Earth Day 2024 | List of 6 green hotels in the Benelux

22-4-2024

It’s Earth Day and the world is becoming increasingly aware of climate change and sustainability challenges. Large-scale research by hotel group Accor** shows that one in five travelers from Northern Europe would be willing to pay more for a holiday if the tour operator offering the holiday was arguably green or CO2 neutral. How lucky are we that both the Netherlands and Belgium have many sustainable hotels. Below are some green gems where you absolutely don’t have to compromise on luxury or comfort and where sustainable initiatives are taken all year round. Fortunately, there are more and more of these too!

4 minutes read

Conscious hotels Amsterdam | Earth Day all year round

The name says it all, Conscious Hotels is the first and only sustainable hotel chain in the Netherlands. Everything in the hotels and their restaurants is as sustainable as possible. For example, all furniture is recycled, second-hand or made from sustainable materials, cleaning is done without chemicals, they use water sparingly and all food and drinks are 100% organic. These are just a few examples. Conscious Hotel Vondelpark, for example, has a roof garden where bees can thrive. Currently, the chain has four hotels in our capital: Conscious Hotel Museum Square, Conscious Hotel Vondelpark, Conscious Hotel Amsterdam City (The Tire Station) and Conscious Hotel Westerpark. The ambition is to increase the number of rooms fivefold in the Netherlands and Europe. Here you can celebrate ‘Earth Day’ all year round!

FRANQ hotel in Belgium

Hotel FRANQ in Antwerp, with its restaurant (*) of the same name, is located in a former bank building from the 18th century and that history is reflected throughout this luxury boutique hotel. In the impressive lobby, you can still find remnants of the original columns, which are beautifully incorporated into the interior. Downstairs, you will find the original bank vaults. Some small vaults are unopened to this day and thus still hold ancient secrets.

The hotel is strongly committed to water conservation and is the proud owner of a Made Blue certificate. Made Blue strives for clean drinking water for everyone worldwide through various initiatives. Hotels can also do their bit, and FRANQ is one of them. Thanks to their donations in 2023, they and other donors provided 10 people with clean drinking water for 10 years. This year, the hotel is once again supporting this project. Link to the website in the title.

Hotel Jakarta in Amsterdam

Hotel Jakarta is also described as a sustainable oasis. This energy-neutral four-star hotel is located on the Javakade in Amsterdam. Solar panels provide hot shower water and the subtropical indoor garden is watered with collected rainwater. There is also a smart heat control system that keeps the building warm in the most responsible way possible. The ceilings and walls are made of sustainable materials. Not only is the building completely green, the staff also do their bit: they wear sustainable company clothing from the brand By Rockland. This hotel is the perfect example of an environmentally conscious organization. Hotel Jakarta is the perfect place to celebrate Earth Day all year round as well! Link to the website in the title.

Radisson Grand Place Brussels in Belgium

Anyone who thinks luxury and sustainability don’t go together hasn’t been to Radisson Grand Place in Brussels yet. They have 282 stylish rooms and suites where sophistication meets comfort, with sleek contemporary decor, thoughtful furniture and lighting, plush beds and delightful bathrooms. To make the management of their hotel as environmentally conscious as possible, they adhere to six principles: energy efficiency, carbon reduction, carbon-neutral meetings, stewardship of water, recycling and responsible sourcing. To achieve all this, the Radisson partners with First Climate, one of the world’s largest carbon offset organizations, among others, which helps companies reduce their carbon footprint. To account for the transparency and credibility of all their efforts, they work with recognized eco-labels such as Green Key and Earth Check. So enjoy carefree luxury and an ‘Earth Day’-worthy stay at Radisson Grand Place in Brussels. For more information, check out the website, link in title.

Mövenpick in Amsterdam

At Mövenpick, pampering and sustainability go hand in hand. Not only is it the world’s most Green Globe-certified hotel group, but more than 75% of their qualifying hotels and resorts have achieved Gold or Platinum status, recognizing hotels that have met the requirements for more than five years respectively. In partnership with Green Globe, their goal is to exceed their achievements and nurture the planet and its people now and in the future with even more care and dedication. Every room at the Mövenpick hotel in the heart of Amsterdam has a stunning view of the city and the IJ river. The four-star hotel is within walking distance of the historic center and numerous museums. Check out their website in the link in the title.

Weeshuis Gouda (Orphanage Gouda) in the Netherlands

Relais & Châteaux Weeshuis Gouda, or WSHS, is located in a beautiful historic building in the center of Gouda. Formerly serving as an orphanage, it is now a boutique hotel. Both inside and outside, the beloved national monument lends itself perfectly to ‘wow’ moments, especially if you sit in the beautiful courtyard under one of the green trees. Restaurant LIZZ is part of the boutique hotel. The restaurant works with a great list of regional suppliers. For instance, the chefs regularly visit Ad’s shop (the cheese farmer around the corner) where they buy romero from IJsselstijn, aged cumin cheese from Polsbroek and Gouda cheese from Berkenwoude, among others. But also dairy products, eggs, butter, fresh juices and lots of vegetables come from suppliers in Gouda or nearby. LIZZ works together with the Groene Hart Corporation, which represents the interests of farmers and artisans. Oh, and another little detail: LIZZ recently received its first Michelin star, here you celebrate a very tasty Earth Day, every day! Link to the website in the title.

Novotel Schiphol in Amsterdam

The Novotel Schiphol can be found on the west side of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport but don’t worry, as a guest you will sleep in soundproof rooms. Throughout the hotel, you’ll find Dutch art, wooden bicycles and typical Dutch decorative objects. Furthermore, when creating the hotel, Novotel Schiphol made certain choices where comfort and service go hand in hand with a greener living environment. Think digital check-in, a mobile concierge, use of sustainable products and fast, wireless Wi-Fi. The hotel also has meeting rooms with natural light. In the restaurant, they serve dishes made from organic and local products. A good example is the house honey from the more than 500,000 honey bees on the hotel’s roof. In short: sustainability, comfort and luxury all come together here. Check out their website in the link in the title.

**Accor’s research on travel trends for the coming years is part of the hotel group’s Northern European Travel Trends Report. For this, they examined how our behaviour post corona will change the way we travel, live and work in and beyond 2022. Accor surveyed 6,000 respondents in five countries (UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Russia) about their travel preferences and desires.

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