Hometel brand, room2, opens the world’s first fully net zero hometel in Chiswick, West London on 1 December 2021.
The green retreat aims to offer a relaxed combination of home and hotel whilst encouraging guests to follow a sustainable lifestyle.
room2 Chiswick is estimated to use 89% less energy per m2 compared to other UK hotels, and it is the first hotel in the world to account for its entire carbon footprint, making it ‘whole life net zero’.
Being whole life net zero, means both embodied and operational carbon have been rebalanced throughout the hometel’s lifecycle. All emissions associated with the hometel’s production and construction, materials used, operations, maintenance and refurbishment of the building will equal zero.
Robert Godwin, co-founder, room2, said: “Taking full accountability for our entire carbon footprint is room2’s baseline commitment going forward, investing in low energy and carbon solutions to align with our parent company’s Net Zero Roadmap by 2030. Responsibility falls on all of us to make strides towards building a more sustainable future and keep the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree target within reach. We hope other hotel companies will join us in this urgent fight against climate change.”
He added: “room2 puts a huge emphasis on our guest experience and connection to our local communities. With carbon emissions being the biggest threat to our planet, and with devastating impacts being felt across the world, we believe in our responsibility to prioritise our global communities and ensure our presence wouldn’t contribute further to the problem. We have done the hard work, so the guest has the full experience without the footprint.”
Renewable energy is also maximised on site with solar and ground source heat pumps, which convert 100% of the energy needed for heating, cooling and hot water.
Its ultra-low flow pressure showers use less water with aerated water fixtures and ultra-energy efficient lighting and appliances are combined with occupancy sensors across the building. The blue roof reduces localised flooding by slowly discharging up to 50,000 litres of rainwater, and the green roof boasts 200 tonnes of soil and wildflowers, planted to increase biodiversity and absorb CO2.
room2 Chiswick also has a zero-waste policy and is the first UK hotel to introduce food waste into its in-room recycling bins. It designed and manufactured its own bin to include waste, recycling and food waste, to ensure 100% of waste is recycled or converted into energy off-site.
