Lahinch Coast Hotel Green Policy

We have an ongoing commitment to ensuring that we operate in as sustainable manner as possible.

From our policies on laundry and plastic, we understand our responsibilities and ensure this is at the heart of our operations.

We recognise the impact of our business on the environment and are committed to conducting the hotel in a way that ensures environmental sustainability.

We have commissioned a full energy audit completed with a sustainable focus. A separate audit will be completed on our plant and machinery room in Autumn 2023 and we are committed to implementing sustainable improvements.

We are undertaking the following actions to strive to responsibly lessen our impact on the environment wherever we sensibly can, by: 

- We are factoring the environment in our everyday decision making at management meetings and consults with our employees.
- We are raising awareness and encouraging our staff to carry out more sustainable business practices by informing and involving them at induction and at regular training sessions.
- Recycling paper, newspapers, glass, batteries, fluorescent and long-life bulbs, cans and cartridges.
- Operating a ‘switch off’ policy for office staff to turn off computer equipment, printers fans and lighting when not in use.
- All guest bedrooms have energy saving boxes for electricity
- For guest stayovers the option of not having your bedrooms serviced and us of card with options of requesting by ticking any room items to be replenished.
- Bed linens not changed daily unless requested, we have a 3^rd day linen change for stay-on’s.
- Reducing our usage of harmful cleaning chemicals and replacing these with eco-friendly products wherever possible.
- Reducing our usage of paper by printing double sided and QR Code alternative options on guest welcome letter and guest activity information.
- Encouraging our guests to explore the local attractions on foot by providing information on walking routes. We have walking maps to local attractions in our room directories. Including The Burren Discovery Trail. (QR code also).
- Movement lighting in our corridors
- Porter’s store /guest luggage store has been upgraded with sensor lighting
- We have replaced our Glass mineral water bottles with Tetra pack waters in guest bedrooms complimentary. We are currently exploring the option of refillable water stations on guest corridor.
- We offer complimentary filtered water to all guests for breakfast, lunch and dinner we do not sell large mineral water to avoid additional glass use.
- Our Head chef has a policy to incorporate as many local suppliers as possible for lower food miles and supporting local – examples of this are wonderful local artisan suppliers such as Burren Smoked Salmon, Burren Aillwee Cheese , Clare Jam
- Trying to steer away from “single use” on breakfast buffet-individual yogurt pots and smoothie shots now made & portioned by kitchen team
- All gifts / amenities purchased locally – Clare Jam, Wilde Irish Chocolate, Moher Soap co. Local Wild Seaweed gift packs from local beach.

We will continue to:

- Use low energy light bulbs in public areas where possible.
- Monitor our energy consumption of gas, electricity and water.
- Use email where possible to reduce the use of paper.
- Reservations /Front office / Accounts  have SOP’s avoiding unnecessary printing including the option of emailing guest bills on departure.
- Turn off unnecessary lights and taps.
- Buy in bulk
- Reusing boxes, bubble wrap large packaging for lost property as much as possible
- Nespresso pods – collected by Lryeco
- Kitchen food waste minimised and training on a regular basis.
- Our HACCP management system which is overseen by an external company Catercare have Kitchen Waste an additional focus on training with the help of our waste company Clean Ireland.
- We have a cardboard / paper compactor.
- Sales team no longer use brochures and rates card – all emailed on follow up
- Cooked food is offered to employees at the end of food service.
- Keep kitchen extraction units,  Bain Marie, Breakfast buffet unit, ovens, gas, wash up equipment only on when required
- Avoid single use packaging on breakfast buffet (please note this has not reverted back as we are still mindful of Covid)

We are working on projects to:

- Update our website with green travel information
- Continue to reduce our energy consumption by 10% by looking at energy saving devices such as additional movement lighting,
- Continuing with implementing LED lighting.
- Use more organic produce, seasonal vegetables and local produce.
- Use recycled paper internal use
- Our guest magazines are given to local secondary schools for art class.
- Get involved in local community projects.
- Looking at systems for water reduction. We will always comply with the law in all our actions and will continuously review our policy to improve our environmental impact.
- We are looking into a guest refillable water station for guests to refill water complimentary
- We have invested in Electric Car Chargers Equipment  for guests and Employees – this work is being carried out in Autumn 2023
- Considerable investment throughout the hotel on Windows and doors to avoid drafts.

The Lahinch Coast Hotel is dedicated to balancing our commitment to our Green Policy without compromising on the comfort, standards and enjoyment of our guests

Green Policy for our Guests
We would like to enlist the help of our guests in achieving our aims by asking them to:

- We have energy saving boxes in all our guest rooms – this ensures electrically is not being used unless your keycard is inserted and you are in the room.
- Turn off taps.
- Limit the use of fan being turned on in room if a fan has been requested and turn it off when a window or door is open to the outside.
- Leave newspapers out of the bins so they can be collected separately by the housekeeping staff.
- Towel and Linen Policy
Our policy is to ensure that guests have a comfortable stay. Therefore sheets will be changed every third day for a long stay guest and towels will be changed as required. Guests are asked to place all towels to be changed into the bath.

Spare Books
If you have any spare books that are in good condition which you no longer want, please leave them on the desk in your room and the hotel will offer them to other guests or donate to charity

Walking Maps
Walking maps to local attractions are available complimentary at Reception (printed on recycling paper).

We very much welcome your support in achieving our aims and we appreciate any recommendations you have to further improve the hotel’s environmental performance.

Please feel free to email us any suggestions you might have.