Source: Verde Hotels

International tourism continues to show significant growth worldwide and as a result the hospitality industry is becoming highly competitive with the focus shifting from hotel design and technology to experience-based differentials and offerings that make a hotel stand out and capture the guests' attention.

Having an edge or niche offering also helps, as in the case of Hotel Verde Cape Town, Africa's Greenest hotel, whose green innovations are intriguing to visitors the world over. General Manager Lindy Meiring says, "The growth of tourism is a reminder to the industry to enhance the capacity to develop and manage tourism in a sustainable way, creating smart destinations with innovative tools to engage with your guests. This is also important to us with regard to our sustainable practices - we believe that our hotel should be a point of greater learning and involvement not only for our guests, but for all."

Guests are encouraged to get involved through many interfaces within the operation of the hotel. The gym, for example, is home to 3 different pieces of energy generating equipment, namely a bicycle, a recumbent bicycle and an elliptical machine which generate power whilst you exercise. Fun educational signage demonstrates how long one's gym efforts will sustain some of your daily uses of electrical equipment.

Alternatively, guests can take a stroll or a jog around the eco-trail that is set within an indigenous garden and eco-pool - the pool considers the environment by circulating the water through a living ecosystem of aquatic plants and as a result, the water is perfectly clean, chemical free and soft on the skin - better for guests and the environment. Avid bird watchers can enjoy the local bird life and glimpse the bee hives abuzz with worker bees making the honey that is served in the hotel.

Hotel Verde's in-house restaurant, Nvovu, hosts 'earth hour' once a week to the delight of guests who can enjoy a solar-lit meal. Every Wednesday from 18h30, all non-essential lights and appliances are switched off for a few hours in the evening, creating a unique dining experience. Even the water you drink is filtered on-site and served in recycled glass bottles - and should guests decide not to make use of a glass and ice for their bottled beverage they receive a R2 discount; this in turn creates awareness and reward for choosing to assist in the regions water-saving efforts.

Verdinos are Hotel Verde's in-house currency that rewards guests for making green choices and can be used against your bill. One Verdino is equivalent to R5 and can be collected at reception on check out. Verdinos can be earned for example by re-using towels, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, separating wasted correctly in separation bins and choosing not to use air conditioning or the additional set of pillows provided.

As guests leave they are encouraged to 'lighten their load' by leaving unwanted items from their luggage at the vintage suitcase placed at reception, which is then donated to charity. Meiring adds, "Travel these days is more about creating memorable experiences for our guests than ever before, to offer personal touches and warmth of hospitality - to give them reasons to come back, again and again and again."

About Verde Hotels

Cape-Town based Verde Hotels is a responsible hotel operator that offers a turnkey hotel management model based on the principles of the growing global movement of Thrivability. Verde Hotels focusses on sustainability as the core of design, construction, refurbishment and operations of their hotels in order to showcase social, environmental and economical best practice.

Verde Hotels' flagship property, Hotel Verde Cape Town, set the benchmark for responsible and sustainable hotel development and operations worldwide and amongst many other awards, Hotel Verde earned the accolade of the first hotel in the world to be certified with a Double LEED Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council for design and construction as well as operations.

Hotels managed by Verde Hotels will always be positioned to offer luxury without compromising on comfort, environmental best practice and responsibility, convenience, quality, education, employee wellness and corporate social responsibility. Their standard holistic approach ensures all aspects of the design, construction and operation of a Verde Hotel is as sustainable as possible in order to create that region's greenest hotel.