Guest accommodation sustainability in action – The Bell Hill Apartments
When the team behind the newly renovated Bell Hill Apartments in Dunedin started selecting the guest amenities, they turned to local suppliers to showcase the best of New Zealand’s South Island.
The soap they wanted to use in the bathrooms was no exception. Only the best would do for the discerning guests staying at this luxury guest accommodation for short-term stays.
Hotel manager Dan Gin explains, “We wanted to use local products to show off the best of what Dunedin has to offer. We were looking for handmade soaps rather than generic shampoos.”
Preserving the past while looking to the future
Sustainability is at the heart of the Bell Hill Apartments’ renovation, which took 18 months to complete. The luxury apartments, set in the heart of the city overlooking First Church, have been uniquely designed to the highest standards by Kiwi heritage architect Ian Butcher. Owner Andrew Bosworth was keen to maintain the building’s 120-year heritage while implementing sustainability throughout the rebuild.
While the classical façade typical of New Zealand’s early 19th-century architecture has been retained, the interior has had a sympathetic makeover. The original timber and fitments were reclaimed for interior furnishings, a pleasing marriage of old and new. The apartments are also super insulated and have low E argon-filled double-glazed windows to preserve heat, reducing energy consumption.
Providing a ‘Green’ guest experience
Sustainability has been carried through to other aspects of running the heritage property. Dan continues, “We’re very keen on eliminating plastic waste and have a green waste management programme as well as recycling. Sustainability is at the forefront of our minds.”
The management team take sustainability even further. “We believe people have that desire for sustainability, so we try to avoid using any plastic when possible. For example, we use butter dishes instead of the little peel pots and provide condiments such as balsamic vinegar in decanters. We have a clear idea of where we want to be sustainable going forward.”
After doing some homework, Dan tried different soaps from local artisans around New Zealand’s South Island. Whilst it was hard selecting the one that would suit the apartments, they choose Spire NZ as they liked the look and feel of the guest soaps and all-in-one bars the best.
“When we got the samples of the soap, we distributed them around so we could all try them. It’s a lovely product to use. The other soaps we tried were too hard. We very much liked the size of the soaps and presentation. We decided to run with Melissa at Spire NZ as she is a lovely person, very professional and easy to deal with.”
It’s a wonderful testimonial given how much attention to detail has been shown to every other aspect of the accommodation’s management. An especially nice touch is that they use a different soap in each apartment’s bathrooms, “So it becomes a little bit of a talking point.”
Dan concludes, “We’re totally happy with using the product. We’re right behind the idea of it.”