Case Studies

Hotel Doolin, in County Clare, is the only certified carbon-neutral hotel in Ireland.

Hotel Doolin has won Best Medium Sized Organisation 2018 & 2019 across all organisations at the Green Awards,  the Tourism & Entertainment Green Award in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Environment Award in 2019.

Their Purchasing Manager and Green Team Leader, Áine Martin (right), was awarded Irish Hospitality Institute’s Hospitality Manager of the Year, Environmental & Facilities in 2019. 

“Don’t be scared. Be open with your communication and willingness to start.”

Examples of sustainability at Hotel Doolin

Grow your own

In 2019 Hotel Doolin upgraded from a 20-foot to 50-foot polytunnel to grow its own food produce, saving €6,000 across the year, and improving customer and guest satisfaction. 70% of food the hotel does buy in comes from within a 30-kilometre radius of the hotel.

Air to Water Heating

The hotel implemented an air to water heating system throughout the hotel and reduced its oil consumption by 41% in 2019 on 2018. The system is less manual than oil or gas, as well as cheaper, better and cleaner. The hotel now uses 100% green electricity.

Do Not Disturb

Every bedroom in Hotel Doolin has a Do Not Disturb sign. The hotel was ordering circa 1,000 paper signs per year. A staff-member interested in carpentry was commissioned to make wooden Do Not Disturb signs instead. The initial cost matched one year’s printing costs (€400-500), but with no recurring or disposal costs. The signs are unique, more luxurious looking, and easier to clean and sanitize.

Go GEO

Hotel Doolin is based in the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. It takes its responsibility to look after the environment and community seriously. As a member of ‘Leave No Trace Ireland’ (a network of organisations and individuals with an interest in promoting the responsible recreational use of the outdoors), Hotel Doolin provides guests with information on travel using sustainable transport and leaving no trace during their visit to the Geopark.

Wedding Trees

In 2018, Hotel Doolin decided to plant 10 native trees locally per wedding to offset the carbon emission of each wedding that took place in the hotel. In last two years it has planted 1,700 trees with a charity called HomeTree.ie. Each tree costs circa €4, and offsets one tonne of carbon. In 2017, the total tonnes of carbon the hotel produced was 465 tonnes; in 2019, through different initiatives, this figure was reduced to 110 tonnes, all of which was offset all through the planting of trees. Wedding couples love the initiative and there has been a significant increase in the hotel’s wedding business.  

Green Team

The Green Team is a programme led by Áine, where sub teams of staff manage four programmes – energy, water, waste, and CSR and green purchasing. The teams meet once every 2–3 months for an hour to review and plan