The 416-room hotel received its award yesterday at the CHA Annual awards and Gala Lunch held at the 5-star Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane. The Lancaster London was highlighted as the best ‘all-rounder’, having succeeded in a wide range of environmental and social initiatives.
Head judge professor John Forte – CHA ambassador and hospitality industry environmental and food safety consultant – said: “Lancaster London has covered all the required aspects for the award in a most commendable fashion, but I was most swayed by their communication and spreading the environmental message to suppliers, guests and staff, as well as their willingness to share their experiences with their competitors.”
Fellow CHA awards judge Dr Richard Swannell – who is also director of design and waste prevention at WRAP – added: “Lancaster London performed well in a highly competitive category. They were strong in all areas, saving money and reducing environmental impact in these difficult economic times. Achieving zero waste to landfill – through waste prevention, procurement changes, re-use and recycling – was particularly impressive.”
Environmental initiatives
The Lancaster London’s environmental initiatives included energy and water conservation, waste reduction and support for sustainable food, as well as marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). To mark the achievement, the hotel received an inscribed Dartington Crystal decanter.
The short-listed challengers for this category were: The Green House, Bournemouth; The Strand Palace Hotel, London; La Moinerie Hotel, Sark, Channel Islands; Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Great Milton, Oxfordshire; Alexandra Hotel and Restaurant , Lyme Regis, Dorset; Radisson Blu Portman Hotel, London; Crowne Plaza London – The City; Park Plaza County Hall London; The Savoy, London; and Trenython Manor Country Estate, St Austell, Cornwall.
Other CHA award winners included:
● The Considerate Sustainable Food Award - Montague Arms Hotel, Beaulieu, Hampshire
● The Considerate Small Accommodation Provider of the Year Award - Hotel Petit Champ, Sark, Channel Islands
● The Considerate Green Team of the Year - the Landmark London
● The Considerate Green Champion of the Year - Clare Wright, director of procurement, Lancaster London
● The Considerate Green Suppliers of the Year Awards - National winner: Sunlight textile rental and laundering service; Local winner: SEM (Sark Estate Management) market garden
● Best Green Marketing Initiative - Lasswade Country House and Restaurant at Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys
● Considerate Hoteliers Lifetime Achievement Award - Mike LeRoy, recently retired as environmental policy manager, Westminster City Council
● Considerate Good Egg of the Year Award - Gary Lohan, chief engineer/sustainability manager, One Aldwych, London
The CHA Awards celebrate the best in environmental, sustainable and socially responsible performance and are open to all UK hotels and small accommodation operations.