1st October 2007
by ecofriendlytourist.com
Holiday boost for Brits – tips on how to use that extra time off
The website www.ecofriendlytourist.com reports that millions of Britons have just been given extra time off work and suggests some great short break ideas
Good news! From 1st October millions of Britons are able to take extra time off. Thanks to a change in the rules for people who work a five day week the holiday entitlement has increased from 20 to 24 days a year. What’s more from April 2009 it will go up again to 28 days. Part time workers aren’t losing out because their allowance has gone up in proportion.
It is believed the statutory changes affect an estimated six million employees who until now have had bank holidays deducted from their annual leave.
Yet it seems we’re a nation of workaholics. A new survey this month by holiday firm Original Travel revealed that even before the new rules came into force four out of ten workers in the UK failed to take their annual holiday allowance.
So, what to do with that extra free time? Why not recharge the batteries with a short break. Here are some tips for eco-friendly short breaks in the UK to help make sure all that holiday leave – including those extra days - doesn’t go to waste.
Natural Retreats is a recently opened hideaway at Aislabeck in the Yorkshire Dales which claims to be the UK's first luxury sustainable holiday location. There are ten self catering lodges set in 50 acres of countryside. Their eco-friendly features include sedum roofs, insulation made from recycled paper, spring water and a natural reed bed system for sewage disposal. Each accommodates up to 6 people and is equipped with all mod cons.
The Town House Company owns four boutique hotels in the heart of Edinburgh. Newly listed this month in the ecofriendlytourist.com accommodation guide they are The Howard, Channings, The Bonham and The Edinburgh Residence. The hotels are traditional townhouse buildings with many of the period characteristics of the city’s New Town area. They have all been given a seal of approval by the Green Tourism Business Scheme.
The Savoy is one of London’s quintessential landmark hotels and offers luxury weekend packages. It has introduced several measures to cut down on energy usage, reduce waste and recycle. It is scheduled to close in December for a 100 million pound overhaul lasting over a year. So time is running out to experience its distinctive style – or else you’re in for a long wait.
For those on a tighter budget Deepdale backpackers’ hostel and campsite at Burnham Deepdale on the north Norfolk coast is running a winter programme with a range of courses, guided walks, quizzes, activity breaks, festive celebrations and its annual Conservation Weekend next March.
Tyf Eco Hotel is in west Wales. It was converted from an 18th century windmill and is close to the beach, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and the centre of St. David’s. It runs adventure activities including rock climbing, surfing, kayaking and coasteering (getting around the coastline in a range of exciting ways). Check its website for dates and details.
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
For information about the new holiday entitlement rules visit the government DTI website.
These are the links for the accommodation websites and their listings on ecofriendlytourist.com
Natural Retreats : www.naturalretreats.com (not currently listed by ecofriendlytourist.com)
The Savoy, A Fairmont Hotel : www.fairmont.com/savoy
ecofriendlytourist.com’s listing
The Town House Company : www.townhousecompany.com
The Howard (ecofriendlytourist.com’s listing)
Channings (ecofriendlytourist.com’s listing)
The Bonham (ecofriendlytourist.com’s listing)
The Edinburgh Residence (ecofriendlytourist.com’s listing)
Deepdale : www.deepdalefarm.co.uk
ecofriendlytourist.com’s listing
Tyf Eco Hotel : www.tyf.com/?c=acc-felin
ecofriendlytourist.com’s listing
Further information about ecofriendlytourist.com and its guide to eco-friendly places to stay in the UK are available at www.ecofriendlytourist.com
Or contact: webmaster@ecofriendlytourist.com
26th October 2007
by ecofriendlytourist.com
Do you know how green your hotel is? Do you care?
Looking for a green hotel? The website www.ecofriendlytourist.com has details of a new survey showing almost half European hotel guests are unaware of “Green” hotel initiatives
With environmental conservation an important topic across the globe many hotels have implemented environmentally friendly initiatives at their properties. Yet nearly half of European hotel guests are unaware of them, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 European Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM released this month.
