More and more hotels in Portugal are putting sustainability policies in place.
For me it matters to talk about what hotels are doing on sustainability, because as someone who loves to travel I think it is important that we become more and more aware of the care hotels take over the planet.
At the beginning of October 2020 I went to visit the Ecork Hotel Évora to find out about the hotel’s sustainable practices.
The first and most obvious thing is the photovoltaic panels you can see installed, which are used to supply energy to the main building, where the restaurant, reception, bar, spa and pool are. Part of the energy that building uses is generated by these panels, heating the water for the main building, for instance (done through solar thermal panels).
Of course the Alentejo has a big advantage over the north, since it gets sun for more of the year, but that does not mean these panels could not be used anywhere in the country and on any building.
I got to understand how the photovoltaic panels work, and I also went off discovering the animals that wander around the resort 🐓 🐑 🐂
One of this hotel’s characteristics, in fact, is preserving the nature around it and blending into the landscape. What most sets it apart is that the main building is entirely clad in cork.
Then there are other details around the resort, such as the outdoor lighting. You can see small lamps powered by integrated solar panels.
Do you also think small details make the difference? 💡 🌿
