More and more people want to do everything to protect the planet and it goes through a green travel. Being green is one of the most important aspect of the Hotel Gavarni.

Gavarni Hotel located a few steps from the Trocadero and the famous Eiffel Tower is the most regular customers. So if you are already occurred to Gavarni Hotel, it is likely that you return!

Some customers choose non-ecological Gavarni Hotel. “We must make people understand why we do what we do and you chose the hotel Gavarni so you should make an effort to be green.” – Xavier Moraga, General Manager.

Starting from September, a small note will be placed in each room to tell visitors the concept of the hotel and advice such as: “Turn out the lights before leaving the room”, etc.

A box for the collection of batteries is available in all rooms, but also at the reception. In September each room is equipped with a tray for sorting waste. Small, it will be divided into two compartments (one for the packaging and the other for garbage).

Small-to-few, Hotel Gavarni implements green policy for the happiness of the planet.

Photo: Activerain.com

This fully non-smoking establishment is fitted with a reversible air conditioning system which works on a two-in-one principle: by reversing the same technology, it provides both air conditioning in summer and standard heating in winter. In addition to the obvious space-saving considerations, this also provides significant energy savings.
I don’t aim to impose anything on our guests but rather inform them and encourage them to be environmentally-friendly. Given the number of guests we welcome here at the Gavarni every year, I think we really can make an impact.
In the bedrooms, small signs invite guests to use lighting and bath towels responsibly. As far as is reasonable, we also invite guests to travel on public transport or – a more recent innovation – use the “Vélib” self-service bikes: we supply plans of where the bike stations are located.
Then of course there is the neighbourhood itself, where we are lucky to have broad, tree-lined avenues, gardens, the Champ de Mars Park and even the Bois de Boulogne!

One of our landmark projects is to obtain the European Ecolabel certification in the “tourist accommodation” category. We have carried out all the necessary procedures and our application is currently being processed. Ecolabel (www.eco-label.com) is a certification system destined to help European consumers identify greener products and services which are more environmentally-friendly. Some of the practices it indicates include particularly economical energy and water consumption, reduced waste production, the use of renewable resources and the raising of guests’ awareness of environmental issues. In France, certification is granted by the Association française de normalisation (www.afnor.org). It represents the efforts undertaken by establishments to be more environmentally-friendly. Although certification is expensive – which means that some “green” establishments do not attempt to obtain it – this does not explain why France is lagging so far behind in this field! There are no more than 10 or so certified establishments in France, most of which are hotels in the Best Western chain. This is a tiny number compared to countries like Italy and Denmark. Even in the United States, the worst polluter on the planet, “Green Hotel” chains have emerged…
Although it’s expensive, I think it will pay off in the long term! It’s one way of raising awareness of environmentally-friendly initiatives and attracting guests who share our convictions. It would be a reward of sorts for all our labours. The certification commission should be meeting soon, so perhaps we will have a pleasant surprise for the hotel’s centenary!

It would be impossible to list everything we have done in favour of the environment, so here are just a few of the key measures.

The hotel’s carbon balance has been calculated this year, enabling us to assess the CO2 produced by all our activities, from staff travel to deliveries. This must be calculated to pay the Action Carbone foundation (www.actioncarbone.org) the exact amount required to offset these emissions. The foundation then reinvests this money in various environmental initiatives.

100% of the energy purchased by the hotel is generated using renewable energy sources: wind, geothermal and solar power. This is certified by the “kWH équilibre plus” contract which we have signed with EDF. In addition, EDF is committed to paying on part of the price we pay them to fund the Cisel project, so the hotel is also participating indirectly in the development of solar power!

The hotel is also an approved Collection Centre for spent batteries. We are authorised to have a collection bin accessible to anyone who wants to recycle their batteries. This is of vital importance, because the heavy metals contained in a battery are toxic and harmful for the environment.

Wherever possible, we serve our guests produce which is organically farmed and/or fairtrade for breakfast.

We use a cleaning product dispenser which enables us to use less water and less of the cleaning products themselves – and these too have ecolabel certification.
We have recently installed state-of-the-art ecological showers, which recover and recycle some of the water used!

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Green hotels are very few in France. The hotel Gavarni, one of the first, is on the road thanks to the beliefs of one man, deeply committed in this project… its hotelkeeper, Xavier Moraga.

Hoosta : « What are your motives ? »
Xavier Moraga : « Beliefs, only. It’s a personal approach. What I did at home since a few years now, I want to do it in my hotel. To use goods from organic farming, because of food hygiene and health, for example. Fair trade, energy conservation, carbon emissions must be taken into account. If it wasn’t by the past, today the subject can’t be ignored! »

Hoosta : « Are you a pioneer ? »
Xavier Moraga : « Not a pioneer, but one of the first. Towards sustainable development, France is really behind other countries, and hotel business is not an exception. Just for example, there is only one hotel in Paris which carry the European eco-label and less than ten in France. The European eco-label helps consumers to distinguish greener, more environmentally friendly products and rewards the establishment for its efforts in favour of sustainable development. But applying for this certification is expansive, that’s why some hotelkeepers don’t want to become involved in. But theses cases are very few. By the way, organic market is little developed for societies and the government’s policies to encourage companies to save energy or do more selective sorting of their trash are nonexistent. »

Hoosta : « This decision isn’t easy to carry on ? »
Xavier Moraga : « And, that’s why I stress on the terms of belief and choice. It’s an obstacle course that takes a lot of times. In most cases, we receive no help, no information and, sometimes, no answer! Nowadays, one of the main problems we must face is the little development of the organic market for societies. Organic farming is still in its early stages. We suffer from a lack of choices and we can’t find the packaging appropriated to our occupation. We always have to look for cleaning products and foodstuffs suppliers but also for facilities. To become involved in the green cause is a real revolution, source of considerable changes and expenses. »

Hoosta: «Why did you become a hotelkeeper?»
Xavier Moraga: «Incidentally and out of necessity. I attended lessons in computer engineering and in design! After my studies, I did my military service. Only one year, but when I came home, I didn’t success to find an interesting job, as my speciality advances really fast… So I changed my mind and began a training in hotel business! I entered the hotel Gavarni as a receptionist, it was eleven years ago… Why the hotel business, you may ask? Two reasons: speak foreign languages, I was already speaking four at that time, and for the importance of human intercourse.»

Hoosta: «What balance would you strike today?»
Xavier Moraga: «I don’t regret anything! I love this job, even if I don’t feel like a real hotelkeeper in the way that I learnt, and continue to do so, by practising whereas most of the people got that in school. And, the hotel is like me: welcoming and friendly. Moreover, everyday is different, what won’t be possible in a bigger hotel or a chain. Nevertheless, I didn’t forget my first loves… Since my arrival at Gavarni, I have created a society specialized in design and then, an other one in import/export of goods from the Philippines. I’m the kind of man who has plans, takes up challenges and gives concrete expression to his dreams!»

Hoosta: «What did you change since you became the manager of the hotel five years ago?»
Xavier Moraga: «We renovated the hotel in 2004-2005, mainly the ground floor and the veranda’s creation. That work allowed me to apply my gifts in engineery and to become my self architect! By the way, I’m considering to buy an other establishment we would renove from top to bottom! But this is not the main change… Since two years now, the hotel has become involved in the respect of environment and sustainable development. A decision that revolutionize the hotel and costs a lot.»