A boutique Kidderminster hotel has landed a world-leading certification for its green credentials after a bumper year of sustainability successes – as it strives to become net zero by 2040.
The four red star Brockencote Hall Hotel has been recognised by Green Tourism – a certification that has been assessing travel, tourism and hospitality businesses’ approaches to sustainability for more than 27 years.
Expert assessors provide certification via bronze, silver and gold gradings, with Brockencote Hall achieving silver after initially landing bronze in 2023.
Appointing a “green champion” at the hotel to strive for a consistent approach to sustainability was key to landing the accreditation.
This has enabled Brockencote Hall Hotel to engage in and evidence practices across wide-ranging areas such as community engagement, employee health and wellbeing, and customer experiences, through to energy usage, carbon reduction and waste management.
It comes as the hotel recently partnered with the North East Worcestershire Beekeepers’ Association to house four new honey bee hives, develop bee keeping masterclasses for the public and provide a space for the association to hold meetings.
Brockencote Hall Hotel is part of Eden Hotel Collection – which has five hotels across the Midlands and South West – all of which now operate on 100% renewable energy, while their collective waste last year saw 35.5% per cent directly recycled; with 55% converted into renewable energy and 9.5% anaerobically digested.
Jack Hartshorne, General Manager at Brockencote Hall Hotel, said: “The work we have been doing with our local beekeepers’ association has gone down well with our guests, and underlines the fact that sustainability is becoming a key consideration for customers when booking a hotel.”
Jayne O’Malley, Group Operations Director at Eden Hotel Collection, has worked closely with each hotel and Green Tourism’s assessors to develop the organisation’s green credentials.
Jayne said: “Sustainability is much more than simply adopting environmentally friendly practices. It’s about creating a sustainable business in every sense – from our people and our local community, through to the growth of our own organisation and our supply chain.
“Some of the properties we own and operate date back as far as the 16th century, but through our commitment to invest in sustainability, they are at the forefront of modern approaches of green hospitality, whether that is through the use of renewable energy, utilising local suppliers, or utilising on-site kitchen gardens for produce or guest experiences.
“Each of our hotels were initially graded by Green Tourism in 2023 with silver or bronze gradings – so to see each hotel making that step up one year on is testament to the commitment that our people have shown to take on board advice from the assessors to make us one of the leading hotel groups in the UK not just for a luxurious stay, but for sustainability too.”
The Green Tourism accolades follow hot on the heels of the Eden Hotel Collection being named by the AA as Small Hotel Group of the Year.
For more information about Brockencote Hall Hotel, visit www.brockencotehall.com