Shaping a sustainable hotel sector together

For example, the designer hotel The Gibson offers its guests various relaxing indoor and outdoor green lounge areas. On the operational side, an updated, digital building management system makes it possible to record and evaluate resource consumption, which optimises the operation of the building’s systems. These and other qualities have been confirmed by the first BREEAM In-Use certification for a hotel in Ireland.

Sustainable tourism meets real estate investment

Sustainability has been a hot topic for many years in the hotel and tourism sector. Discussions within the industry cover everything from selecting the type of holiday and destination and choosing the means of transport through to how sustainable everyday life is at resorts. At Deka Immobilien, we play a part in this development through the hotels we invest in, which are mainly in central urban locations, and make an active contribution to sustainability together with the hotel operators. Since tenants have greater operational responsibility in the hotel asset class than in other asset classes, there is an increasing need for the companies and individuals involved to actively work together to improve the sustainability qualities of buildings.

Sustainability in operations

Through its Living Green environmental programme, the Dalata Group aims to reduce energy and water consumption as well as waste generation in its buildings. The progress it has made is published in the annual report of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a respected non-profit organisation.

Building on the Dalata Group’s environmental programme, the first step involved teaming up with Deka Immobilien to obtain BREEAM In-Use certification for the Dublin properties The Gibson and Clayton Charlemont, both of which were rated Very Good according to the recognised green building standard.

In the second step, the Clayton Hotel in Birmingham was certified Very Good, and a rating of Good was awarded to the Maldron Smithfield Hotel and the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road in Dublin.

This sustainable approach to certification is of particular importance to the Dalata Group and Deka Immobilien. In addition to improvements in economic criteria, progress is also being made in terms of creating a feel-good climate and enhancing the quality of guests’ stay at the hotel.

The Gibson is the first certified hotel property in Ireland. The main factors that earned the hotel this recognition were active management in the area of energy efficiency, the use of rainwater in hotel operations and a diversified waste concept.

The Gibson’s other strong points include natural ventilation and plenty of daylight. The hotel entrance has a three-storey atrium with a green wall. There are green spaces throughout the building, including accessible courtyards and terraces, as well as a green roof area. All of these features improve the building’s carbon footprint, provide a habitat for native species and reduce stormwater run-off from the building, mitigating the risk of flooding in surrounding areas.

The BREEAM In-Use certification system for The Gibson in Dublin addresses the following UN Sustainable Development Goals, among others: