WINDSOR, U.K.—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has unveiled its online, futuristic solar-powered Innovation Hotel. The concept includes an outline of the latest technology in energy and water conservation and recycling. Among the green features of the futuristic hotel: the forwarding of all unused non-perishable food to charities or food banks; solar panels on the roof to heat water; a rainwater harvesting system to supply water to toilets; a roof garden rich in shrubbery to provide extra insulation; wind power to generate electricity for the hotel; recycled glass windows; furniture and fittings made entirely from recycled materials; and household waste to provide heat and power.
IHG executives say the Innovation Hotel’s features could be earmarked as standard across all IHG brands within the next few years. The virtual property has been put on the company’s website to get guests’ views on its features.
“People who do their bit for the environment when they’re at home are likely to be interested in doing the same when they’re staying in a hotel,” said IHG’s David Jerome, Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility. “Responsible tourism is about growing in a way that makes sense for business while managing our impact on the environment and community. We want to know what green features are important to guests before making them part of brand standards. This gives them a chance to weigh in with their ideas.”
Green Roof Adds Insulation
The first inkling a guest will get of the Innovation Hotel’s green attributes is the green roof—planted with low-maintenance plants—which improves the thermal performance of the hotel. The plants and thin layer of soil work like a sound barrier, particularly when they’re wet, helping to reduce noise pollution. Other environmental benefits include improvements to air quality, biodiversity and storm water runoff.
Additional Innovation Hotel features include:
• Natural lava stone signage at the entrance and on the lawns replaces traditional plastic and metal signs.
• All the furniture in the reception area is made from recycled material and all the paper used by the receptionists will also be recycled.
• The decor includes low emission paint, and all the artwork will be produced by local artists to ensure a low carbon footprint.
• All unused food from the kitchens is packaged and delivered to local charities or food banks to cut wastage. There are recycling bins for guests to use.
• Leftover scraps are composted to create a rich fertilizer for use on hotel plants and lawns.
• In the guestrooms all furniture and fittings including towels are made from recycled materials, and mattresses consist of natural fiber such as horsehair, as will carpets.
• Bathrooms feature low-flow showerheads and dual-flush toilets.
• On the roof there will be up to four huge solar panels drawing energy from the sun to heat water and help cut back on non-renewable energy use.
Rainwater to be Harvested for Reuse
• Harvesting systems will collect rainwater in tanks either on the roof or underground. In regions where there’s plenty of regular rain, harvesting is an effective and low-cost way of reducing demand on local water supplies. The hotel will use the rain water to flush toilets and water grounds, as well as for dishwashers and washing machines.
• Oil produced from household waste can be used as bio-fuel instead of fossil fuels to generate heat and power.
“We have some excellent examples of responsible tourism already underway in our hotels,” Jerome said. “Now we’re looking at setting company-wide goals for our business to deliver real benefits to the environment, based on clear understanding of where we can make a difference and on guests’ needs.”
IHG, owner of Holiday Inn, has 200 new-build Holiday Inn prototypes open or under construction. These use 30 percent fewer materials to build and require 20 percent less energy to run. The InterContinental Thalasso Spa, Bora Bora has the world’s deepest underwater pipeline, feeding cold sea water to an eco-friendly air-conditioning system. The InterContinental Willard Washington is powered by energy from wind farms.
Go to the Innovation Hotel.
