So it's been a year sparse of travel for most people across the world. But now, with the most recent easing of lockdown, we have been given the green light for domestic overnight stays in the UK! We wanted to give you the heads up on the hottest eco-friendly staycations in the UK for this Summer. If you want to make the trips you plan even greener, use SKOOT on the way there and back and we plant a tree for every 3 rides you do.
- The Cabin-in-the-Vines, Suffolk
Up first is the Cabin-in-the-Vines at Valley Farm Vineyards in Suffolk. This luxury Cabin is amongst the vines and can host 2 people with their animal companion so no furry friends get left behind! It features a number of sustainable attributes including sheep's wool for insulation and it has off-grid batteries and solar energy providing heating, lighting, and hot water. When staying at the cabin you get a complimentary self-guided tour and tasting so you can explore the vineyard in your own time!
2. The Zetter, London
The Zetter is designed to be an energy-sufficient hotel, using sustainably sourced and environmentally-sensitive building materials. It's all controlled by an intelligent building management system too. One of the cool things they have designed is an energy loop system. It's pretty complex but it means that they can swap energy around. For example, if someone puts the heating on in their room it helps The Zetter keep their fridges cool! I mean if that's not cool enough for you then I don't know what is! The list is endless with what they have done to help be more sustainable so be sure to check it out!
3. The Scarlett, Cornwall
The Scarlett in Cornwall aims to create memorable holidays, experiences, and escapes which don’t cost the earth anything! They source responsibly, scratching beneath the surface and considering the life cycle of the products and services that they purchase. Even when they were building the hotel the old stone walls on the site were deconstructed so carefully that more than 120 small reptiles were rehoused.
The insulation from the old hotel was dismantled and sent to a monkey sanctuary so they could use it there. The new building was positioned to maximize heat and light from the sun and has a roof covered in sea thrift plants for natural insulation and to encourage ecological diversity. Every year they try to reduce the amount of waste that they send to landfills and they watch their energy usage and aim to reduce their carbon footprint each year!
4. The Fish, The Cotswolds
The Fish in the Cotswolds is a boutique hotel situated on a 400-acre estate. The Fish's Eco-friendly initiative include a promise to customers that 0% of waste goes to landfill and all their food waste goes directly to close-by, Northwick Park’s. The Fish is powered by green energy that they create on the estate which we think is pretty awesome! They also plant trees to replace every single tree they use for printing through their tree planting program. Maybe they will start using SKOOT to combat the carbon from their drives too! They have many different rooms at the hotel ranging from tree houses to huts to suites. This is a cool place to take the family away or even just for couples to have a romantic but also green trip away.
5. The Grove Hotel, Hertfordshire
The Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire is surrounded by 300 acres of land. This 18th-century mansion has placed huge importance on protecting the environment. They have installed solar panels to partner with the Green World Programme which recycles hotel amenities to be used in less fortunate countries. What an amazing way to be greener and give back to the community. SKOOT approved! The hotel has managed to reduce its CO2 emissions by 36% over the past 10 years. The Grove has also cut down on single-use plastic that ties in with the Volvo XC60’s innovative manufacturing methods, which turns recycled ocean plastic such as plastic bottles and nylon fishing nets into stylish interiors. We're impressed and packing our bags!
We think the 5 staycations above not only seem particularly cool for a quick trip away, but we are obsessed with the green initiatives they have in place. We stumbled across so many but we didn't want to give away all our secrets at once. More eco-friendly stay suggestions coming your way soon! Now we're off to decide which venue we can get corporate to take us to first...
