Sustainability Case Study The Salthouse Hotel
June 2023
The Salthouse Hotel
“TheDirectorsofthehotelwerepersonallyveryinterestedinandpassionate aboutsustainability.Throughtheirtravelsaroundtheworld,theycouldalsosee thatsustainabilitywassomethingthatwasbecomingabiggerandbiggerfactor forcustomers.Theircommitmentfromtheoutsetwastobecomethefirstfully sustainablehotelinNorthernIreland.Theyresearchedwhatbestpractice aroundtheworldwasandsetthemselveshighsustainabilitystandardsfromthe outset.TheSalthouseHotelistestamenttothefactthatluxurycanalsobe sustainable.Weareveryproudoftheeffortstakentoensurethehoteldoes everythingitcantominimiseitsimpactontheenvironmentwhilstalsorealising costsavingsanddeliveringamemorableluxuryexperiencetoourguests.
Claire Steele
The Salthouse Hotel is a 24-bedroom luxury, eco-hotel with six eco-lodges, a spa and bar-restaurant situated on private lands in Ballycastle, Co. Antrim, an area famous for its salt pans.
Where did the sustainability ethos of the hotelcome from?
2 Sustainability Case Study:
Front Office Manager, The Salthouse Hotel.
The Salthouse Hotel
What are your big sustainability initiatives?
The Salthouse Hotel generates itsown energy through solarand windpower.A 225kw windturbinehas been mountedonsite and 150kw solarpanels installed aroundthe hotel which cumulatively generate the sameamountof poweras 150 households a year. The energy generated is used to ignite the hotel’s motion-sensorLED lighting,heat the hotel through heat pumps,charge the Zappielectric vehicle charging pointsas well as the 13 electric bikes onsite. It alsosupplies energy for the fully electric kitchen in the restaurantand the SMART technology systemwhich monitors consumptionaroundthe hotel. When there is a spike in consumption,the systemkicksin to rectify it. Timber framesaroundthe buildingare used to retain any heat, andbiogas and woodpellet boilers are usedfor furtherheating. The net result is that the hotel gives backmore to the grid than it consumes.These measuresnot only minimiseemissionsbut alsolead to significantcostsavings forthe property.
Local Purchasing and Responsible Procurement
Local andeco-friendly options are favoured as part of the hotel’s purchasingpolicy. This applies toeverything fromhotel pens to foodand beverage choices, from refillable toiletries tocleaning supplies bought in bulk. The hotel feels thatlocal sourcingis highly beneficial asit builds local relationships,contributes to the local economy andallows forshorter and quickerdelivery times. The hotel workswithlocal, environmentally-conscious wastemanagement companies,Bailey Wasteand River Ridge, with a view that‘waste shouldn’tcost the Earth’.There is also a herb garden onsite fromwhich produce is usedin the kitchen.
becauseweareallaboutgivingbackandhelpingeachother.”
Sharing the Sustainability Message
Sharing knowledge andeducatingboth staffandguestsis a fundamentalelement of The SalthouseHotel’s Sustainability Strategy. Staff do not need to have an eco-mindset or have sustainabilityexpertise before they takeup a positionat the hotel. Full induction is provided, includinginformationon the hotel’s practices andreasons for implementing them, the sustainabilitysystemsin place, how to managethe SMART technology andhelp regulate consumptionin the rooms and hotel in general. In this way, the hotel seeks to widen the circles of knowledge andpractice for sustainability.
On arrival, guestsare informed about the sustainability practices of the hotel andinvited to sit into the Salthouse Mindset. There is a no print policy and there are QR codes available in their roomsso guestscan retrieve informationon their practices andmenus. When supplyingthe guestswith refillable glasswater bottles,guests are informed aboutwhere the watercomes from,that it is retrieved fromthe well on site andfiltered through the SalthouseHotel systems.
ClaireSteele,FrontOfficeManager
“It'sreallygoodtosharethatunderstandingwithguests,that evenwhenthey'reordering,therearealternativesthatcanbe goodfortheenvironment.”ClaireSteeleFrontofficemanager
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Sustainability Case Study: The Salthouse Hotel
What are your sustainability ambitions for the future?
“Ourentirebusinessrunsonasustainabilityphilosophyand projectsthatdonotallowusfulfiloursustainabilityambitionsdo notgetprogressed.Wewillcontinuetobalanceinnovationand expansionwithsustainabilityandpositiveimpact.Wehaveplans fornewecolodgesandaspaaswellandwearebusyresearching ourbestoptionsformaterials,powerandcollaborations.”
Carl McGarrity,Director
Do you know?
TourismNI has a great set of resources to help you develop sustainableexperiences: Sustainability- GrowingGreener Experiences Together (tourismni.com)
