The Chester Hotel in Aberdeen has launched a section on its website devoted to outlining its commitment to sustainability as it becomes a Scottish Living Wage employer.
According to The United Nations World Tourism Organisation, hotels are accountable for one percent of all global emissions and The Chester is at the forefront of minimising its impact on its own piece of the planet, Aberdeen City and Shire and the wider environment.
General manager of The Chester Hotel Stephen Gow says, “We at The Chester Hotel can’t significantly better the impact of hotels on global emissions, but we believe strongly that every little bit we do helps and we’re embedding sustainability in everything we do. It’s not a trend for us - it’s our way of operating our hotel for today and the future. We’ve devoted as much space on our website to sustainable as we do to either dining or rooms, demonstrating the importance of sustainability to our entire business.”
“Our staff, both current and future, are also at the heart of everything we do, and we’re delighted that all of the over 18s on our team now earn the Scottish Living wage.”
The sustainability information on the website includes sections and detail on the circular economy, minimising waste, improving resource efficiency, biodegradable and non toxic products. The hotel is phasing out single use plastics such as bedroom toiletries and single use condiment sachets. Guests have 100% compostable coffee pods and unwrapped tea bags in their rooms and printed guest directories have been replaced by a guest app.
Housekeeping protocols now see sheets changed on the fourth night of a stay and conference and event guests have refillable glass bottles on tables, some staff have recycled fibre uniforms and, guests use key cards made from eco-friendly FSC approved wood fibre board rather than plastic which are reusable and recyclable.
Local suppliers are to the fore and the website now includes some of the kitchen and bar’s local producers and suppliers from Katy’s Eggs in Torphins, Caber Coffee, asparagus from Eassie Farm by Glamis, Castleton Farm by Fourdon, United Wine Suppliers and Six Degree’s North in Aberdeen.
Toiletries from Gordon Castle by Fochabers are being phased in. Guests’ soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body lotion all contain pure natural essential oils from the plants and flowers grown in their walled garden. There’s no palm oil, parabens or petrochemicals and no artificial fragrance, colour nor glycols and none are tested on animals.
Stephen adds, “Any packaging which comes with Gordon Castle products is biodegradable and made from recycled material. The hotel returns the packaging which is added to the garden’s composting facility, eventually going back into the garden to nurture the plants in the walled garden, which make it back into the toiletries for the hotel. It’s a text book example of the circular economy.”
Examples of the local good causes supported by the hotel are also included from initiatives supporting development for hospitality entrants and experienced team members. The role which the hotel plays in The JEllie Foundation’s fundraising and giving is also included. The hotel's Signature Food Festival has rasied more than £850k for local charities since 2017.
The hotel has established a sustainability team of staff which meets monthly to ensure that the hotel’s policies are being implemented across all departments and real progress is being made in areas such as the reduction in waste to landfill.
The Chester Hotel, in Queen’s Road is Aberdeen’s only AA four silver star hotel. More about the hotel can be found at www.chester-hotel.com