9 Sustainable Hotels In London To Visit For An Eco-Escape
With more of us than ever trying to do our bit for the environment in any way and shape we can, it’s hardly surprising that many of us are looking for sustainable alternatives when it comes to travel. We’ve seen more and more eco-friendly restaurants popping up in recent years, and now hotels are doing their best to join suit. We, of course, still have a long way to go, but several hotels across the city are helping to do their bit, making moves to become more sustainable in both their day-to-day and longer-term plans.
If you’re looking for some inspiration, we’ve rounded up nine sustainable hotels in London striving for a cleaner future, from spots with rooftop beehives to giant living walls.
Top Sustainable Hotels In London
The Athenaeum
With a giant living wall equivalent to the size of 16 and a half medium-sized trees on the exterior wall, it’s not hard to see why The Athenaeum is named one of London’s top sustainable hotels. This space has been designed to help purify the surrounding area, soaking up greenhouse gases and converting CO2 into oxygen. It’s been calculated that this wall alone helps remove 757kg of CO2 and produces 559kg of oxygen every year – a mighty job for one hotel to singlehandedly tackle.
And that’s not all. This famous five-star Mayfair institution is committed to a more sustainable hospitality future, with Kai Parfitt, the hotel’s dedicated environmental, social and governance (ESG) manager, helping to lead the way. A few areas the hotel is tackling include helping to improve the waste management program; regular supplier reviews ensuring products and services used within the hotel align with The Athenaeum’s sustainability focus; obtaining their REGO certifications; and releasing their first internal green team to help support across all of their green initiatives.
In the pipeline, the team are building a menu centred around sustainability with options for both food and drink, as well as reducing their consumption of electricity, gas and water.
With views boasting out over Royal Green Park, bespoke suites and residences and charming British craftsmanship, it’s easy to see why this hotel is continually winning awards.
116 Piccadilly, Mayfair, W1J 7BJ
One Aldwych
If you’re looking for an escape from the busyness of Covent Garden, book in for a sustainable-packed adventure at One Aldwych. One of London’s only fully independent hotels, its dedication to eco-friendly practices is truly inspiring.
There are a host of sustainable initiatives at play here, from water-saving systems to impactful reusing and recycling practices across the whole hotel. In the kitchens, you’ll find the menus designed by head chef Dominic Teague focus on local produce and sustainable ingredients, while any food waste is composted for biogas and fertiliser at local farms. Out on the rooftop, the hotel’s beehives and bee-friendly garden are helping to create a positive impact on London’s urban bee population.
For those after a relaxing wellness retreat, escape to the spa for an experience tailored to your preferences. Before your treatment, take a dip in the hotel’s luscious swimming pool, that’s entirely chlorine-free! The water is filtered through a mineral-based system to help keep the space as eco as possible.
1 Aldwych, WC2B 4BZ
Ham Yard Hotel
We’ve always loved Ham Yard Hotel for its stylish interiors, stunning rooftop and cosy library, but we adore it even more knowing that it’s been awarded the BREEAM Excellent rating, a programme that assesses the sustainability and environmental performance of buildings.
Part of the Firmdale Hotels group, all of their locations are dedicated to promoting eco-friendly initiatives, from minimising waste to working with great suppliers to source responsibly.
Up on the roof terrace, you’ll find two beehives and a dedicated beekeeper who ensures eco methods are undertaken in terms of bee management and hive maintenance. A series of bee-friendly plants surround the hives, while the honey produced is used on-site in the bar’s innovative cocktail menu. Guests can try the honey first-hand, experiencing the complex flavours found in local honey.
1 Ham Yard, W1D 7DT
Andaz London Liverpool Street
This popular East London destination may be renowned for its quirky interiors and brilliant dining options, but it’s also doing impressive work on the eco-front too. From using 100% renewable energy to regular staff training surrounding sustainability and removing single-use place amenities, it’s striving for a more sustainable future.