The study finds that a large majority of hotel guests (77 percent) who are aware of the environmentally friendly programmes their property offers say they willingly participate in them. However, while 49 percent of European hotel guests say that they knew of their hotel’s conservation programs during a recent stay, almost as many guests—44 percent—say they were unaware of these offerings.
“As a point of comparison, 63 percent of hotel guests in the United States say they are aware of their hotel’s green programmes, so there is ample opportunity for European hotel companies to raise awareness of environmentally friendly policies among their guests,” said Linda Hirneise, executive director of the travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “It is vitally important for hotel properties to actively market their eco-friendly programmes and make such offerings easy for guests to recognize and participate in. Without an increase in awareness, these properties may miss reaping the benefits of these programmes, which not only positively impact the environment and a guest’s quality of life, but also the hotel’s bottom line.”
The study, now in its third year, measures the overall satisfaction of European hotel guests based on seven factors (in order of importance): costs and fees; guest room; hotel facilities; food and beverage; check-in/check-out; hotel services; and reservations. Forty-one hotel brands were measured and ranked in four segments: upper upscale, upscale, mid-scale full service and economy. While guest satisfaction with luxury hotels is measured in the study, there is no official hotel ranking in the segment due to an insufficient sample size.
Upper Upscale Segment
Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts ranks highest in the highly competitive upper upscale segment, performing particularly well in the check-in/check-out factor. Hilton Hotels closely follows Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts, performing well in guest room and hotel facilities. Following Hilton Hotels in the segment is Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts, which performs particularly well in food and beverage; check-in/check-out; hotel services; and reservations.
Upscale Segment
Among upscale hotel brands, De Vere Hotels ranks highest in guest satisfaction, performing particularly well in costs and fees; hotel facilities; and reservations. Following De Vere Hotels are AC Hoteles and Meliá Hoteles, in a tie. AC Hoteles performs particularly well in the guest room factor, while Meliá Hoteles performs well in food and beverage.
Mid-Scale Full Service Segment
In the mid-scale full service segment, Clarion ranks highest with segment-leading performances in the costs and fees, food and beverage and hotel services factors. Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn follow Clarion in the segment rankings, respectively, with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts performing particularly well in guest room, hotel facilities, and reservations.
Economy Segment
In the economy segment, Park Inn ranks highest, performing particularly well in four of the seven factors: guest room; check-in/check-out; food and beverage; and hotel facilities. Premier Travel Inn and Tulip Inns follow Park Inn in the rankings, respectively. Premier Travel Inn performs well in three factors: costs and fees; hotel services; and reservations.
The study also finds that, among 38 amenities included in the study, European hotel guests say that complimentary breakfast, wireless Internet access, and a bathtub are the three most important “must-haves.”
“The emergence of wireless Internet access and bathtubs in the list of top must-have amenities reflects that hotel guests crave the comforts and conveniences of home when they travel,” said Hirneise. “It is no longer good enough to offer wireless Internet access in common areas, as has been the case in the past. Customers tell us that they want it in the guest room as well. Also, some newer properties have begun doing away with bathtubs and replacing them with larger and more functional showers. Designers may need to reconsider the bathtub’s importance as they look at future bathroom designs and layouts.”
The study results include the following key findings:
- The number of European hotel guests who say they prefer a non-smoking hotel environment has increased from 69 percent in 2006 to 77 percent in 2007. The desire for a smoke-free environment ranges from 70 percent of residents of Spain, to a high of 87 percent of residents of Sweden.
- The study also finds that more than 50 percent of guests book their hotel reservations online—up from 34 percent in 2005. Independent Web sites—such Expedia and Hotels.com—are continuously ceding market share to hotel brand Web sites, as hotel guests are three times as likely to book reservations through a hotel brand Web site.
The 2007 European Guest Satisfaction Index Study is based on responses from 11,728 guests who stayed at a hotel in Europe between June and September 2007. The study was fielded in August and September 2007.
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
Headquartered in Westlake Village, California, J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. For more information on its 2007 European Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM visit www.JDPower.com
Further information about ecofriendlytourist.com and its guide to eco-friendly places to stay in the UK are available at www.ecofriendlytourist.com
Or contact: webmaster@ecofriendlytourist.com
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