European Eco-Hotels in Bruges, Paris, Prague and Vienna

Hotel Heritage, Bruges, Belgium

Last week, we shared some thoughts about bike-sharing and bio (i.e. organic) food from our recent European trip.

During our 4-country jaunt, we also made a point of trying to stay as often as possible at eco-hotels.

Before we get into specifics, here are two general thoughts on the European eco-hotel scene:

1) When researching the trip, we were surprised to find that the U.S. hotel industry may actually have somewhat of a head start over its European counterparts. Here, chains like Element and NYLO are popping up based strongly on an eco mindset. We didn't find anything similar overseas. We also didn't find anyplace as emphatically green as say, the Gaia Napa Valley hotel with its Solatube skylights, recycled carpeting, low VOC paints, solar panels, recycling bins, chemical-free landscaping, etc...

2) On the other hand, some hotels that don't necessarily advertise themselves as "eco" still incorporate smart ideas that U.S. hotels could copy to reduce their eco footprint. Most of the hotels where we stayed had a master room switch by the door so that guests could conveniently turn off all the lights in the room on their way out. Several hotels that use key cards also had a slot on the wall just inside the door into which the card had to be inserted in order for lights and TV to function. As a result, guests taking their keys with them when they left for the day (or to check out) would inevitably turn off all the lights simply by lifting their key card from the slot. Both ideas - one convenient, the other a bit more draconian - could help U.S. hotels save energy.

Now here are our top eco-hotel picks and reviews for the cities we visited:

Bruges, Belgium - The Hotel Heritage does not specifically bill itself as an "eco hotel", but several elements of its recent renovations should win points for an eco sensibility. For one thing, the hotel has made a point of trying to install energy-efficient LED lights. The Hotel Heritage also cleverly rigged their A/C system so that if a guest opens the window the A/C shuts off rather than trying to cool the outdoors. Incidentally, Bruges itself (or "Brugge" as it is officially known) is just as charming and romantic as everyone says. The Hotel Heritage amps up this romance factor with a tiny rooftop deck perfect for moongazing.

Paris - How eco-friendly is the Hotel Gavarni? This little property is so determined to stake out an eco stance that it's even developed a website called Green Hotel Paris.

What does this mean in practice? Starting this month, the hotel says it is installing new trash bins that will make it easier for guests to separate recyclables. On the breakfast buffet, Gavarni says that it makes a point of offering fair trade food, while using biodegradable and environmentally-friendly cleaning and maintenance products.

A member of the Hotels and Preference group, Gavarni also tries to offset pollution generated by its business by making contributions to GoodPlanet.org, a foundation created by photographer Yann Arthus Bertrand to promote sustainable development and offset global warming.

Prague - The Residence Belgicka by MaMaison carries the European Ecolabel, signaling the hotel's commitment to green policies. Getting the Ecolabel certification isn't easy. (I believe there are only four hotels in the entire Czech Republic that have qualified thus far.) Properties have to submit a long application detailing their performance in at least 20 product categories encompassing everything from light bulbs to tissue paper, from mattresses to cleaners, from office PCs to refrigerators and more. The overall goal is to reduce energy consumption, reducing consumption of chemical substances contained in detergents and disinfectants, and reduce unsorted waste production.

Apart from its eco qualities, Residence Belgicka was certainly one of the nicest places we stayed during several weeks of European travel. Designed to handle long-term business travelers, the Residence feels like an exclusive apartment building. Our room had both sleeping and living areas with a full kitchen including stovetop and microwave.

In the hotel's basement, there was a self-service laundry room, which proved to be worth its weight in gold after two weeks of living out of a suitcase. The basement also contained a fitness room and even a billards room, both of which seemed empty throughout the weekend that we stayed.

The breakfast is basic, but the hotel's manager did say that she hopes to add some bio/organic food items soon as soon as suppliers can accommodate her. Rates start around 115 Euros per night (for a studio apartment) in October, which seems like very good value.

If you don't mind traveling a bit further by tram from the center of Prague, another good eco option is the Hotel Adalbert, located at Brevnov Monastery, the oldest Monastery in the Czech Republic. According to the hotel literature, monks have been living at Brevnov for more than 1,000 years.

Named after the monastery's founder (St. Adalbert) and located inside the former convent, Hotel Adalbert was the first Czech Republic hotel to receive EU Ecolabel certification. You'll notice that the hotel has reduced waste by eliminating little bottles of soap and shampoo in favor of wall-based dispensers. 

Hotel Adalbert was the only we stayed in Europe that has already placed special trash containers in the rooms so that guests can separate paper and plastic from other garbage. You can read all about the hotel's eco initiatives here. (Note that the hotel lists the absence of air conditioning as an eco point. While it is certainly true that eliminating A/C can save energy, you may want to keep this in mind if planning a trip to Prague in the middle of July...)

One tip - the on-site restaurant Klasterni Senk appears to be very popular (at least on the weekends). We would suggest booking in advance if you'd like to have the convenience of eating within the monastery and having a short walk back to your room after dinner.

(Oh and it's not particularly eco, but we have to give a strong recommendation to Pizzeria Groseto, where the pizza was so good, the prices so reasonable and the service so friendly that we ate there 4 out of the 5 nights we were in town!)

Vienna - Definitely the swankest eco hotel we experienced in Europe, the Hotel Altstadt feels like a private home. (A very expensive private home furnished with a sexy modern art collection.) We were lucky enough to stay one of the rooms recently restyled by designer Matteo Thun. If you've got a special romantic occasion to celebrate, the Felix suite will certainly help set the right mood.

What's more, you can feel good about staying at a property that's been awarded the Austrian equivalent of the EU Ecolabel. (If you read German, here's a link to the Umweltzeichen program in which Altstadt participates.)

In practical terms, this means that the Altstadt uses lots of recycled paper supplies, buys food from local suppliers for its tasty buffet, choose the safest biodegradable cleaning products and gives its employees a subsidy toward the use of public transportation. 

The hotel has also installed energy-saving lighting systems -- many of the hallway lights use motion detectors so that they only turn on when necessary. If you're sensitive to cigarette smoke, you'll be relieved to know that all rooms are non-smoking. The hotel has even taken the energy-saving step of agreeing not to illuminate any outdoor signage. The effect is to make the hotel seem even more like a private and exclusive Viennese hideaway.