Thoughtful Travel

Sustainable hotels for a responsible staycation

Our travel habits changed completely since the coronavirus pandemic last year. As of March 2020, travel and tourism was brought to a virtual standstill and the natural world was afforded a much-needed breather. For many of us, the pandemic was a time to reflect on unsustainable human actions and reconnect with our natural environment. We vowed to live a greener lifestyle moving forward.

Our travel habits changed completely since the coronavirus pandemic last year. As of March 2020, travel and tourism was brought to a virtual standstill and the natural world was afforded a much-needed breather. For many of us, the pandemic was a time to reflect on unsustainable human actions and reconnect with our natural environment. We vowed to live a greener lifestyle moving forward.

As lockdown eases and travel restrictions are lifted, lots of us are now feeling more optimistic about travelling this summer. But living a sustainable lifestyle isn’t only about the products we buy – it’s also about making a commitment to travelling sustainably and considering the impact that our travel plans have on the planet. Tourism is responsible for roughly 8% of the world’s carbon emissions. In order to reach net-zero by 2050, we need to collectively rethink how we travel, how often we travel and where we travel to.

A good starting point is to fly less (global aviation accounts for 2% of carbon emissions alone). Luckily, the UK offers an impressive array of environmentally considerate staycations located in some beautiful parts of the country. Here’s ethy’s guide to sustainable hotels in the UK, so you can feel good knowing that the only footprints you’ll leave during your next holiday are those in the sand.

The Green House Hotel, Bournemouth

The Green House Hotel is an attractive boutique hotel that lives and breathes sustainability. The hotel has been designed to spoil you without spoiling the environment. Having been named in the top 10 of the world’s most eco-friendly hotels by Expedia, the Green House Hotel makes a worthy feature!

What makes it a sustainable staycation?

  • The hotel generates much of its electricity on-site using a combined heat and power unit
  • 🌲The wood furniture has been made in the UK using trees felled by storms or tree surgeons
  • ♻️Prevents waste by upcycling furniture and turning food waste into fuel or compost for their community veg garden
  • 📍Their menu offers local, fresh, where possible organic food sourced from producers with high animal welfare standards
  • ‎‍💼All staff are trained on sustainability standards and suppliers assessed against recognised environmental standards

💵 £92-£186 (based on average standard room rate)

Saorsa 1875, Pitlochry, Scotland

Located in the picturesque Scottish town of Pitlochry, Soarsa is the UK’s very first vegan hotel. The hotel was set up to showcase that the best experiences in life don’t have to come at the expense of animals or the environment. Set within a 19th century baronial edifice, the hotel offers a perfect escape from the frantic pace of modern living.

What makes it a sustainable staycation?

  • 🍃Soarsa’s menu is 100% plant-based, which means the hotel has a far lower carbon, water and ecological footprint than meat or fish serving hotels
  • Even the electricity is supplied by the first vegan-certified supplier in the UK, Ecotricity
  • 🛏️Guest rooms also feature eco-friendly, refillable toiletries and down-free duvets

💵 £112-£161 (based on average standard room rate)

Atlantic View Lodges, Bude, Cornwall

Situated on the Cornish coastline, Atlantic View Lodges make the ideal seaside escape offering magnificent views over Widemouth Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The environment has been the driving force behind these tranquil eco holiday lodges, with consideration for carbon footprint at every stage of development.

What makes it a sustainable staycation?

  • There is no use of oil or gas. The lodges exclusively utilise renewable energy; solar panels create electricity, solar thermal is used to heat the water and air source heat pumps power the underfloor heating
  • 📍To reduce its carbon footprint, the development uses local builders and local materials only
  • 🌳The exterior of each lodge is created from the sustainable material kebony wood

💵 £81-£149 (based on average standard room rate)

The Zetter Hotel, London

The Zetter Hotel has established itself as an eco-friendly haven in the heart of London. It’s a beautifully converted 19th century Victorian warehouse that puts sustainability and environmental awareness at its core. It’s a great option for eco-conscious hoteliers planning a trip to London.

What makes it a sustainable staycation?

  • 🌊Boasts a 1500ft borehole providing the hotel with a private water supply, making the building almost entirely self-sufficient
  • An energy loop system that saves considerable energy around the hotel
  • 🌲All the timber used in the building's construction was bought from sustainable sources
  • 🚴Bicycles are provided to guests who are encouraged to cycle around the city

💵 £117-£234 (based on average standard room rate)

The Pig Hotel Group, South England

The Pig Hotel Group is a collection of seven environmentally conscious hotels across the South of England from their first New Forest accommodation to Kent and Cornwall with more eco-friendly hotels in the pipeline. The chain of hotels is renowned for their rustic style and a heavy focus on natural homegrown or locally sourced food.

What makes it a sustainable staycation?

  • 🏗️All of The Pigs hotels were created from refurbished existing properties
  • 📍All food on their menu is either home grown or from within a 25-mile radius
  • 🌿Each hotel boasts its own organic kitchen gardens, which recycles cooking oil, only serves MSC certified fish and composts all waste
  • 🎗️The Pigs have also partnered with Belu water, a social enterprise that donates profits to Water Aid

💵 From £109 (based on average standard room rate)

The Wild Rabbit, Oxfordshire

Located on the Dayslesford estate in the village of Kingham, Oxfordshire, the Wild Rabbit is a traditional and environmentally friendly inn which is centred on sustainable tourism. The Wild Rabbit is renowned for traditional regional dishes based on local seasonal products that have been sourced from surrounding farmers who share the same principles of sustainable agriculture.

What makes it a sustainable staycation?

  • 🏗️The building has been restored using local resources ensuring minimal impact on the surrounding landscape
  • 🥕The menu offers traditional regional dishes based on local seasonal products with ingredients sourced from its own vegetable garden
  • 🗑️The Wild Rabbit operates a zero-waste kitchen

💵 From £140 (based on average standard room rate)

Old Lands, Wales

Old-Lands is a family owned estate in Monmouthshire, Wales, run on traditionally green concepts. The family comes from a long line of ecologists and naturalists who have installed environmentally considerate and slow living principles on the estate. Old-Lands encourages its guests to reconnect with nature, through activities such as foraging for berries, bird watching and boat trips on the lake.

What makes it a sustainable staycation?

  • ☀️Since the 1970's the estate has relied on solar water-heating
  • 🥦The site is entirely self-sufficient in vegetables and fruit through their own walled garden
  • 🌼The land is being managed so that it reverts to flower-rich meadow and preserves the landscape

💵 From £54-£100 (based on average standard room rate)

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