Ambassade Hotel welcomes guests to Amsterdam’s golden age

Green Globe is proud to announce that it has for the first time certified the Ambassade Hotel in Amsterdam for sustainable operations and management. The hotel is remarkable in its ability to engage a wide range of sustainability activities that support both its business as well as the heritage of its local community that dates from the 17th century.

Maro van Andel, Adjunct Directeur at Ambassade Hotel said, “The best thing about working with Green Globe is that we are now formalizing what we have started years ago like Recycling, Green Energy and Organic Cotton and other initiatives. This shows our sustainability program started from a genuine motivation and is a top down supported program.”

Quality and continuous improvement are key attributes of the Ambassade Hotel. These attributes of course relate to the quality of the guest-experience, but also relate to the quality of the staff. This is based on their belief that a satisfied and knowledgeable staff is a prerequisite for a satisfied guest.

The Ambassade Hotel also holds itself responsible for the effect it has on the quality of its locale and the environment. Being located in a UNESCO World Heritage site, the hotel plays a role in the sustainable quality of life in this extraordinary place. More broadly the Ambassade Hotel recognizes that the vitality of the environment and the social surroundings are essential for the vitality of the organization.

Hotel Ambassade’s sustainability plan is based on the idea that quality and sustainability are inextricably linked. The three pillars of this plan are: People and Market; Heritage & Community; and Environment. The nearby town and its community are all part of the guest experience, so the hotel therefore works for the sustainable management of not just only its property, but all the local environment.

All departments in the hotel contribute to the sustainability plan.

In Housekeeping: eco-friendly cleaning materials are used along with OEKE certified linen for the beds and there is of course a focus on separating all waste.

In the Front Office and Reservations: all guests are offered eco-friendly transportation. All distances around the city are explained in walking minutes (e.g. distance to the museum is a 15-minute walk). The use of electric taxies by Tesla is promoted and guests often prefer this kind of transport. And as everyone knows bicycling is also a great way of getting around Amsterdam.

The Technical Department: Installs LED lights throughout the hotel and this year all light bulbs will be replaced by LEDs. Recycling is a major priority as the hotel is located in historical canal houses and there is limited space for storage and waste collection. A glass grinder for used bottles reduces the space needed for waste storage, as does the compactor used for paper and cardboard boxes. The reduction of waste volume also means fewer picks ups. And recently the plastic and paper being recycled has grown and created and income stream from sale of this material.

Since the beginning of 2016 all energy and gas is from green suppliers. Electrical energy is from renewable sources and gas is either from biogas or offset with credits supporting forestation.

In the Food & Beverage Department: The Brasserie Ambassade prefers to plan its menu based on seasonal, regional and organic produce. And there are always vegetarian options on all courses of the weekly menus. The hotel shares its Code of Conduct and preference for responsible sourcing with its top 20 suppliers. which account for 93.5% of hotel spend. So far 10 of the suppliers, accounting for 74.5% of the budget have responded favorably. The hotel also proudly promotes its Green Meetings with all the meeting rooms using green energy and serving organic and/or fair-trade options such as organic coffee.

Culturally the Ambassade Hotel enjoys promotion of the arts and has built a name for being a writers’ hotel with a book collection of 4000 books all signed by authors that have stayed in the hotel. The hotel owner is also a collector of CoBrA art, a European avant-garde movement linked to Amsterdam. The art pieces are shown throughout the whole hotel from lobby to room and from meeting room to brassiere.

Since September 2016 a new initiative has begun, the so-called Literary Salon. On the last Sunday of the month the hotel neighbors are invited to join as a writer is interviewed (often by other writers), discussing topics related to a new book release or linked to local occurrences and events in the Netherlands. The meetings are free of charge and guests receive coffee or tea at the start of the evening and a drink and bite to eat afterwards while they meet with the authors.

Another hotel initiative is the Mokums Mecenaat (mokum means Amsterdam). With this initiative companies and individuals can join a fund to support art or other culture related initiatives. Mokums Mecenaat also provides a platform for networking.

Being located in Amsterdam’s canal district, which is classified a UNESCO World Heritage site, means a big responsibility when it comes to maintaining the hotel’s buildings. This year additional efforts were made to restore ornamentation of the buildings, bringing back and preserving Amsterdam’s traditional architectural design.

Amidst the Amsterdam canals, located in 12 beautifully restored 17th century canal houses, the Ambassade Hotel welcomes its guests. The historic ambience, subtly combined with modern comforts, exudes an atmosphere of discrete luxury and offers a unique and inspiring setting for a visit to Amsterdam. Whether guests enjoy a carefully prepared dinner at Brasserie Ambassade or a night in one of 57 unique rooms, they can always count on an excellent, personal, courteous and attentive service.

Green Globe is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). For information, please visit greenglobe.com