Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant in Wark, Northumberland, has cemented its status as one of the most sustainable hotels in the country by massively reducing its carbon footprint.

Well-known for its ‘green’ credentials, Battlesteads’ carbon footprint report reveals the hotel and restaurant’s emissions have decreased by 77.5% since 2012 to just 5.23kg CO2 per room per night in 2015. Despite the hotel’s increased occupancy following the addition of five new eco-lodges in 2015, Battlesteads is continuing to set the standard for sustainable hotels across the country.

Whilst the hotel’s carbon footprint is already considerably lower than the industry average of 31.1kg CO2 per room per night, Battlesteads isn’t stopping there and owners Richard and Dee Slade’s key objective for this year is to reduce their carbon footprint even further, with the aim to achieve less than 4.5kg CO2 per room per night by the end of the year.
One of the biggest influencing factors in the reduction of Battlesteads’ carbon footprint has been the switch to green energy provider ‘Ecotricity’ in January 2014. In addition to producing green energy, Battlesteads generate solar energy on site, 50% of which is used by Battlesteads and 50% which is sold to Ecotricity.

Battlesteads has been recognised for its commitment to environmental practices with multiple awards and has recently been shortlisted for Eco Hotel of the Year at the AA Hospitality Awards.

The shortlist recognises Battlesteads’ clear commitment to sustainability, demonstrated through good practice and policy to make a positive contribution to reducing its impact on the environment.

Richard Slade, owner of Battlesteads said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for Eco Hotel of the Year. Sustainability is something we pride ourselves on and the award really reflects our commitment to environmental practices. Since extending the hotel to offer more accommodation it was always going to be tough to keep up with our commitments to the environment so it’s great to see we’ve been able to sustain our eco principles and reduce our carbon footprint so greatly”.

Other awards given to Battlesteads for its sustainability include the Considerate Hoteliers Special Commendation Award 2015, a Platinum level rating in TripAdvisor’s GreenLeaders Programme in 2014, Hotel Cateys Green Hotel of the Year 2011 and a Gold Star Award at the 2011 Green Tourism Awards. The hotel and restaurant also has Three Star Sustainability Champion status, awarded by the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA).

Adding another green feather to its bow Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant in Wark, near Hexham is delighted to have achieved a Platinum level rating in Tripadvisors new GreenLeader programme.

Developed in partnership with the Carbon Trust, the UK Green Building Council, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the International Tourism Partnership, GreenLeader was launched in the UK and European markets at the beginning of March 2014. The programme helps travellers make greener choices by promoting hotels that have adopted environmentally sustainable practices via their Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum accreditation.

The green practices assessed include:

• Having linen and towel re-use plans
• Tracking energy usage on a regular basis
• Recycling
• Using energy efficient light-bulbs
• Educating staff and guests on green practices

Battlesteads achieved the maximum accreditation from the scheme, with the Platinum award adding to their established green and sustainable hall of fame.

Previous green merits include; Three Star Sustainability Champion status from the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), Considerate Hotel of the Year 2011 from the Considerate Hoteliers and Green Hotel of the Year in the 2011 Hotel Cateys.

Commenting on the new programme and Battlesteads Platinum status, owner Richard Slade says:

"At Battlesteads we constantly look at ways we can extend our environmentally friendly code of ethics and be at the forefront of sustainable tourism. We see more and more visitors looking for hotels with strong environmental credentials, and initiatives such as this help the masses make informed decisions when it comes to choosing where to stay. Over the past years we have introduced a number of energy saving and environmental initiatives to the running of the hotel and pub, and continue to view ourselves as pioneers in sustainable tourism."