CORPORATE TRAVEL BUYERS concerned with their company's carbon footprint will be relieved to hear that the hotel-of-the-future could be 100 per cent ecologically-friendly.
From donating all un-used non-perishable food to charities, to supplying water for toilets via a rainwater harvesting system, the hotel will undoubtedly be a green place to stay. There will be solar panels to heat water, wind power to generate electricity and furniture and fittings made entirely from recycled materials. There is even a roof garden covered with shrubbery to provide extra insulation.
That at least is the vision of the InterContinental Hotel Group, which has come up with the 'Innovation hotel' concept. The virtual property has been put on the company's website to collect guests' views on its features, which could be earmarked as standard across all IHG brands within the next few years.
''People who do their bit for the environment when they're at home are likely to be interested in doing the same when they're staying in a hotel," says David Jerome, IHG's senior vice president of corporate responsibility.
''Responsible tourism is about growing in a way that makes sense for business, while managing our impact on the environment and community. We want to know what 'green' features are important to guests before making them part of brand standards. This gives them a chance to weigh-in with their ideas."
A number of environmental initiatives already exist at its 4,000 hotels around the world.
"Now we're looking at setting companywide goals for our business to deliver real benefits to the environment, based on a clear understanding of where we can make a difference and on guests' needs,'' adds Jerome.