Whatley Manor honours the rich history and heritage that the region embodies. The landscape is steeped in the legacy of Roman roads, camps, and villas, while the once-thriving wool trade brought considerable wealth to the area, giving rise to charming Cotswold stone villages. This region is also celebrated as the birthplace of the Arts and Crafts Movement, a legacy they proudly reflect in Whatley, an Arts and Crafts house; their gardens, designed in 1920, are a testament to this movement. Nearby, Malmesbury boasts the oldest abbey in the UK, where history comes alive with the burial site of King Aethelstan, the first King of England, who reigned from 939. Here, you can delve into a captivating blend of historical significance and natural beauty, making it a perfect destination for culture and history lovers.
Since embarking on its sustainability journey in 2019, this adult-only hotel has made remarkable strides in reducing its carbon footprint while enriching the local community and preserving its natural surroundings. In February 2024, the hotel was the first in the UK to achieve Net Negative Emissions.
With just 23 elegant rooms and suites, you’re treated to an intimate ambience where every need is anticipated with the utmost attention and care, from the delicious homemade brownies and cordials in the rooms to the complimentary bicycles. Bathrooms are plastic-free, and Molton Brown products are bottled in ceramic jars, removing 26,000 plastic bottles from the hotel – the first hotel to work with Molton Brown in this way.
At the heart of Whatley Manor’s sustainability efforts lies a profound respect for the environment, team, and community. The owners believe a business should do the least harm to the natural world while fostering positive relationships with all stakeholders. “At this most urgent of times, we believe that we are responsible for our total impact and helping other remote communities, as well as be accountable, transparent and compliant in our actions,” noted Christian de Coulon, owner of Whatley Manor. This philosophy has driven the hotel to minimise its carbon emissions and actively contribute to the restoration and regeneration of nature.
Whatley Manor has successfully reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by an impressive 98% as of 2023, beating its initial target by five years. This achievement and action makes the hotel the first Net Negative Emissions hotel in the UK, demonstrating a proactive approach to tackling climate change. The hotel is now focused on reducing its Scope 3 emissions by 90% by 2035, ensuring sustainability remains at the forefront of its operations and for 2 consecutive years 2022, 2023 we have offset out emissions, to help balance out our remaining Green House Gas pollution.
Whatley Manor is aware that the path to sustainability has its challenges. Gathering the necessary knowledge and keeping abreast of evolving practices in the rapidly changing climate action landscape has been a significant undertaking for the team. Additionally, the hotel has prioritised continuous training for its staff to ensure that sustainability measures remain effective despite turnover. Collaborating with suppliers who share its environmental values has also been crucial in avoiding the pitfalls of greenwashing.
Whatley Manor employs advanced monitoring systems to track energy and water consumption, enabling it to implement data-driven strategies for reduction. The hotel has made significant progress in waste management, slashing general waste from 14 bins per week to just three while enhancing recycling initiatives. The commitment to renewable energy sources is evident, as Whatley Manor sources all its gas and electricity from renewable providers and has replaced gas appliances with energy-efficient electric alternatives.
Whatley Manor’s commitment to sustainability extends to its local ecosystem. A comprehensive biodiversity audit has guided efforts to enhance the land’s health, including removing pesticides and establishing composting practices. Whatley Manor actively engages with local artisans and suppliers, bolstering the community while offering guests a taste of the region’s rich culture and heritage. They have undertaken a complete Biodiversity Audit to measure and manage the 12 acres. From this, their Head Gardener and his team have devised an action plan to support and improve soil health. All pesticides have been removed from the garden, and they are more focused on creating quality compost, including kitchen vegetable waste; they have built six new compost bays to facilitate this. A team member who majors in vegetable growing has significantly contributed to improving volumes of produce via “No dig” practices.
At breakfast, you can enjoy honey from Whatley Manor’s four very active and healthy bee hives, and all consideration is given to the planting to support the bees, which are managed by an external Beekeeper who gives talks to guests and the team to grow their knowledge too. This summer, an incredible artist called Matt Willey came to Whatley for a month to paint a vast Mural. He has a website, and has undertaken to paint 50,000 Bees on murals around the world to raise awareness of the importance of Bees to our very existence. Nature lovers will also appreciate the handwoven willow bird boxes, willow hedges, and hedgehog ladders for the ponds, allowing hedgehogs to save themselves should they fall in.
