A growing number of city centre hotels are facing up to their environmental and social responsibilities, according to the April edition of greenhotelier. The magazine’s feature ‘City hotels - greening the urban jungle’ examines how city hotels are implementing green strategies at all levels of policy and management, from the initial design of the hotels to their day-to-day operations.

City hotels are uniquely positioned to enhance their green credentials. Public transport hubs ensure customers minimise their journey’s carbon footprint, restaurants can tap into local sources of food, and it’s far easier for a city hotel to access new environmental technologies that it is for a rural hotel. The four key environmental concerns for city hotels are minimising their use of energy and water, better waste management and improved indoor air quality. greenhotelier reports that a growing number of urban hotels have not only installed appropriate technologies to tackle these issues, but are also continually monitoring and improving their environmental performance. The magazine’s main feature also touches on a number of other green issues, such as green energy and carbon offsetting, sourcing food, partnerships and the community and transport around the city.

Among the examples of best practice highlighted are:

• The Radisson SAS Hotel Tallinn, Estonia, which has been designed to minimise wastage and maximise resource efficiency
• Hilton Prague, Czech Republic, which has installed an innovative hot water recovery system, which has reduced over 40% of the energy required to meet the hotel’s domestic hot water
• Scanic Linkoping City, Sweden, which has been built according to Scandic’s Standard for Environmental Refurbishment, Equipment and Construction (SEREC)
• Apex Hotels, United Kingdom, which has a dedicated architect in charge of sustainable hotel design to ensure that its five city hotels aim to meet low carbon standards.
• One Aldwych, London, United Kingdom, which has run two ‘Taste Britain’ menu promotions in its restaurants, which celebrate seasonal produce.

Also in the April issue of greenhotelier:

• Know-How: Food safety and environmental health: cleaning and hygiene, avoiding cross-contamination, cooking, chilling, freezing and thawing, and food safety management and suppliers.
• Who’s Doing What: Luxury wilderness safari lodges: we report on a new joint venture between Taj Hotels and Conservation Corporation Africa, which is set to define luxury ecotourism in India.
• World Brief: We report on a number of large-scale initiatives being adopted by international hotel groups to reduce their carbon emissions.