2021 Editor's Choice Eco-friendly Hotels
Editor’s Choice Eco-Friendly Hotels
The Traddock
Austwick
The gorgeous Yorkshire Dales setting of this creeper-clad hotel has inspired the Reynolds family to do everything they can to minimise its impact on the environment. That includes recycling, energy saving, woodland restoration and organic food.
Pendragon Country House
Camelford
Even the website of this Cornish hotel is hosted by a carbon neutral server. Families can benefit from a free washable nappy service, those who drive in electric cars can recharge, and there are solar panels and a biomass boiler.
Argyll Hotel
Isle of Iona
It may be in the Hebrides, but this hotel still aims to dry as much laundry as possible on the lines, after washing it with biodegradable products. Their goal is to protect the pristine island by cutting food miles and upgrading insulation.
Whatley Manor
Easton Grey
You can tuck into Michelin-starred meals with a clear conscience at this eco-friendly hotel, which uses a company to turn food waste into fuel. Though with Niall Keating cooking, we doubt there will be much left on your plate.
The Pierhouse
Port Appin
Towels aren’t tumble-dried at The Pierhouse: a pulley system is employed instead. Using everything from eco-friendly cleaning products to a septic tank for waste, this Lochside hotel has been awarded a gold award for Green tourism.
The Old Rectory
Boscastle
Sally and Chris Searle live the real Good Life here. They grow fruit and veg, collect eggs and cure bacon. Waste goes to the wormery and old carpets become weed suppressants. They have solar panels and an electric car, too.
Y Goeden Eirin – Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Alongside a warm Welsh welcome from Eluned Rowlands, guests at this B&B receive recycling instructions in bedrooms that are big on local slate and timber. There are solar panels and dimmer switches;
and electric cars can be charged onsite.
and electric cars can be charged onsite.
Caemorgan Mansion
Cardigan
When Beverley and David Harrison- Wood renovated their 19th-century B&B, they added heating and hot water from a biomass boiler. Solar panels and LED lighting help cut down on electricity, and food is locally sourced where possible.
The Zetter
London
A 1,500-foot borehole supplies water to flush the loos and cool the rooms; if you open a window, the air conditioning will cut out. Made from eco-friendly material, the hotel recycles all glass and paper and has bikes for hire and a Green Team.
Thyme
Lechlade
Most of the food you eat at this country estate is farmed on site. What’s more, heating comes from a ground source heat pump and wood pellet boiler. Even the bin liners are paper and the hotel is looking to introduce wooden key cards.
2020 Editor's Choice Eco-friendly Hotels
Editor’s Choice Eco-Friendly Hotels
Pendragon Country House
Camelford
Walking is very much encouraged at this former vicarage, now B&B. Whether you choose to stride out over Bodmin Moor or along the coast path, owners Sharon and Nigel Reed can advise on routes. Back at base, there's a biomass boiler, solar thermal water heating and a delightful menagerie of wildlife in the garden.
The Old Rectory Hotel
Martinhoe
The building might be ancient, but the LED lighting and thermal insulation at this Exmoor hotel are emphatically not. Owners Huw Rees and Sam Prosser go the extra mile: staff are trained in 'green thinking', there's minimal chemical use in housekeeping and grounds, and guests are encouraged to explore using public transport, hired bikes or good old Shanks's pony.
Kylesku Hotel
Kylesku
Fishing boats land on the slipway outside this remote Highlands hotel so 'it’s more about food metres than food miles', say owners Tanja Lister and Sonia Virechauveix. The lobster and crab on their menus are creel caught, scallops are hand dived. Wild venison comes from the surrounding hills.
Underleigh House
Hope
There are nest boxes in the garden, newts in the pond and buzzards flying overhead at Vivienne and Philip Taylor's Peak District B&B. Eco credentials are boosted by an electric car charging point, solar power and locally sourced breakfasts.
Y Goeden Eirin – Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Eluned Rowlands, your hostess at this welcoming B&B near Snowdonia, works hard to support the environment. You'll find solar panels, recycling instructions in your room and locally-sourced (and delicious) food at breakfast, some of it from Eluned's garden.
