Florence Alloing Florence Alloing is moving on from her role as general manager at Georgian House Hotel, the noted independent boutique B&B in central London, after nearly five years to join The Marylebone, part of the Doyle Collection. She’ll undoubtedly be missed and Georgian House owner Serena von der Heyde, whose great-grandfather opened the hotel in the 1850s, is now seeking someone very special to lead the team at the property from January. She has invited prospective applicants to contact her at Serena@georgianhousehotel.co.uk. Grade II listed Georgian House has 63 guest rooms, incl ..read more

The all-electric Premier Inn opened by Whitbread PLC at Swindon is to be the first in a new generation of new-build Premier Inn hotels operating with 100 per cent renewable energy and no use of fossil fuels. Learnings from the hotel’s design and operation will inform an emissions-reducing strategy for Premier Inn’s hotel estate across the UK and Ireland and will contribute to Whitbread’s target to remove mains gas connections across its properties by 2040 wherever possible. The hotel’s innovative features include an energy-efficient air-to-water Mitsubishi Q-Ton CO2 Heat Pump to heat water, lo ..read more

Kimberly-Clark Professional, the parent company of leading household brands including Andrex, Kleenex, Huggies, WypAll and Scott, is celebrating a major milestone in its ambitious drive towards green energy. A £75 million wind farm, built in just 18 months in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, is the largest wind asset owned by Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust (ORIT), a company managed by Octopus Energy Generation. Kimberly-Clark has a Power Purchase Agreement for the energy generated and this will supply around 80 per cent of its UK electrical power needs at the Barrow, Flint and Northfleet ..read more

Luxury glamping in an eco-resort featuring a wealth of activities will be on offer at Mythtopia, set to open in Scotland in Spring next year. Just 20 minutes from Edinburgh on the site of a former golf course at West Linton, Mythtopia is promising to be a carbon-negative retreat with up-to-the-minute attractions like augmented reality (AR) and NFTs (non-fungible tokens) which will serve as access tokens to the resort. But there’s more than a nod to the past as the theme is ancient Celtic mythology. Mythtopia will offer families a chance to enjoy 200 acres of preserved green land during their ..read more

Elsewhere in this issue we’re reporting on how the products housekeepers use in their daily roles – from linen to cleaning products – must have sustainability credentials. But we’re not the only ones thinking about this as the ‘big bosses’ in hospitality recognise the challenge. New global research commissioned by communication technology company Communications Specialist Ltd, reveals that 94 per cent of senior executives at high-end, luxury hotels expect the sector to increase its focus on sustainability over the next three years – with more than one in five believing there will be a dramatic ..read more

Carolyn Mitchell, sales and marketing director at sustainable British bed manufacturer and sleep brand Hypnos Contract Beds, shares best practice Nature-based solutions First of all, the materials we use in our products are extremely important to us. Here at Hypnos, we take the time to review which materials are available for our products and, after we’ve conducted considerable and thorough research, rank them according to their sustainability credentials. Many other mattress and bed companies use PU foam materials; however, these are derived from fossil fuels and are incredibly bad for the en ..read more

Our editor became just a little over-excited on hearing that DoubleTree by Hilton were introducing allergy-free cookies at their properties. Anyone who is similarly gluten-intolerant will know all about packing an emergency supply of suitable emergency nibbles when a hotel stay is imminent. It’s something which tends to get overlooked by some hotels which might offer vegan alternatives, but the ‘inclusivity’ doesn’t stretch to all dietary needs, including what’s offered as complimentary ‘add-on’ biscuits and confectionary in guestrooms. Housekeeping staff and catering teams will happily try to ..read more

New global research commissioned by Communications Specialist Ltd reveals that senior executives at high-end, luxury hotels expect the sector to make more use of technology to help reduce costs and improve the overall customer experience. Around 86 per cent anticipate an increase in the use of apps available to guests to access more services (more than a fifth anticipate a dramatic increase), and 88 per cent expect hotels to make more use of self-checkout and technology for ordering room service and paying at the dining table or bar. Over the next five years, nearly all expect hotels to make m ..read more

The new BoTree hotel in the heart of London’s West End will start welcoming guests from 15 September. Those reserving one of the 199 guestrooms or contemporary suites will enjoy a personalised offering including a round the clock modern butler service. Deluxe rooms feature natural fabrics and  textures. Luxurious furnishings include vegan ‘leather’ headboards and eucalyptus Tencel bedding. A nice touch is provided by Jasper Conran Wedgewood tea sets. The 30 suites each have a lounge, balcony, personal bar, and integrated cocktail station. The Presidential Suite offers views across ce ..read more

The Peninsula London, the capital’s stunning new luxury hotel, is now accepting reservations for stays from September 12, when a soft opening is planned. At the juncture of Hyde Park Corner and Wellington Arch, it features architecture conceived to harmonise with Belgravia’s history. The hotel, along with 25 opulent luxury residences, centres around an off-street courtyard, landscaped in the style of a classic English garden with cascading ivy, wisteria vines, and 120-year-old Japanese maples. The Peter Marino-designed interiors flood with natural light. There are 190 guest rooms and suites, m ..read more