Little things make a big difference to this boutique hotel’s sustainability

The challenge

“From the complimentary amenities and snacks to the lighting and air conditioning of rooms, hotels can have a large carbon footprint,” said the hotel’s General Manager, Kathryn.

“At Little National Hotel, we wanted to provide all the luxuries but more sustainably and without compromising on the guest experience.

“For us, sustainability is a continual process of decision-making and improvement, driven by a passionate and dedicated Sustainability Committee.”

The action

With help from the ACT’s Government Business Sustainability team and a lot of passion, drive and dedication from the hotel team, Little National Hotel places sustainability at the heart of their operations, considering their impact in all aspects and decisions.

This commitment can be seen in the hotel fit out, the products and services they provide to guests, their waste management and recycling processes, and energy efficiency and consumption.

“Our hotel space is set up to maximise energy efficiency. For example, we have smaller rooms with larger common areas which has helped us with savings on both cost and environmental footprint,” said Kathryn.

“In other areas, we have invested in materials and energy efficient, invisible systems which are designed to minimise our environmental impact.

“Since opening the Hotel, we’ve made some big infrastructure changes such as installing rooftop solar.

“We’re interested in the sustainability of our products – how they are made, what they’re made of, and also the environmental impacts they will have when they’re disposed. We seek out suppliers who share our sustainability commitment. For example, our complimentary slippers are natural, plant-based and 100% biodegradable, we use only recycled toilet paper, and we provide amenities in pump bottles.

“To reduce waste to landfill, we send used coffee pods back to Nespresso for recycling, empty bottles and containers are sent to the ACT’s container deposit scheme, and used soap goes to SoapAid where it is transformed and sent to third-world countries as new soap.

“We have gone paperless for almost everything – from check-in to office administration. We have even replaced our in room collateral with tablets!

“We separate recyclables and we have held accreditation through the Business Recycling Program since 2016.

The benefit

“Our 250-panel, 80kW rooftop solar system generates enough energy to power a third of the hotel, with an annual saving of approximately $22,000.

“We’ve reduced our paper usage by about 150,000 sheets, or $1,170 annually in paper supplies.

“The most rewarding part of our sustainability journey is how our little hotel has made such a big splash.

“In 2019, we featured in Canberra’s Sustainable Business Expo. Following the event, a unique partnership was born between our hotel and a local school, Bonython Primary. Now, students and teachers come to the hotel for an excursion where they learn about our sustainability initiatives.

“Corporate clients are starting to ask about sustainability as part of their procurement processes, and we are proud to be a market leader in this area.

“Sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to do’, it has become a ‘must do’ and the success of our hotel in this space has inspired other Doma Hotels to adopt similar environmental practices.

“Now, we’ve got our sights set on carbon-neutrality, so that we can continue to lead the way to a greener future for the hotel industry.”

The Little National Hotel received a Corporate Climate Leader award and Kathryn Carling received the Minister’s Award for Leadership at the 2022 Climate Choices business awards.