hotel, which is owned by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, when guests abstain from housekeeping will offset half a tonne of CO₂e a night.
The new collaboration with Ecologi has already resulted in 100 tonnes of CO₂e offset through a verified carbon avoidance project in Thailand, generating electricity from wind. 100 tonnes of CO₂e is roughly equivalent to 55 round-trip flights from London to New York.
The next project set to receive support will be a small-scale onshore wind power project in Sri Lanka – with projects set to change every four months.
The new initiative follows a major carbon audit on every aspect of the hotel’s operations by Carbon Futures Ltd and Business Energy Scotland which has already resulted in rolling out daylight sensors and set the plans for plant equipment upgrades that would help the Old Town hotel introduce its own energy sources.
Mark McKenzie, General Manager at Surgeons Quarter which operates the 129-bedroom hotel, said:
“It’s very important to us that we make decisions which positively impact the environment and ensure this is at the heart of all of our operations – while also actively encouraging guests to minimise their effects on the environment.
“Ten Hill Place Hotel is a good choice for conscious consumers as we are committed to doing our bit for the planet. With more and more people looking to live a greener life at home –it makes sense to stay at a hotel with similar ambitions.
“However, we’re still mindful of the effects that travel and the tourism industry have on our planet which has been reflected into how we fulfil all our green commitments and continue the highest standards possible.”
A doorhanger has been designed for all guest rooms explaining the initiative with a QR code linking to the venue’s Ecologi profile so guests can learn about the various projects supported to date.
Linda Adams, Head of Partnerships at Ecologi, said:
“When businesses put sustainability in their plans, the list of wins really does go on and on. It is great to be working with Surgeons Quarter and see organisations stepping up and taking climate action to make a positive difference.”
The venue’s commitment to sustainability has been ongoing for many years. In 2019 the hotel joined a Scottish Water campaign and removed single use bottles of water in the 129 bedrooms to reduce plastic waste. This has already saved around 80,000 plastic bottles and £22k per year.