Educating guests about sustainability practices is woven into the fabric of their experience at Whatley Manor. From informative displays to guided garden tours highlighting environmental initiatives, guests are encouraged to engage with the hotel’s sustainability story. The Aquarias Spa partners exclusively with premium spa brands Sothys and Gaia, both renowned for their commitment to sustainable practices in production and packaging. Every treatment is designed to provide an exceptionally relaxing and nurturing experience, ensuring guests leave feeling revitalised.
Weekly Pilates and yoga classes are available, tailored to suit all experience levels. Recently, Whatley Manor proudly hosted their inaugural Wellness Retreat, featuring transformative practices such as Bio-Energy Meditation, Yoga Shaking, Active Heart Meditations, and soothing sound healing. The retreat culminated in a poignant ‘letting go’ ceremony held in the enchanting gardens, where a firepit was safely lit overlooking the tranquil River Avon. With 13 distinct areas to explore, the gardens at Whatley Manor provide ample opportunities for reflection and time in nature; guests can easily find their special nook to unwind, journal, or listen to the harmonious melodies of nature, making their stay at Whatley Manor a truly rejuvenating experience. A stay at Whatley Manor isn’t complete without experiencing one or both distinguished restaurants: the gastronomic Michelin Star Dining Room and the inviting Grey’s, open every day of the week.
In an industry-leading move for two successive years, Whatley Manor announces the achievement of net-negative carbon status by maximising its carbon reduction on property and supporting a nature-based carbon sequestration project to remove more hard-to-abate carbon emissions than emitted for 2023.
Whatley Manor has taken its climate action to the next level by entering into a 3-year purchase agreement to invest in 8,250 high-quality carbon credits produced by the San Jerónimo Coatlán Carbon Sequestration Project in Mexico which support Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 1, 3, 6, 8, 13, 15 and 17 for impactful social, economic and environmental benefits. The project works with Climate Action Reserve (CAR), a high-quality carbon credit registry that establishes rigorous standards involving multi-sector stakeholder workgroup development and local engagement and issues carbon credits in a transparent and publicly available system. The Reserve carbon credits program demonstrates that high-quality carbon credits, known as Climate Reserve Tonnes (CRT), foster reductions in GHG pollution that are real, additional, verifiable, enforceable, and permanent.
This November, Whatley Manor will retire 1250 high-quality carbon credits to offset more than the 1057.2 tCO₂e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) emitted in 2023. An additional 7,000 carbon credits will be retired in the following two years to offset more than the projected CO₂e from anticipated renovation work and guest travel to the hotel in 2024 and 2025.
“At this most urgent of times, we believe that we are responsible for our total impact and helping other remote communities, as well as be accountable, transparent and compliant in our actions,” noted Christian De Coulon, owner of Whatley Manor.
NOW founder Alexa Poortier elaborated, “Net-negative carbon emissions (previously known as Climate Positive) is achieved by rigorously measuring, reducing and removing more CO₂e (carbon dioxide equivalent) than is emitted. CO₂e is a standard unit for measuring carbon footprints which calculate the environmental impact and global warming potential of all greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapor). Whatley Manor’s owner and team are ‘forces for good’ with the strong will, determination and courage to surmount sustainability challenges and support SDGs, and to lead on climate action and prove that luxury and sustainability can thrive together.”
Whatley Manor is a member of NOW Force for Good Leaders which provide hotels access to a sustainability academy and coaches/specialists to support implementation and compliance, a Sustainability Reporting Tool for transparency to stakeholders and access to high-integrity carbon offset projects with financial rebates to support bold climate action.
Whatley Manor’s vision for the future is ambitious yet grounded in its commitment to sustainability. With targets set for EarthCheck Gold certification by 2026 and ongoing efforts to explore renewable energy solutions, the hotel is poised to adapt to the evolving trends in sustainable tourism. The huge rise in demand (organic searches for Sustainable travel are up 500%) for eco-friendly travel experiences, particularly among younger generations, underscores the importance of maintaining low-impact luxury stays.
Whatley Manor exemplifies how luxury travel and hospitality harmoniously coexist with environmental stewardship. Its unwavering dedication to sustainability offers discerning travellers a unique experience and contributes significantly to preserving the planet for future generations.
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