ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Protecting our amazing pure Cork landscape and environment is very important to us at The Montenotte Hotel. With everyone working together we can look forward to a cleaner and safer environment. We recognise that our business has an important role to play in protecting and enhancing the environment for future generations and to help secure the long-term sustainability of both our hotel and the hospitality Industry.
The Montenotte Hotel is a member of GreenHospitality.ie and GreenTravel.ie which is one of the few Irish environmental certification standards for the hospitality sector and in August 2021, we received our Eco Label accreditation. We are delighted to be part of the Cork Convention Bureau’s GDSI environmental certification programme with GreenHospitality.ie along with several fellow hotelier members in Cork city. We are all working together as Team Cork to improve Cork city as a sustainable meeting and events destination.
We are committed to the implementation of proactive measures to help protect and sustain the environment for future generations of our guests and employees and with this in mind we have created our GREEN DOG PROGRAMME which is our internal environmental program. To minimise our carbon footprint, we have put the below policies in place.
OUR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY & THE GREEN DOG PROGRAMME
At the hotel we are committed to the following sustainable activities:
- To achieve sound environmental practices across our entire operation we measure the following: Our room night carbon factor by kg, our room night water usage by litre, a waste diversion rate % and our energy intensity per metre squared.
- To produce an annual Environmental Plan setting out our Objectives, Targets and Action Plan
- To continuously comply with all the guidelines set out by our membership of GreenHospitality.ie and GreenTravel.ie
- To comply fully with all relevant legislation outlined by the Government of Ireland.
- To reduce and minimize, analyse and report monthly on our waste, electricity, gas, carbon, and water consumption reductions.
- To Reduce, Re-use and Recycle the resources consumed by our business wherever practical
- To invite our suppliers and contractors to participate in our efforts to protect the environment
- Our 10 strong member Green Team led by Green Team leader Bakhti Jienbaev meet every 2 weeks to report and action all green opportunities for the hotel
- To provide all employees with the training and resources required to meet our objectives as part of their induction and monthly training of The Montenotte Way
OUR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY & THE GREEN DOG PROGRAMME CONTINUED...
Throughout the hotel each week have a “Green/Sustainability” training topic for all departments We are also committed to the following sustainable activities:
- To monitor and record our environmental impacts on a regular basis and compare our performance with our policies, objectives, and targets
- The hotel will soon have an electric vehicle charging point onsite by the end of 2021
- Our customers and guests will be made aware of our initiatives, and we will encourage them to help us achieve our environmental goals.
- We also work with CleantheWorld.org on sustainable bathroom initiatives.
- The Hotel itself occupies a 6-acre site where we have our own herb garden, a wild-flower meadow and we are also working on some Beehive opportunities at present for implementation and development of honey in 2022
- All guests receive a “Wildflower seeds gift” on departure from the hotel from our garden to theirs
- An Eco Taxi can be ordered with the reception team at the hotel for our guests with Free Now our Taxi provider giving you a greener way to get around Cork city. This Eco Fleet of cars in Cork forms part of Free Now’s sustainability strategy to achieve 100% zero emissions by 2030.
- We are members of the Cork Chamber’s Enterprise Europe Network and their Sustainable Cork yearlong 2021 Programme entitled ‘Circular Economy Training for SMEs’, which offers businesses the opportunity to engage with circular principles and receive tailored application-based guidance on how these can be adopted across business operations. We are on this programme with other companies from the following sectors: manufacturing, plastics and packaging, construction and the built environment, food, retail, electronics and textiles and fashion
OUR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY EFFORTS
Our extensive corporate social responsibility extends that we currently work with a preferred charity which is TRÓCAIRE with their Women’s Empowerment Programme in Rwanda for their TVET placement project. This project targets to provide scholarship to 50 young women who will be part of TVET Training over the next 2 years as this programme aims to promote the participation of women in society.
We are delighted to join forces with Focus Ireland and Bord Gáis Energy this year as we sleep out on Spike Island and shine a light on homelessness this October 15th 2021.
Our General Manager Brian Bowler and Director of Sales & Marketing, Ray Kelleher along with several business leaders in Cork city and county will sleep out for one night on Friday October 15th, to help raise funds for vital homelessness services on the historic Spike Island, one of Cork’s most iconic attractions.
Corporate support for “Shine a Light Night” is so important, as demand for Focus Ireland’s services has increased over the past year since the Covid-19 outbreak and that’s why we wanted to get involved. This demand is expected to grow further as the economic impact of the virus continues to hit the country and impact the 8,132 people currently homeless in Ireland, including 2,129 children and 930 families in emergency accommodation.
You can support our charity initiative by donating and sponsoring Brian and Ray here .
OUR 2021 KPI’s AND GREEN PLEDGES
For 2021, our KPI's and Green Pledges are as follows:
- We plan to secure a 5% reduction in Water Consumption at the hotel.
- We plan to secure a 6% increase in our Waste Diversion Rate at the hotel to nearly 1/3 of all waste
- Install an electric vehicle charging point onsite at the hotel by end of QTR 4 2021.
GREEN DOG PROGRAMME – HOW YOU CAN HELP TOO..