The Old Vicarage
Newtown
Take time to wander around the lovely wildlife pond in the garden of Helen and Tim Withers's former vicarage-turned-B&B. Salad leaves, herbs and vegetables are all home grown, and breakfast eggs are produced by their own hens. Guests arriving by electric car will find a charging point for their use.
The Scarlet
Mawgan Porth
Plaudits pour in from readers for this seaside hotel that impresses not just for its striking modern architecture and views, but also its commitment to rain- and grey-water harvesting, it's biomass boiler, and its roof constructed from local sea thrift - popular with insects and butterflies.
Caemorgan Mansion
Cardigan
Renovation work at David and Beverley Harrison-Wood's 19th century Cardigan B&B included the installation of LED lighting, a solar power system, and a biomass boiler to provide all their heating and hot water. Now guests can soak in a hot bath with a clear conscience.
The Zetter
London
This hotel embodies not just cutting-edge design but a commitment to green policies that sees it pump water from its own borehole under the building. Built with timber from sustainable sources and fitted with air conditioning that cuts out when you open a window, it pledges to recycle all glass and paper.
The Old Presbytery
Kinsale
'We have an eco-friendly policy' say Philip and Noreen McEvoy of their characterful town-centre B&B. Their water is heated by solar power, paper, plastics and glass are recycled and food miles are kept to the minimum, with local fish, cheese, eggs and bacon for breakfast. Even the coffee is roasted nearby.
2019 Editor's Choice Eco-friendly Hotels
Editor’s Choice Eco-Friendly Hotels
Pendragon Country House
Camelford
Your hosts at this Victorian former rectory will provide maps to encourage you to walk. They have installed solar thermal water heating and a biomass boiler. Rain water is harvested to water outdoor plants. Cleaning products are phosphate-free. Birds, hedgehogs, moles and amphibians are made to feel almost as welcome as the paying guests. Produce is variously Fairtrade, locally sourced and organic. And if this all sounds rather earnest, worry not – it’s a delight.
Battlesteads
Hexham
From a carbon-neutral heating and hot-water system, to home-grown fruit and vegetables from the polytunnels, from wormeries that turn food waste to compost, to locally sourced organic toiletries, eco-friendliness is a part of the ethos at this pub-hotel. And in this unspoilt part of Northumberland, free from light pollution, the dark-sky observatory is a revelation.
Argyll Hotel
Isle of Iona
With a Gold rating for green tourism, the owners of this small, informal hotel do all they can to ensure they are not a blot on their beautiful island landscape. They have upgraded insulation, use water flow meters and monitor energy usage. Visitors are encouraged to walk or to use public transport. Laundry products are biodegradable, and whenever possible the bedlinen is hung out to dry. There are bird feeders in the garden, home-grown organic produce for the table, with extensive use of local meat, fish and shellfish.
The Old Rectory Hotel
Martinhoe
From the insistence upon local, organic materials to the use of local staff and contractors, the owners of this Georgian rectory burnish their ethical credentials. Retro-fitted insulation, rainwater harvesting for the kitchen garden, walk-in showers to encourage water-saving, a heat-recovery dishwasher, light dimmers and motion sensors are just a few innovations. Everything possible is recycled. Vegetable waste is composted, while other food waste sets the sheepdogs’ tails wagging on a neighbouring farm.
The Pierhouse
Port Appin
There are blue seas and green values at this loch-side hotel, where cycling and walking are actively encouraged, and birds flock to the nesting boxes and feeders. Cleaning products are eco-friendly, a biodisc septic tank disposes of waste water and sewage, towels and bedlinen churn in energy-efficient washing machines, with a pulley system for drying, while everything that can be is recycled.
Underleigh House
Hope
The helpful owners of this friendly B&B clearly love where they live, sponsoring a corporate member of Friends of the Peak District. They take pride in sourcing local produce, and encourage guests to explore the area by bike or on foot (though there’s a charging points for electric vehicles). They have installed a photovoltaic solar system. The garden is a wildlife haven, with bird feeders, nesting boxes, and a pond for Mr Toad.
