NZ’s first 5 Green Star hotel ready as green travel trends emerge
Hot sun, sand and surf – for many these are the conditions for a perfect holiday. But rising global temperatures in many parts of the world appear to be turning that idea of a vacation on its head.
Instead, tourists and travellers are more likely to want a “coolcation”- a term newly coined to describe the growing popularity of stays at destinations with cooler, more moderate climates.
This, says Clinton Farley, General Manager of The Hotel Britomart in Auckland, is one of a number of new green travel trends in 2024 – a fact borne out by a survey for global luxury travel network, Virtuoso, which found that 82 per cent of its clients are considering regions with more moderate weather for their travel this year.
Farley says this is good news with Auckland’s temperate weather all year round and for its sustainably cool gem, The Hotel Britomart. The 99-room hotel (it also has five luxury Landing Suites), opened in 2020 and is New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star hotel. With its long-term commitment to sustainability, he believes it is well positioned to meet the needs of eco-conscious travellers like ‘coolcationers’.
Named the country’s best hotel in the 2023 TripAdvisor Travelers Awards, around 50 per cent of The Hotel Britomart’s guests are business travellers and Farley says sustainability is very important to them – just as it is for its leisure visitors.
“People are now more likely to consider the environmental and social impact of their travel,” he says. “A year of droughts, floods and heatwaves reminds us we need to make better-informed choices in travel planning.”
This view is supported by another survey, by global data and business intelligence platform Statista, which revealed that 80 per cent of global travellers consider sustainable tourism is important to them. Those surveyed said they were willing to adopt sustainable travel incentives, something that led to the eco-tourism industry achieving a global market share of $US172.4 billion.
Farley says while coolcations are part of this picture, other trends are also apparent. “People are looking for hotels to be transparent in the sustainability space, for immersive culinary experiences, private group travel and regenerative travel options”, Farley says. “They want to connect with local communities, learn about local cultures, the impact travel has on the environment and know they are offsetting that impact in meaningful ways.
By design, The Hotel Britomart incorporates many sustainable principles such as energy-efficient buildings, natural light utilisation and eco-friendly materials in its construction.
But, Farley says, it’s not just about the build: “It’s as much about ongoing change so that every aspect of design, architecture, procurement and operations contribute to creating a truly sustainable business.
“This hotel has been ‘built with a purpose’ – an approach that goes beyond the physical building and encompasses our sustainability, functionality and cultural considerations throughout the entire life cycle of the hotel.”
Farley says sustainability at The Hotel Britomart has a focus on energy and water conservation, waste reduction and the responsible sourcing of products and services from suppliers with environmentally friendly practices and ethical standards aligned to its own.
“Up to 80 per cent of all our procurement is New Zealand-made which reduces carbon emissions and the need to import. In the first six months of the 2022-23 financial year waste sent to landfill per each occupied room dropped from 17 litres to 14.
Farley says the tourism industry, has an important part to play in sustainability and he believes New Zealand’s temperate climate presents an opportunity to pitch to the growing number of eco-conscious travellers to come all year round.
“Visitors can still expect to enjoy the best of what we have outdoors in moderate temperatures and enjoy year-round fresh seafood and produce.”
Farley says green hotels around the world are going behind-the-scenes to show guests, not just features like solar panels or composting systems, but explaining why it matters to support environmental and socio-economic uplift through tourism.
The Hotel Britomart has set standards for eco-tourism in New Zealand and continues to set trends, he says. Beyond the conventional array of hotel amenities, the hotel is forging a groundbreaking collaboration with a new partner to introduce an immersive regenerative travel experience.
This unique initiative will invite guests to engage in a conservation activity during their stay, a modest contribution towards offsetting the carbon emissions generated by their travel to Auckland while fostering a sense of environmental responsibility. Knowledge gained from these experiences will accompany guests home, contributing to broader understanding and commitment to sustainable practices.
Farley expects wellness tourism to also infiltrate every aspect of hotels in 2024 including food and beverages and again, The Hotel Britomart is at the fore: “It’s clear that minibars and dining menus that offer recovery and rejuvenation options are trending and we’re ready to deliver.”
“In addition to fresh, sustainably sourced farm-to-table culinary offerings and in-room teas that aid in relaxation, revitalisation and sleep,” Farley says, “guests are offered complimentary Kawakawa tea in the lobby. It contains a rich blend of essential oils, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that may help support a healthy immune system and, being an indigenous or Maori ingredient, it firmly connects the drink to Aotearoa, New Zealand.
“As guests enter the hallway on our guest floors, they are surrounded by dark, liquorice tones designed to have a calming effect while all guest rooms are fitted with blackout blinds to aid sleep.”
Farley says experiential dining is another major trend where guests learn skills they can take home or take part in “wild feasting” outdoors in natural environments.
“Our Chef in Residence culinary escape at sister property The Landing is an example of this. Kingi co-Founder Tom Hishon and Executive Chef Andrew Lautenbach will be heading to The Landing in June for their inaugural Chef in Residence weekend with a view to hosting Mathew Cook and The Landing team back in the hotel during September.
Alongside The Landing’s chef Mathew Cook, Tom and Andrew will present an immersive weekend of personalised menus designed to showcase the richness of the Bay of Islands, with a special focus on exquisite, fresh New Zealand ingredients.
“The hotel has been designed so it can accommodate evolving market trends, sustainability technologies and standards,” he says. “Our commitment to sustainability and the guest experience goes beyond a one-time effort; it is ingrained in our culture, operations and interactions with the broader neighbourhood and community.
For more information go to: thehotelbritomart.com
