Sir Albert Hotel: Making sustainability simple and profound

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Sir-Albert-Hotel
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Written by Linda Hohnholz

Sir Albert Hotel: Making sustainability simple and profound

At Sir Albert Hotel the goal is to set a benchmark in environmentally responsible style and personal luxury, together with inspired service. And for the third consecutive year Sir Albert has been awarded Green Globe certification, helping the Amsterdam hotel meet its sustainability targets.

Since its inception in 2013, Sir Albert Hotel has been incorporating sustainable tourism principles and practices into its operation. Sir Albertโ€™s Hotel Manager, Noortje de Vries, says, โ€œThe world, and with that the environment, is changing rapidly, and we believe that by implementing small but powerful initiatives we, and that is all of us, can contribute to reducing waste and thinking smarter about unnecessary water and energy usage, while also sustaining a green focus.

โ€œIt makes me very proud to see our staff members so motivated by implementing green ideas and they keep coming up with new ones. It is they, the staff, who make the difference which is very rewarding and powerful to see,โ€ concludes Noortje.

Many of the small actions adopted by the hotel are simple, but with consistency make a big difference over time. A good example is the transforming of fresh fruit that is not consumed by guests, or it might be a little bruised, into home-made pies and delicious jams that are served on the breakfast buffet.

Beyond the hotels doors, the local community also benefits. Over the holiday season, just passed, Sir Albertโ€™s staff collected non-perishable food into two large crates for distribution to homeless people. Throughout the year several different hotel teams also participate in the Cooking in Another Kitchen program. Groceries are purchased and taken to shelters where warm meals are served to less fortunate city residents.

Even the local wildlife around the hotel is rewarded by Sir Albertโ€™s no food waste efforts. Stale bread is packaged up and given to parents with children who visit the local parks and canals to feed the ducks. Family fun and zero waste.

Back in the hotel rooms, further environmental initiatives are in place. Bathroom amenities are supplied by the Dead Clean brand that produce soaps and shampoos using natural ingredients from the Dead Sea. These amenities are dispensed from large bottles inside the shower or bath so that Sir Albert doesnโ€™t have to discard lots of little half used plastic bottles.

Green Globe is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). For information, please click here.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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