The Scarlet
Mawgan Porth
Guests glorying in the sea views at this adults-only hotel may be unaware that the prefabricated building has been positioned to make the most of the light and warmth of the sun, that the insulating sea-thrift roofing is a haven for butterflies, that sustainability governs every decision. No hospitality tray or in-room fridge? Too wasteful! Just ask and they’ll make you complimentary tea and snacks.
Grove of Narberth
Narberth
Amid gardens and meadows this 18th-century mansion is as green a hotel as you could wish. A biomass boiler supplies heating and hot water. A tree plantation will provide a sustainable source of logs. There is spring water from boreholes, a water treatment plant and reed beds, havens for wildlife, charging points for electric cars – and waste is substantially composted.
Coes Faen
Barmouth
The very building feels organic, with natural rock built into this Victorian lodge reinvented as an exciting, cutting-edge B&B. Green innovations include computer-controlled biomass heating and low-voltage LED lighting, solar-panel water heating, charging points for electric vehicles. Breakfast ingredients are organic and locally source. Sustainability for sybarites.
The Zetter
London
How many other London hotels have their own borehole to flush loos and cool bedrooms? Or an energy loop to heat your room as it cools the fridges? Open the window and the air conditioning will cut out. Soak in a bath laced with natural products – or soak up the natural light in the atrium. The Zetter is a founder member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association – serious about sourcing and sustainability, and yet so much fun!
2018 Editor's Choice Eco-friendly Hotels
Editor’s Choice Eco-Friendly Hotels
La Sablonnerie
Little Sark
‘Paradise,’ write readers on their ‘umpteenth’ stay at this rose-smothered, whitewashed hotel on a tiny, car-free island.
The Traddock
Austwick
The high number of returning guests speaks volumes about the warm welcome, quiet luxury and generous comforts of this country house hotel, set amid glorious Dales walking country.
Cedar Manor
Windermere
A ‘beautifully intimate hotel’, a five-minute drive from Windermere, Cedar Manor garners nothing but praise from readers for its luxurious bedrooms, thoughtful touches and spot-on service.
Battlesteads
Hexham
‘The many “green” features of this hotel are laudable,’ say Guide readers of the ‘colourful, interesting grounds’, ‘amazing’ dark sky observatory and sustainable approach at Dee and Richard Slade’s rural hotel.
Argyll Hotel
Isle of Iona
Set amid the splendid isolation of a sparsely populated Hebridean island, this small 19th-century hotel is a few minutes’ walk from the ferry, and has magnificent views across the Sound of Iona to Mull.
Strattons – Swaffham
Swaffham
Walk up a narrow lane between a kebab shop and a barber’s in this market town, on a sunny afternoon, and you may be surprised to find people enjoying tea on the lawn in front of a Palladian villa.
The Old Rectory Hotel
Martinhoe
Standing high on verdant, hog-backed cliffs above the Exmoor coast, Huw Rees and Sam Prosser’s rectory-turned-hotel is wonderfully remote.
The Pierhouse
Port Appin
Situated ‘well off the beaten track’, this former home of a piermaster is a ‘relaxed and friendly’ lochside bolt-hole, known for its seafood restaurant.
Underleigh House
Hope
‘We felt as if we had been invited to stay with friends,’ says one reviewer of this welcoming B&B in the heart of Jane Eyre country.
The Scarlet
Mawgan Porth
While children let rip at sister hotel Bedruthan (previous entry), all is serene at the adults-only Scarlet, ‘perfectly located overlooking the beach and ocean’, with Ayurvedic-inspired spa and outdoor hot tubs.
2017 Editor's Choice Eco-friendly Hotels
Editor’s Choice Eco-Friendly Hotels
Pendragon Country House
Camelford
Legendary hosts Sharon and Nigel Reed provide ‘thoughtful touches, too many to mention’ at their former Victorian vicarage, themed in celebration of local hero King Arthur.
Battlesteads
Hexham
‘The many “green” features of this hotel are laudable,’ say Guide readers of the ‘colourful, interesting grounds’, ‘amazing’ dark sky observatory and sustainable approach at Dee and Richard Slade’s rural hotel.
Argyll Hotel
Isle of Iona
Set amid the splendid isolation of a sparsely populated Hebridean island, this small 19th-century hotel is a few minutes’ walk from the ferry, and has magnificent views across the Sound of Iona to Mull.
