Guest room rendering from the Populus Hotel our ethos of being very close to the Earth with a natural look and feel ,” says Jeff Smith , vice president of sustainability for IHG-owned , Bangkok-based Six Senses Resorts and Spas , a hotel company that has long sought to minimize its environmental impact . “ But it ’ s also going to be a very advanced , techforward hotel as well , using all of the best and latest technology for innovation on energy conservation . Which is the only way we ’ ll be able to pull this off .”
The goal for Six Senses Svart is to be energy positive and carbon negative , Smith says , by creating a surplus of renewable energy , more than the hotel actually needs to operate . The process happens in denote its carbon output so guests can see the impact of their dining choices . The hotel will also display maps of where the forests are so guests can see where the treeplanting is happening .
Populus eventually plans on publishing a white paper on its carbon sequestering efforts to show other developers and investors how it ’ s being done , warts and all . “ We ’ re going to make mistakes ,” Buerge says . “ It ’ s the first time doing this , and we know we ’ re not going to get it right . But we want to publish it and show everybody what we did , why we did it , and how to learn from it .”
When it comes to financials , Buerge says Populus investors still require market rate returns comparable to other new hotel developments which align with Urban Villages mission to create
“ environmentally and socially transformative projects ” without compromising ROI . In the long view , Buerge says projects like Populus will financially outperform the competition , doing not just good business but good for the planet .
“ Real estate has to be a part of the solution ,” he says . “ Our thesis has always been that you can build and manage buildings to be much better for the planet without sacrificing your return on investment .”
SIX SENSES SVART The planned Six Senses Svart in Norway , on the edge of the Arctic Circle , hopes to lure in visitors with its jaw-dropping , end-of-the-earth scenery , and at the same time , be a showcase property for potential hotel owners seeking to achieve carbon neutral or negative states .
“ We want the property to balance
WE NEED TO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO OF THE HOTEL INDUSTRY . BECAUSE IT MUST EVOLVE INCREDIBLY FAST TO KEEP UP WITH ALL OF THE WORLD ’ S CARBON TARGETS .
– JEFF SMITH