Hostel ROOM takes first steps to become a climate-neutral hotel

Monique and Mirjam founded Hostel ROOM 17 years ago. Initially they leased the building from the municipality but since they have become its proud owners. The hostel has 18 themed rooms that are regularly pimped. Each room - whether a coffee room or a traditional Dutch room - is different and has been designed with great care. “Initially we are a real hostel, attracting backpackers in the 18 to 30 age group. A party hostel, with lots of music and themed evenings, free walking tours, and so on. Our priority was always to create a great ambience. The pandemic forced us to go back to basics and rethink our hostel. We created more family rooms, split the large rooms and promoted sustainability by targeting people on bicycle tours”, says Monique. Mirjam adds: “In a sense, we grew in step with our target group. We have grown older, have a family now. It was our choice to let the hostel grow, just like we did. Families, backpackers... It’s a great mix and it works.” 

Hostel ROOM’s sustainability policy predated their participation in Hotel Neutraal. Monique and Mirjam were already looking at ways of making their hostel more sustainable, which is why they were happy to join Hotel Neutraal. The project’s impact was already tangible soon after the kick-off. “You start to think in greener terms. You suddenly realize that ‘Oh, this is such a no-no’. Take creamer in plastic packaging and sugar sachets, for example.” They immediately rolled out a few small quick wins with tremendous impact. Many things were easy to change: they retrieved the sugar bowl from the attic to replace individual sachets, prepared their electrical cabinet for the installation of solar panels, briefed the staff about turning off heating and replaced the plastic keycards with a guest messaging system. “We really enjoy the fact that we get to work with other local businesses. We now serve several local beers, such as Vet&Lazy and milk from the Floating Farm. We have also stopped buying plastic water bottles and encourage guests to drink tap water with stickers near the taps.” 

They had already been working on switching to solar panels and double glazing for several years. “Our building is a national monument, with sightlines, so officially speaking, we’re not allowed to”, Mirjam explains. “It’s a complicated process, where do you start? You need to request permission from the planning office and then everything needs to be put on paper and calculated. And then you need a contractor, a supplier, and a builder. But realistically speaking, you only want to sign with them when you know that you’ve been giving the green light and everything’s final. It’s like the chicken and the egg. What comes first? But that is where the added value of Hotel Neutraal comes in for Hostel Room. “I’m glad that we’re tackling this as an industry. It gives you wings, helps you be more decisive, and may even increase your clout. Thanks to Hotel Neutraal, we were introduced to an engineering consultancy that is interested in helping us. Some of the other hotels in Hotel Neutraal are also listed monuments. By joining forces, you may have more of an impact. And perhaps you can cut the red tape by grouping your planning applications.” 

These days there’s no ignoring how important sustainability has become. As Mirjam explains: “Our target audience is looking at ways of being more sustainable. People are travelling in different ways. With an Interrail pass, and their bicycles, sharing a room with several people. How sustainable is that?! You can tell that guests are increasingly interested in how you approach sustainability. They request organic, and even vegetarian, products”, Monique adds. “The 18-30 age group is really adamant about this.” They are also targeting this segment with the ‘Eco-Wanderer’ project. This project is a collaboration between various hostels across Europe where you receive a discount when you travel by train. Mirjam explains: “You travel from Amsterdam to Nice. The program then calculates how much CO2 you save, and this value is then discounted from the price of your accommodation in Nice.” In the Netherlands, they have decided to go one step further, encouraging guests to travely by bike, with the ‘bikepacking’ program, which Mirjam co-founded. “You travel through the Netherlands by bike, it’s such fun, a great adventure, and you get to sleep in all kinds of unique locations. In green surroundings in Limburg and a former jail in Leeuwarden and here in the heart of Rotterdam. So much more sustainable!”.

The future is sustainable, circular, and just as green as their green themed room. Monique mainly wonders how tourism will evolve in the near future. “During the lockdowns, planes were almost completely grounded. Will people take the plane to go places again? Because sustainability is a concern. Or will tourism be more local, and will people rely on bicycles or trains for transport?” What do they think is the future of their hostel in 5 to 10 years? “Well, I hope that we’ll have finally installed those solar panels by then.”

For more information about the program Hotel Neutraal click here.