VisitEngland Awards: Green House goes for Gold

Here at The Green House Hotel we are preparing to ‘bring home the Gold’ from this year’s VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, to be held at the Sage Centre in Gateshead on 11 May.

First it was the Dorset Tourism Awards last autumn, where we were one of the biggest winners of the night, taking two Gold Trophies and a Bronze. Then in February we triumphed in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards, taking home a Silver in the Sustainable Tourism category of the toughest regional competition of them all.

Now the Green House Hotel, Bournemouth’s most eco-friendly luxury boutique hotel and home of Arbor, the Sustainable Restaurant of the Year, is getting ready for the national stage. On 11 May 2015 we will be hightailing it north, travelling virtually the full length of the country to the Sage Gateshead,  to receive our VisitEngland Award for Excellence in the Sustainable Tourism category.

With a history stretching back over 25 years, the VisitEngland Awards really are some of the highest accolades in English tourism, recognising best practice and excellence in customer service, quality and innovation.

It’s another significant moment in The Green House’s journey. Right from the very start, back in 2010, we set out to prove that luxury and sustainability really do go together – that you can have environmental principles without the hair shirt, and totally spoil your customers without spoiling the planet too.

One of the first hotels in the UK to be given a Platinum Green Leader rating on TripAdvisor, the Green House puts environmental principles at the heart of everything it does. They are in the fabric of the Victorian building, thanks to our painstaking 18-month eco-refurbishment; in the ethos of always trying to do things as sustainably as possible, shared by every member of the team; and in our ethical, sustainable sourcing policies, supporting local suppliers and working with them to improve environmental performance where necessary.

Now, five years down the line, we have been recognised as one of the top five establishments for sustainable tourism nationwide. The Green House will have to wait until the awards ceremony to find out which award we will receive but as far as we’re concerned we’re already winners: each entrant is guaranteed to receive either a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Highly Commended award.

The VisitEngland Awards attracted 345 applications this year. Chief Executive James Berresford said the applications were of “an extremely high standard. That’s why all the finalists should be incredibly proud that they’ve been short-listed  against such tough competition.”

We’ll be proud to represent our county and our region, sharing the honours with a diverse handful of top establishments from across England – Bristol Science Centre, Colton House in Rugeley, Staffordshire, St Cuthbert’s House in Seahouses, Northumberland, and Wheatland Farm Eco Lodges in Winkleigh, Devon.
We couldn’t be in better company. We wish them all the very best of luck on what promises to be a glittering night at the spectacular Sage. And with a bit of luck, we’ll bring home another Gold for our trophy cabinet!

The Green House Hotel is living proof that sustainability and luxury really do make the best of bedfellows. If you need to see for yourselves then why not call us on 01202 498900!