April 28, 2008

URBN Hotel: China’s First Carbon Neutral Hotel

URBN Hotel is one of a slew of new boutique, designer hotels that have popped up in Shanghai over the past year. These boutique hotels typically offer personalized tours of the city, tai qi, cooking and Mandarin classes, along with a luxurious room experience.

Opened in December of 2007, URBN separates itself from the pack as it is China’s first carbon neutral hotel. In addition to implementing energy savings and recycling throughout the hotel, URBN offsets their carbon footprint by purchasing credits “to neutralize its footprint by investing in “green” energy development and emission reduction projects in China. Hotel guests can also choose to purchase carbon credits from the program to offset their flights.”

Last weekend, URBN held a small eco-fair for small companies and organizations to promote and sell their services and goods. While we could not find any literature mentioning the carbon neutral initiative in the the ultra-hip lobby, we hope they are staying true to their promise.

URBN Hotel

Article categories: Design, Environmental, Ethical Consumerism, Lifestyle, Transport & Travel, Trends In Asia