DoubleTree by Hilton London ExCeL Achieves Green Tourism Gold Award
By developer-steve.cc
Published On 13 September, 2023
DoubleTree by Hilton London ExCeL Achieves Green Tourism Gold Award
DoubleTree by Hilton London ExCeL - the first Hilton branded hotel to achieve Gold Status and Green Meeting Gold Certification from Green Tourism
Managed by Axiom Hospitality, DoubleTree by Hilton London ExCeL has become the only hotel operating under any Hilton brand in the UK to attain the Green Tourism Gold Award – the highest rating of prestigious eco-certification – as well as the associated Green Meeting Gold Certification for meetings and events.
With hundreds of hospitality businesses using the Green Tourism standard to assess the sustainability of their businesses, the internationally recognised Green Tourism Award is the leading standard of excellence for responsibile and sustainable operation in tourism. The Gold certification is the hallmark of ‘green quality’ and acknowledges the very best commitments from businesses to determine that their properties adhere to strict criteria aligned with the United Nations, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through rigorous assessment.
Supported by Mission: Net Zero, the DoubleTree by Hilton London ExCeL’s ‘green team’ experienced a thorough assessment of their environmental and social processes, in addition to adopting a wide range of sustainable practices as part of Hilton’s ‘Travel with Purpose’ initiative. This has enabled the hotel to communicate authentic eco-credentials to a wide range of stakeholders including owners, Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) conscious investment community, leisure guests and corporate bookers, eco-minded team members and the London Docklands neighbourhood in which the hotel operates.
DoubleTree by Hilton London ExCeL is actively involved with the ‘Clean the World’ Foundation, which is dedicated to championing sustainability efforts and social impact goals in the UK hospitality industry – in 2022, 7740 bars of soap along with 105 hygiene kits were distributed to children and families in countries with a high death rate due to various forms of infection, as part of this commitment. The hotel also:
• Offers only ADA hotel amenities – endorsed by one of the most ambitious sustainability certifications in the world, Cradle to Cradle
• Works with ‘Dripdrop’ to plant trees through guest umbrella rentals (327 in 2022)
• Has installed a ‘Living Wall’ – which includes bird boxes and a bug hotel – to support biodiversity in this urban environment, as well as planting additional small trees, shrubs and bulbs in the surrounding areas
• Strives to use local suppliers and produce wherever possible
• Implements various water, waste management and energy-saving strategies
• Actively supports the Richard House Children’s Hospice
The hotel also repurposes vegetable leftovers which are macerated and fed into the ExCeL’s wormery, the largest of its kind in the UK, housing over 300,000 worms. The compost that is then collected eight months later is used to fertilise the green spaces around the ExCeL estate.
For meetings and events, the team provides consciously sourced low-waste menu choices, uses recyclable decorations and has eliminated plastic bottle usage. Clients are also offered the option to utilise the Hilton Meeting Impact Calculator to understand the predicted carbon, energy, water, and waste generated by their specific meeting or event, and are also given an opportunity to offset these carbon emissions by procuring carbon credits through ClimeCo.
These initiatives are proactively in line with Axiom Hospitality’s efforts to continuously strive to improve its green practices – Axiom Hospitality has introduced Sustainability Fortnight – including the launch of Earth Hour, the worldwide energy saving event organised by World Wildlife Fund and champions Mental Health Awareness Week.
Alex Pritchard, Co-CEO, Axiom Hospitality said, “We are delighted to be part of the team to have achieved such a prestigious and world-recognised award, which is testament to the dedication and awareness of DoubleTree by Hilton London ExCeL’s green team. Our mission for sustainable operations to become second nature for all our properties is integral to Axiom Hospitality’s commitment to supporting our hotels in achieving the highest possible standards in environmental responsibility.”
Simon Catterick, Managing Director of Mission: Net Zero, comments: “With many socially responsible hoteliers using ESG criteria to measure the sustainability and ethical impact of a business, it was an honour to be invited by Axiom Hospitality to develop a range of initiatives to demonstrate the ‘green credentials’ of DoubleTree by Hilton London ExCeL.”
The Green Tourism and Green Meetings certifications will ensure high environmental standards are maintained through rigorous documentation and assessment of various criteria including energy, waste, and water management, and social elements including employee welfare and guest experiences.
Guests are promised that by opting to stay with DoubleTree by Hilton London ExCeL they are helping to make a difference on an environmental level; giving the hotel a competitive advantage with a certified eco-grading that sets it apart from other hotels in the London Docklands area.