We would like to enlist the help of YOU, our guests in achieving some of our environmental targets by requesting you to action the following during your stay.
- Turn off lights and electrical equipment when leaving your guest room including phone chargers, laptops, coffee machine
- Turn off taps when they are not in use and be mindful of your water consumption
- Limit the use of air-conditioning or heating where possible and turn it off when a window or door is open
- Shop locally during your stay with us and visit some of the wonderful local attractions that Cork has to offer
- Consider walking or using public transport where possible during your visit.
Should you have any further suggestions as to how we can be more environmentally conscious please let us know!
SUPPORTING BIODIVERSITY
We are delighted to be a supporter of All Ireland Pollinator Plan 2021 – 2025. Taking actions for pollinators-biodiversity such as frequently adding pollinator friendly plants to our Victorian Garden, passionate management of our wildflower meadow, created in 2019, from our head gardener Miguel and his team. In 2021, have added many pots with pollinator friendly plants, which provide food and shelter for pollinating insects and bees throughout the seasons.
The grass moving is carefully planned and so is the planting of bee-friendly bulbs such as Crocus and Snowdrops with flowering in February and March, providing bumblebees with a good start to the new year.
All-Ireland Pollinator Plan aims to reverse these decline of Ireland’s pollinating bees and insects, making the island a place where pollinators can survive and thrive once again.
For more information visit: pollinators.ie
RECYCLING AND LINEN RE-USE
RECYCLING:
- Please use your bedroom bin for paper items, glass, single use plastic bottles and other recyclable materials and the bathroom bin for general waste to make separation easy for your Accommodation team
- Please note that we offer a battery recycling facility at our front desk should you wish to avail of this during your stay
- If you have any queries regarding our recycling programme, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team
LINEN RE-USE:
- Hang up any towels in your guest bathroom that you wish to re-use – please leave towels you wish to be replaced in the bath/shower and these will be replaced when your room is serviced
- For you our guests to have a comfortable stay whilst being mindful of the environment your sheets will be changed on the third day of a long stay unless otherwise requested.
SUSTAINABLE MEETINGS & EVENTS AT THE MONTENOTTE HOTEL
To make your meeting or event as sustainable as possible and in line with our Environmental Policy we are committed to the following:
- Our air-handling units are eco-friendly and only used when required to reduce electricity consumption.
- The lighting in our meeting rooms is produced by energy-efficient bulbs.
- Our main meeting room is bathe with sunlight which assist’s us in reducing the need for artificial light during the summer months.
- All paper and plastic products used during your meeting or event are recycled including menus, conference papers and water bottles.
- We offer tap water instead of bottled water on request to reduce the use of single use plastic bottles
- We ensure lights are turned off in our meeting rooms when they are not in use.
- We e-mail quotations and contracts instead of printing.
- We use local food suppliers with all our food sourced within Ireland to support the local economy and reduce our carbon footprint
- All glass beverage bottles are returned or recycled
- All food waste generated within the premises is disposed of as compostable waste
- We have natural plants in all our meeting rooms to recycle the air you breath.
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The Montenotte blog
LET THE GOOD TIMES BE-GIN IN THE GLASSHOUSE
LET THE GOOD TIMES BE-GIN
With lockdowns a thing of the past (here’s hoping), it is time to let the good times be-gin. Whilst we were closed during the lockdown at the start of the year, our amazing Food & Beverage team worked tirelessly behind the scenes with Blackwater Distillery to create our very own Montenotte Gin inspired by our Victorian gardens.
Having our own gin was an idea our team has spoken about for a long time, but with the reopening of the hotel on the horizon as well as opening of our new stylish rooftop bar, The Glasshouse in August, it was possible to plan again and the Montenotte Gin was born…
The Montenotte blog
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
WE ARE THRILLED TO INTRODUCE THE LATEST ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 'CHECKING IN' TO THE MONTENOTTE HOTEL
Continuing with our long-standing heritage and commitment to supporting the arts and creating memorable experiences for our guests, we are delighted to announce that the latest Artist in Residence ‘checking in’ at the hotel, is a collection by the renowned contemporary artist Peter Dee who is showcasing his first ever solo exhibition here at The Montenotte Hotel.
The exhibition will take place in the hotel until January 2022 as part of our Artist in Residence programme, in association with The Gallery Kinsale which is now in its fourth year running. The programme aims to support local Irish artists by offering a six month tenure to showcase at the hotel, where guests and visitors can peruse and enjoy at their leisure.
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The Montenotte blog
THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER TO US
The Numbers That Matter to Us
Well hello 2021, 6 months in……………as we reflect back on a the first 6 months of a year like no other, which will in time be a “moment in history”… we had a look at the NUMBERS THAT MATTERED to us. As the old gameshow was 15 to 1, we have gone with 20,000 to 1 in our look back on the first 6 months of 2021 for all things The Montenotte Hotel as we prepared to reopen the hotel again to the our valued guests on the 2nd June.
So…
We refurbished..
We introduced new services..
We welcomed new team members..
We won awards..
We continued to innovate and engage..
We prepared and planned..
Montenotte Hotel
Middle Glanmire Road, Cork, Ireland T23 E9DXTel.: +353 21 453 0050
Email: reservations@themontenottehotel.com
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