The White House
Herm
With no cars, and white sandy beaches, this tiny island paradise has just one hotel.
Underleigh House
Hope
‘We felt as if we had been invited to stay with friends,’ says one reviewer of this welcoming B&B in the heart of Jane Eyre country.
The Old Rectory
Boscastle
The old rector was none other than the great-grandfather of Sally Searle, who, with husband Chris, welcomes guests to their loved and lived-in Victorian home.
The Old Vicarage
Newtown
Ideally situated for exploring Powis Castle or foodie Ludlow, this red brick Victorian vicarage stands back from the winding A483 in the Welsh Marches, looking over rolling pastures to the Shropshire hills.
Bingham Riverhouse
Richmond-upon-Thames
Bang on the banks of the Thames between Richmond and Petersham, this former Georgian mansion turned ‘classic English hotel with a modern twist’ sits in a riverside garden and terrace.
The Scarlet
Mawgan Porth
While children let rip at sister hotel Bedruthan (previous entry), all is serene at the adults-only Scarlet, ‘perfectly located overlooking the beach and ocean’, with Ayurvedic-inspired spa and outdoor hot tubs.
The Zetter
London
Housed in a converted Victorian warehouse, this design-conscious boutique hotel is a perfect fit for east London’s creative hub.
Hotels chosen in 2016
Editor’s Choice Eco-Friendly Hotels
Augill Castle
Kirkby Stephen
With its towers and battlements, wood-panelled walls and ornate ceilings, this Victorian-folly castle set in acres of grounds still manages to be ‘very relaxed; we never felt we had to be on our best behaviour’.
The Green Park
Pitlochry
Ironwork sculptures adorn the wide lawn that borders Loch Faskally at the McMenemie family’s extended Victorian country house, along with waterside seating areas.
Y Goeden Eirin – Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Sandwiched between Snowdonia and the Menai estuary, this B&B in a converted granite cowshed celebrates both its Welsh heritage and its eco credentials.
Timberstone
Clee Stanton
Five miles from the foodie town of Ludlow, two 300-year-old cottages with beautiful long views to the Clee hills form a rural haven for exclusive use gatherings. In the spacious house, there are oak floor boards, wooden beams and wood burners. Rustic bedrooms (one with French doors opening onto a balcony) have luxury quilts on large beds and look out over tranquil green spaces. At the end of a winding board walk, a cosy wooden cabin for two (The Retreat) has a small kitchen and access to decking with a fire pit and a private hot tub, and may be rented separately. Within the large garden, an outdoor dining area, BBQ, a lawned area for outdoor games and a treehouse.
St Cuthbert’s House
Seahouses
The term ‘B&B’ doesn’t do justice to this imaginatively converted chapel with its spoiling bedrooms, breakfast feasts, and warm welcome from Jeff and Jill Sutheran.
Having a wonderful holiday and taking care of the environment while you do it do not have to be mutually exclusive. Equally, you don’t need a big hotel group to be environmentally friendly as a hotel. Increasingly, the UK’s hotels, bed and breakfasts and restaurants-with-rooms are going to great lengths to make sure they are being as sustainable as possible.
Choose from an ultra-chic boutique hotel in a former Victorian warehouse in Clerkenwell with newly built areas created with timber from sustainable sources and ambitious recycling pledges, to an award-winning adult-only spa hotel, perched on the Cornish coast where they harvest rainwater, have a biomass boiler and its roof incorporates sustainable design, constructed from local sea thrift making it supremely popular with insects and butterflies. Or maybe you will enjoy the country house hotel vibe with solar thermal water heating and Solar PV for electricity and a a Green Tourism gold award for their efforts.
A retreat on Exmoor where they compost vegetable waste and harvest rainwater for use in the kitchen garden, a 17th century coaching inn serving seafood caught moments from the front door are just some of the eco-friendly experiences that are available. Nest boxes in the gardens, solar panels, home grown produce, wildlife ponds, electric charge points, recycling and an acute awareness of food miles are a few of the initiatives that hotels are bringing into their daily operations to make them increasingly green.