Case Study: Victorian House Hotel
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Lake District hotel offers guests zero carbon option after Eco-I North West support
The hotel and hospitality industry are under pressure to play its part in the fight against climate change.
But for small businesses the concept of net zero can feel unachievable.
Now, with the support of research through the Eco-I North West project, led by Lancaster University and funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Victorian House Hotel in the Lake District is offering a zero-carbon package to guests.
The initiative incentivises guests to travel to the area by public transport rather than car, showcases CO2-free activities in the area and offsets their carbon footprint through a tree planting scheme.
The Challenge
As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Lake District sits alongside attractions like the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, and the Grand Canyon as a place of international acclaim.
Upward of 15 million tourists visit the area each year, which, while boosting regional income, particularly in the food and drink and hospitality sectors, does leave a significant carbon footprint.
To help businesses and hotels in the region to face that challenge, Lancaster University Management School launched an Innovation Catalyst through the Eco-I North West project.
It brought together a group of Cumbrian businesses from the food and drink and hospitality sector, including Chinnery Hotels, which owns the Victorian House Hotel in Grasmere, to work with the university to develop new ideas, products, and services to address challenges posed by the Net Zero Carbon agenda.
Serena von der Heyde, owner of the 20-room hotel, said: “Since buying the hotel in 2019 I have had a sustainability strategy such as running a paperless operation, LED lights, and self-closing doors for energy efficiency. But until I stepped into the university, I had no idea what was possible.
“We discussed and debated the challenges that our sectors were facing in coming up with sustainable solutions. Through the Innovation Catalyst process I went from feeling I wouldn’t be able to contribute to the UK’s net zero goals, to feeling empowered to bring about change.”
One of the key challenges identified was the amount of traffic on the roads of the Lake District.
“We discovered that in order to reduce the number of cars and therefore the carbon emissions, changing this erroneous perception that getting to this area and travelling around to all the sites was impossible without a car,” Serena said.
The Solution
Through Eco-I NW, Chinnery Hotels was able to access a fully funded student internship which offered 20 days (140 hours) of flexible research support to investigate potential solutions.
Using various research methodologies, Sharad Ramsamooj, a Management and Information Technology student along with two fellow students, investigated transport routes from major UK cities, calculated the average carbon emissions generation by car and by public transport, and then demonstrated the difference.
They also calculated the amount the hotel would need to contribute to offset the carbon emissions of each guest’s stay.
For instance, option one, travelling by public transport from Manchester would involve a train from Piccadilly to Windermere before a bus to Grasmere. The journey takes up to 2hr 55 min and generates 0.01 metric tons of CO2E.
The alternative option, by car from Manchester Piccadilly to Grasmere, would take on average 1hr 39 mins and generate 0.02 metric tons of CO2E, based on an average miles per gallon of 38.8.
Details of the CO2 Free package along with five itineraries that can be enjoyed from the hotel without leaving a carbon footprint and details of the tree planting scheme used to offset, are now on the hotel’s website. The new package was also promoted through the Cumbria tourism board and PR.
The Outcome
Since its launch at the end of 2021, over 24 guests have opted in for the initiative, meaning Chinnery Hotels has planted 17 new trees in total.
By using public transport, the guests have collectively reduced CO2 emissions by almost a quarter of a tonne.
Sharad Ramsamooj, in his final year of graduate studies, believes the success of the concept of the low carbon travel package forms a blueprint for other businesses to use.
“Serena helped introduce the idea of eco-travel to other hotels within their network in the Lake District,” he said. “This was a great way to generate attention to this programme. It will serve as a great boost for environmental travel and the impact would be amazing in the long run if more hotels could offer the similar options.
“While the impact of our initiative may seem small in the grand scheme of things, if you were to replicate that by the number of hotels and B&Bs in the Lake District and wider Cumbria, the potential is massive.”
Serena and Sharad were also able to exhibit their sustainability goals at the UK Hospitality event at COP 26 in Glasgow. The conference event features speakers from global giants like Coca Cola, IHG, Burger King, Brewdog and Compass.
Sharad said: “It was a fantastic experience to be part of the show and exhibit what we have achieved. I truly believe that SMEs are the ones that will make the real changes in the industry. This has been amply demonstrated by our Lake District project.”
For Serena and Chinnery Hotels, the journey continues, exploring all sustainability avenues.
Engineers at the university are working with the business to develop a waste bin concept, which could cut in-room waste by 50 per cent per guest, per night, by making recycling easier for the guest and hotel.
Solar panels and an EV charging point have been recently installed and the hotel is looking to deploy an energy management system which connects sensor data to an app which allows the hotel to advise guests if any windows are open.
Meanwhile, the cohort of other businesses and larger organisations Serena met through Eco-I NW continue to share ideas and opportunities to further their ambitions.
Serena said: “The Eco-I project has enriched my business and given me a new perspective, and I feel equipped to get to grips with climate change in my own sphere.
“I believe the long-term trend is that people will care more and more about how they travel, how often and by what means. My whole approach is to try and give the guests a very tailored and very personalised experience that will make them feel very taken care of. But at the same time, ask them to think about their impact on the Lake District and the planet.”
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