Taking you on a journey through international flavours, the restaurants housed inside the hotel boast an array of eco-conscious initiatives, including reusable tableware replacing any single-use products and sustainably sourced ingredients where possible.
40 Liverpool Street, EC2M 7QN
1 Hotel Mayfair
If there’s one hotel group that’s built its brand dedicated to promoting and achieving sustainability practices, it’s 1 Hotels. The group recently opened up its first London branch across from Green Park and it’s already firmly established itself as a popular luxury spot to head for refined dining and relaxing.
This nature-inspired lifestyle hotel is a sustainable-forward hotel, boasting nine stories and looking out over Green Park. It consciously fuses sustainability with luxury. Rather than new construction, the group opted for reconstruction to utilise 80% of the existing structure to help minimise any adverse environmental impact. Living green-trellised exterior walls help to create natural vertical landscapes, alongside over 1,300 individual plants, shrubs and trees spaced throughout the grounds.
Inside, guests can look forward to filtered water taps with recycled wine-into-water bottles available in every room; energy-efficient heating and cooling systems; locally sourced, sustainable bed linens and non-toxic organic mattresses, ensuring you have a blissful night’s sleep; and even a fully electric Audi e-Tron available for hire, which guests can take advantage of on a first-come-first-basis.
Not forgetting, Dovetale, the new ground-floor restaurant from two Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers. This beautifully designed space focuses on seasonal, organic and locally sourced quality ingredients, from hand-dived scallops to farm-raised lamb.
3 Berkeley Street, Mayfair, W1J 8DL
Treehouse London
Swing from the trees at London’s very own treehouse hotel playground. Home to brightly coloured interiors, fun statement furniture and a rooftop bar that looks out over the city, Treehouse London has firmly established itself as a unique place to head with a lively atmosphere.
From the filtered water stations located in the halls to secondhand furnishings and swapping single-use items with reusable options, guests can rest easy knowing the team is dedicated to promoting sustainability where possible too.
14-15 Langham Place, W1B 2QS
One Hundred Shoreditch
East London’s coolest hotel hideout, One Hundred Shoreditch, has been working towards the goal of becoming fully sustainable. This includes the recent sustainable refurbishment process, creating enhancements rather than fully reconstructing.
Working alongside FuturePlus since January 2023, there have been noticeable changes in just over a year. Some of the forward-thinking initiatives currently in play include fully renewable energy, energy and water management with in-room system controls, filtered water stations in the hallways to reduce plastic waste, sustainable laundry solutions, digitalised check-ins and working alongside local suppliers in the restaurants. Bed in for the night and sleep blissfully knowing you’re in good hands.
100 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ
The Lanesborough
Another five-star establishment making moves to improve its environmental footprint is The Lanesborough. Part of the Oetker Collection, the group has incorporated the UN Global Compact framework, supporting its 10 poignant principles across all of its locations.
Right now, The Lanesborough is looking at both shorter and longer-term solutions as it embarks on its sustainability journey, from electric and hybrid chauffeur-driven transfers to conscious well-being choices with its spa partners and treatments.
On the food front, executive chef Shay Cooper and the food champion regional artisans and focus on hyper-seasonal produce sourced from the British Isles. Dine at The Lanesborough Grill and you’ll enjoy British cuisine with an innovative, modern touch.
Hyde Park Corner, SW1X 7TA
The Zetter
The Zetter group’s hotels are the perfect haven for lovers of eccentricity, from the narrative-fuelled cocktail bars to the quirky interiors. Over the last few years, the group has been actively conscious when it comes to adopting sustainable practices, from using energy-saving technologies to using eco-friendly materials where possible. They even use water pumped from its Clerkenwell hotel’s 1500-foot bore-hold beneath the building. It’s even used to flush loos and cool fridges and the rooms.
The team consciously supports local brands and produce where possible, in both its rooms and day-to-day amenities, as well as in the kitchens where a focus on British and local produce is championed. They also actively ask guests to keep them informed and provide insights into where they can improve.
Various Locations