Hotel Neutraal: sharing learnings and best practices

Since October 2022, 16 Rotterdam hotels together with Green Leisure Group, BlueCity, Rotterdam Partners and the Municipality of Rotterdam are actively collaborating in Hotel Neutraal, a joint effort towards a CO2-neutral and circular future. In a series of interviews we share some of the hotels' ambitions, best practices, projects and experiences.

Bilderberg Parkhotel wants to become a sustainable hotel

Femke Kloos, operations manager of Bilderberg Parkhotel, and Rob van Hooijdonk, operations support manager sustainability at Event Hotels, talk about the road the Bilderberg Parkhotel Rotterdam is taking within the Hotel Neutraal project and beyond towards a sustainable future. In 2019, Bilderberg took the first steps towards a more sustainable future by writing the Conscious Bilderberg report. This contains 8 objectives that Bilderberg wants to achieve with regard to sustainability. According to Rob and Femke, Hotel Neutraal fits in perfectly with these sustainable initiatives and they were immediately enthusiastic when the project came their way. Also because the need for sustainability is becoming increasingly clear from the perspective of guests.

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'Local' is the keyword for Supernova Hotel

For Supernova Hotel, sustainability and circularity are mainly about locality and cooperation. After the baseline measurement, Supernova is now stepping up in phase two, rolling up their sleeves and taking action for a sustainable future. After previous sustainable steps, which included large and durable soap dispensers, sourcing vintage furniture for the rooms and combating food waste with the help of the Too Good To Go app, Supernova is now focussing on local products and sustainable local partnerships: “Why would you get something from far away, if you can find it close to home. It simply fits with our concept, which is all about getting products from Rotterdam, close by. We want to be an extension of the city. That you really notice: I’m in Rotterdam. This is reflected in the collaborations we make, the products we use and the art on the wall.”

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Room Mate Bruno: luxury and sustainability hand in hand

Room Mate Bruno is located in the ‘Manhattan’ of Rotterdam on the Kop van Zuid, hidden in a former tea warehouse. A colorful hotel with no less than 217 rooms, part of the Spanish chain ‘Room Mate’. A conversation with director Burg de Rave about Hotel Neutraal as a wake-up call and sustainable ambitions. In terms of sustainability, Bruno focuses on several developments, including the Orbisk food monitor, to combat food waste, attention to clothing and dispensers for personal care products in the rooms. But social entrepreneurship also has the explicit attention of Hotel Bruno, which offers rooms to economically homeless people through the GiveMe5 project. Burg de Rave: “We do not supervise, others within the project do that, but we would like to support by offering a stepping stone to our own living space. We see this as part of corporate social responsibility, which is in line with who we are.”

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Hotel Neutraal: Hostel Room takes first steps towards a climate-neutral future

Hostel Room Rotterdam, one of the participating hotels, is already taking action and has embarked on their journey towards a more sustainable future. Monique Segeren and Mirjam Verschoor, owners of Hostel ROOM, talk about their experiences with Hotel Neutraal so far and what changes are planned. Immediately after the kick-off of Hotel Neutraal, the project was already well felt by Monique and Mirjam. “You immediately start thinking green. With many things you suddenly think: ‘Oh this is really not possible’, for example with plastic milk tubs and sugar sachets.” They started working on the small quick wins with a major impact, and went on from there, tackling challenges like adapting a monumental (listed) building to become more environmentally friendly, and encouraging visitors to travel ‘green’.

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To the Hotel Neutraal website

Photos on this page: Jacqueline Fuijkschot