Tuesday, 5 October 2010

Environmental hypocrisy

M. et Mme LReaN are off for a lovely break at the weekend. I'm attending a conference and we're staying at the Bedruthan Steps Hotel in Cornwall. Looks lovely, and it should be for the eye-wateringly expensive price tag.

We've already paid a hefty deposit to confirm the booking, but were asked to print, sign and send an additional confirmation document e-mailed after making the booking. It's 5 pages long.  That's FIVE pages. And it includes this gem:

GUEST GIFTING SCHEME: Bedruthan is committed to promoting sustainable tourism. To aid us in this we will automatically add an additional £5.00 to your accommodation booking, which will go directly to support your choice of one of the following causes:

Carbon offset with co2 balance    □         Surfers Against Sewage    □          The Community Fund   

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO OPT OUT OF THIS SCHEME PLEASE TICK HERE 

For more information please see www.bedruthan.com/hotel/responsible-travel or call our Sustainability Manager on (01637) 861203


Marvellous! So, print 5 pages (paper, ink), post (innumerable costs, but it's got to go a few hundred miles from here, although these are shared...) and lie back thinking what a good environmental type you are.

I sent an e-mail back:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Having made a booking to stay at your hotel this weekend, I was struck by the £5 environmental charge which would be added to my bill unless I opted out. I found this on page 4 of a 5 page document which I was asked to print out and and send to the hotel to confirm our booking.

I thought that by not printing and sending this document the savings in paper, ink and transport costs would be substantial. Indeed, if you were to no longer ask for 5 page confirmation documents from subsequent guests, you would make a very significant environmental benefit at absolutely no cost to anyone.

I think that in my case, payment of a £!!! deposit can be confidently taken as a confirmation of booking.  

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Many thanks,
M. LReaN

Answers posted soon.

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