Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London has been certified as a sustainable hotel, following a rigorous assessment by United Certification Systems Limited (UCSL), a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body.

This process acknowledges the hotel’s commitments and dedication towards sustainability, with the assessment covering a range of things, such as operations, the social and economic benefits it generates and how it minimises negative impacts. To find out more, TTG Luxury spoke to Torsten van Dullemen, group director of sustainability, area vice president operations and general manager of Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.

You’re part of a major hotel brand – why is becoming GSTC-certified important for you?

Corporate responsibility values are deeply ingrained in Mandarin Oriental’s culture, and sustainability implications are carefully considered with each and every decision across the group. One of our guiding principles at Mandarin Oriental is ‘acting with responsibility,’ and we have established a programme to direct our efforts towards the wellbeing of the planet, of communities and of individuals.

Being GSTC-Certified* is a testament to our dedication to not only offering luxury but also being responsible stewards of our environment and community. As a leader in the luxury hospitality industry, it is essential for us to set standards and lead by example. Achieving this certification is an acknowledgment our recognition of commitment to sustainable practices while maintaining unparalleled luxury experiences for our guests.

What was the process of becoming GSTC-Certified?

The process was certainly comprehensive and thorough. From initial evaluations to accommodating rigorous on-site audits, it took us several months to become certified by UCSL (the GSTC-Accredited Certification Body). Being situated in the heart of London, there were unique challenges related to space and urban dynamics. However, this certification makes us exceptionally proud as it signifies our commitment to sustainability, even within the urban and historically rich setting of London.

What are some of the challenges you have overcome in order to enhance more sustainable operations at the hotel?

One of the largest challenges we have faced in our quest to do the right thing is to influence the elements we are not directly in control of. Although we are a small player in the world of hospitality, we have a responsibility to use the strength of our brand to amplify our message and put pressure on all our stakeholders and partners to simply do the right thing. 

This can range from encouraging a supplier to deliver once a week rather than twice, to eliminating single-use plastic in their packaging or upgrading their delivery fleet to electric vehicles.

It could also be with our guests, be it encouraging them to take our electric house car rather than a regular car, considering their bed-linen laundry choices or only offering sustainably sourced items on the menus. We have also encountered challenges unique to our property, including the installation of thermal heating tubes on the roof of such a historic building in order to pre-heat the feed water to the boilers, which we are currently in the process of fitting.

How do you make this interesting for guests? 

We have integrated sustainability into their luxury experience where possible, with some elements more visible and obvious than others, for example our shampoo, conditioner and body wash are all luxuriously displayed in refillable bottles. Once empty, they are returned to our partners at Diptyque to refill, allowing no wastage, and if a guest requests bathroom amenities not in bottles, these are provided in aluminium tubes. 

We also proactively change bedding every second day, unless guests place a bamboo fan on their bed, indicating they want their bedding changed daily. This is communicated to guests in a natural way that does not impact their experience of staying with us, and we are continually looking at ways to further communicate our values with guests in this manner, whilst educating them further in how they can also play their part.

What are some of the key ways you have been driving change?

We know that waste is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions, so we proactively influence the waste cycle where we can, and have put in numerous new practices to assist our reduction efforts - for example we operate a zero to landfill policy.

As a part of increasing the recycling percentage and giving back to the community, in 2022 for example we diverted 70Kg of wine and champagne bottle corks from the waste stream. Instead, they were donated to an organisation hiring less privileged youth who repurpose and sell the recycled corks, with part of the profit going back to charity.

We also separate coffee grounds from the waste stream by converting them into high-performance biofuels, which are carbon neutral and reduce the need to use fossil fuels. A total of 4,420Kg tonnes of coffee grounds were collected in 2022! 

With regards to food waste specifically, by collecting food waste in the kitchen in separate bins we collected over 218 tonnes of food waste in 2022. The food waste is recycled into renewable energy, gas, and high quality biofertilizer used in farms around the UK, whilst used kitchen oil is collected and converted into biodiesel. A total of 20.2 tonnes of used cooking oil was recycled in 2022. 

The GSTC Criteria takes into account how you maximise social and economic benefits to the local community – how are you doing that?  

We continually endeavour to engage with, support, and enhance the local community we live within through our partnerships and initiatives. As a group, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group encourages all colleagues to volunteer one day of their time, paid, to a charity of their choice. 

Specifically at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London’s commitment is to complete 4,800 hours of paid charity work in 2023, and across the group this equates to 69,000 of paid charity hours a year.

We strive to fight homelessness by partnering with One Pavement Away, and we fight hunger in the UK by donating time and resources into working with the Felix Project, who ensure struggling families across London have access to food, whilst ensuring there is no food wastage in the process.

We are also a member of Hospitality Action, providing additional support for all our colleagues. We have proactively supported our local neighbours throughout the year, including collaborating with a local artist to create our Christmas Grotto and a local primary school for a festive wishing tree, and we continually partner with local businesses, artisans and suppliers on partnerships and marketing activity to support the local community where we can.

How do you see luxury and sustainability increasingly blending?

Sustainability is no longer a choice; it is a necessity. For the discerning traveller, luxury now encompasses not just opulent experiences but also responsible ones. The future of luxury hospitality lies in offering enriching experiences that also respect and benefit the environment, society, and culture.

At Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, it is important that the team leads the way in ensuring all our initiatives are carried out properly. We take pride in piloting many initiatives before they are rolled out across the wider group, for example our AI-based food waste management software Winnow that we are trialling. This way, we are able to fail small or succeed quickly.

Ultimately, sustainability is about doing the right thing by ourselves, by our colleagues, by our guests, by our families, and by the planet.

*Note: The term “GSTC-Certified” is used as shorthand for “Certified by a Certification Body that is GSTC-Accredited”