We’re a Winner! South West Tourism Excellence Awards
Another week, another excuse to pop a cork! The Green House, Bournemouth’s eco-friendly luxury boutique hotel, has been selected as a winner in the Sustainable Tourism category of this year’s South West Tourism Excellence Awards.
It means on 12 February next year The Green House will win either a Gold, Silver or Bronze trophy in the South West Awards. We’re delighted, given that the competition is the stiffest of any regional category (earlier this year the ‘South West team’ claimed 15 of the national VisitEngland Finalists).
The entries in this year’s South West awards came from as far afield as the Isles of Scilly, Salisbury and Cirencester. We’re proud to be one of only a handful of finalists from Dorset and one of only two from Bournemouth (the other being the 2014 Bournemouth Air Festival which is, deservedly in our book, up for Tourism Event of the Year).
We’ve also been selected to represent the region in the national VisitEngland awards next May! To be representing our region nationally in the sustainability category is really exciting: since the day we opened our doors the Green House has laid just claim to be the greenest hotel in Britain. It is in the fabric of the building (which was extensively eco-renovated over a period of 18 months before we opened), the suppliers we work with, and in every decision we make about what comes into, and goes out of, our hotel.
We’ve already been recognised for the work we’ve done, with for example:
- AA Eco Hotel of the Year 2012 – 2013
- Considerate Hotel of the Year 2013
- Sustainable Restaurant Association 3 Stars 2012, 2013 and 2014
- Trip Advisor Platinum Green Leader Award 2014
We’re constantly looking for ways to do more: the environmental ethos is a commitment shared by every member of the team. We all see it and believe in it. And feedback shows that for more than a quarter of guests, the environmental performance of the Green House is a key factor in their decision to stay with us. We love it when our guests take a little bit of our green passion home with them to carry on the good work: over 30 per cent request a copy of our Green Guide when they leave.
Chair of the South West Awards Panel, Alistair Handyside, said: “This year’s South West award winners represent the very best of the region in all its glory, and we wish them all the very best at the Grand Pier in Weston-Super-Mare on 12th February.”
The awards culminate on 11 May 2015 at the VisitEngland awards in Newcastle-upon-Tyne where we’ll be representing the whole region in the nationwide Sustainable Tourism category. Wish us luck!