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HOTEL ATRIO ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC POLICY

Aware of the ecological challenges we face today, Hotel Átrio is committed to ensuring a positive relationship between its business and the environment. The hotel has held the Green Key certification since 2019 and works diligently to minimize or eliminate unsustainable influences. The team strives to implement environmental and social best practices that enhance environmental management within the hotel and promote Environmental Education for Sustainability.

The hotel offers a wide range of beneficial initiatives for a greener world—from significant investments in photovoltaics to the development of its own vegetable garden. These initiatives include:

Energy Efficiency and Solar Power

  • Elimination of gas consumption and reduction of electricity: Reducing energy consumption lessens our dependence on finite fossil fuels, lowers costs, and cuts air pollution.

    • To eliminate gas, the hotel invested €80,000 in heat pumps for water and room heating.

    • To reduce electricity usage, €75,000 was invested in photovoltaic energy, including 150 solar panels (55 KW capacity) and 18 solar thermal panels.

  • Energy Storage: Installation of 16 kWh batteries to manage solar electricity during peak hours (an investment of €10,000).

  • High-Efficiency Construction: Three new bungalows built in 2015 were designed with A+ Energy rating standards.

  • Efficient Appliances: Use of appliances that exceed standard requirements, with recent purchases rated A+++.

Water Management

  • Reduction of water consumption: To conserve limited water resources and reduce the energy needed for treatment and transport, Hotel Átrio uses levada water (traditional irrigation channels) for its garden and vegetable patch, supported by a 180m³ irrigation well.

  • Flow Restrictors: Domestic water use is minimized through low-pressure faucets and reduction valves in laundry and dishwashing machines.

  • Towel Policy: Towels are only changed upon guest request to save water, energy, and detergent.

Waste Management and Circularity

  • Active Waste Management: We have significantly reduced the use of plastic trash bags.

  • Composting: Roughly 10kg of waste per day is composted for our 17,000 m² garden. This reduces general waste to about 600-700g per guest, far below the industry average (which is typically 2kg per room for hotels without restaurants/laundry).

  • Elimination of Single-Use Items: We have renounced disposable tableware and individual portions (single-use sachets) in the restaurant to cut down on plastic and food waste.

  • Filtered Tap Water: We serve filtered tap water in the restaurant and rooms to eliminate plastic bottle waste.

Sustainable Mobility

  • Electric Vehicle (EV) Chargers: Implementation of two 7 kWh chargers to encourage guests—many of whom use car rentals—to choose electric options.

  • Hotel Fleet: 2/3 of the hotel’s own fleet consists of electric vehicles.

Operations and Social Responsibility

  • Digitalization: Shifting from paper to digital records to save ink, paper, and storage energy.

  • Eco-friendly Cleaning: Using microfiber cloths instead of paper towels to reduce chemical and paper consumption.

  • Social Responsibility: Donation of food to food banks, furniture/bedding to local charities, and books to the Funchal International Library. We also make bi-annual donations to CARITAS, Animal Protection Associations, and food aid programs.

  • Vegetarian Options: Development of vegetarian menus to provide greener and more inclusive dining options.

  • Local and Organic Sourcing: The hotel produces most of its own fruits, vegetables, and herbs. When not produced on-site, we prioritize organic and regional products.

  • Smoke-Free Environment: The hotel is 100% non-smoking.