We go for Green Key!

Green Key is a well-known international quality mark for sustainable compagnies in the hotel and  leisure branche. You can see from this quality mark what we do to minimize the pressure of our company on nature and the environment. Just doing more than the normal laws and regulations.
The certificate has three levels: bronze, silver and gold. The more environmental measures a hotel has introduced, the higher the ‘environmentally friendly’ level.

In 2018 Kloosterhotel de Soete Moeder has received the GOLDEN Green Key certificate.

Green Key measures from Kloosterhotel de Soete Moeder

Hotel in a national monument

The monastery building is a national monument, it has been converted into a hotel in 2016. In the building plans and construction execution, environmental aspects and sustainability have been taken into account as much as possible. The ‘shell’ of the building (walls, floors, roof) is insulated where possible and double glazing is placed almost everywhere. Regarding regulations, respect for the building and the availability of financial resources, we sometimes have to limit ourselves in making sustainable choices.

Heat recovery

A WTW (Heat recovery installation) is installed in the hotel. This ventilation system ensures a healthy and comfortable indoor climate. Consumed air is extracted by so-called WTW filters, in balance with the fresh air that is blown into the rooms. The heat from extracted air is reused and energy saving.

Manual “climate control”

A hotel room is manually “cooled” by the facility service after checking out the guest. The work instruction states that windows are opened until the room is ready and controlled and that the central heating radiators are set to 0 – 1. In this way we avoid unnecessary energy consumption of not occupied rooms.

Electricity

By placing the key card in the card holder in the room, the electricity in the hotel room is switched on. This prevents the light from burning unnecessarily.

Water

Showers in the hotel rooms have ‘normal’ pressure and give ‘normal’ quantities of liters / minute, because of the guest comfort.
The cleaning method is focused on the limited use of water (microfibre method). An instruction is available for working with the dishwasher. Employees are aware that heating water costs a lot of energy.
Groundwater is used for watering the garden, this comes from a private garden using a pump.

Lighting

LED lighting is mainly used in our hotel. LED consumes less energy than traditional lighting, contains no harmful substances and is healthier because no UV radiation is released. Furthermore, LED lighting is less flammable and therefore safer. Where no LED lighting is used, energy-saving lamps are included.

Cleaning

Our employees and young people are trained in the use of cleaning products so that the right products are always used. Wash devices have dosing applications; this choice takes into account unnecessary pollution of the waste water. Instructions are available for manual additions.

Waste separation

We separate paper / cardboard, plastic, glass and residual waste. Coffee grounds are kept separate and go to the vegetable garden for processing. We also separate cartridges, small chemical waste, construction waste, lamps, garden waste and fats. The underlying idea behind waste separation is that the waste can be recycled.

Hotel linen

The linen used to make the beds is changed after two nights instead of daily.
We also try to reduce the amount of towels that go to the laundry. In the hotel Bible we read: ‘when towels are on the floor, we consider them as dirty’. In this way, the guest can decide for himself how efficiently he wants to deal with the environment without sacrificing comfort.

Paper and ink

Only less environmentally harmful paper is purchased. Where possible we reduce the paper consumption so that no unnecessary printing is done and if there is printing then double-sided.

Construction materials

When renovating, environmentally friendly materials are used as much as possible. For example, the chapel is insulated with a flax blanket. In the restoration, FSC wood was used and the painter worked with water-based paint. We believe reuse is a great way to contribute to reducing waste flows.

Transportation

We have an active bicycle policy. Employees are pointed out the benefit of bicycle use. Good and safe parking facilities are available on the site for cyclists. The hotel rents bicycles.
A charging station is available for electric cyclists on-site, in the bicycle shed. There is a bicycle pump and a bicycle repair kit.
We point guests to the public transport information and public transport facilities nearby.
Guests can park their car in a parking garage. The center of the city is easily accessible on foot, guests receive information.

Local

We work a lot with local entrepreneurs, which means that our menu mainly contains products from the region. This is not only socially responsible, but also fresh and delicious! We reduce CO2 and reduce the footprint.
Examples of these local products: honey, cake, bread, juice.

Employees

We involve employees by informing them about GreenKey and giving space for ideas. There is a Greenkey team with representatives from all departments. Students and trainees are involved as much as possible through extra information and / or participation. The measures taken to reduce the environmental impact are mainly applied by our employees.

The future

Green Key is part of the Foundation for Environmental Education FEE. This is a worldwide organization with members in more than sixty countries. On www.fee-international.org you can read all about the ideal objectives of this organization: care and awareness of nature, the environment and sustainability. So that future generations can also enjoy our beautiful earth.

Corporate Social Responsability

Cooperation with Foundation Bij de Soete Moeder

Our hotel is a social enterprise. The structural cooperation between the Kloosterhotel and the Soete Moeder Foundation ensures that the hotel provides a work experience placement for 20 vulnerable unemployed young people each year. Young people are guided during their work and the counselor of the Foundation takes care of the career guidance and personal guidance. A short training (catering and / or cleaning) is part of the process. Some of these young people will immediately start working in a catering job in the city.

Actieve rol in de buurt en de wijk

The hotel wants to play a connecting role in the neighborhood. Volunteers contribute to various activities in the hotel such as gardening, repairs, kitchen, PR. At NL-Doet in March and on Burendag in September several local residents are ready to roll up their sleeves for a chosen activity.

Internship and training place
Kloosterhotel de Soete Moeder is an ideal environment for an internship. Secondary vocational education and Higher professional education students can do their practical part of the program. For students from other study programs (Secondary special education, pre-vocational) orienting internships are possible. We also work on social internships.

Heir to the heritage
The hotel is a national monument. On request we give guided tours to groups. The history of the monastery, sister life with their education and care tasks and the special characteristics of the monument – with many characteristics of the Amsterdam school style – are explained and can be viewed.
Every year in September we participate in “Open monument day”. This is also the case at the Open Garden Day in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in June.