Scandic opens sustainable flagship in Hamburg
The new Scandic Hamburg Emporio was eco-certified and award-winning for its sustainable building even before it opened. The flagship hotel, with 325 spacious, eco-aware rooms and a conference centre with fantastic views on the seventh floor, embodies Scandic's focus on the Nordics and Northern Europe. The biggest hotel chain in the Nordic region also meets Hamburg's environmental vision as 'European Green Capital 2011', with a hotel in the heart of the city where guests can expect unique solutions in terms of sustainability, accessibility and design.
Scandic Hamburg Emporio takes pole position in the list of '50 Certified Green Hotels', ranked by the German Business Travel Association (VDR) based on factors such as energy and water consumption, food and drink and corporate social responsibility. Exclusively using renewable electricity with Greenpeace Energy as its partner, the hotel will cut its carbon emissions by up to 1,000 tonnes per year compared with using conventional energy sources. The hotel is also set to be certified to carry the EU Ecolabel, but there is more than just the sustainability work to impress guests at the newly opened Scandic Hamburg Emporio. The generously proportioned rooms are a minimum of 24 square metres and have a ceiling height of up to 6.8 metres.
The hotel's location is unbeatable. The exhibition and conference centre Hamburg Messe und Congress is within walking distance, there are excellent transport links and Gänsemarkt underground station is right opposite the hotel entrance. Whether guests are here for shopping or simply a relaxing hotel experience, Scandic Hamburg Emporio is the perfect place to stay," says General Manager Folke Sievers.
Design for all at Scandic Scandic's comprehensive accessibility standard, which takes the form of a 110-point checklist, has informed work on the hotel from the very beginning, and Scandic's philosophy – Design for all – has very much been part of the brief. Accessibility is elegantly integrated into the Scandinavian interiors and many of the innovative solutions for greater accessibility are invisible to the untrained eye, but they make a hotel stay comfortable and convenient for everyone. It doesn't matter whether guests have a disability or not – here everyone is welcome.
The hotel's water theme, by designer Jesper Waldersten, gives the guests a sense of a soothing marine environment, and in the appropriately named 'H2O' restaurant Scandic's Scandinavian roots can also be seen in the seasonal menu. Up on the seventh floor the conference centre, with its impressive views of the Hamburg skyline, offers energising and innovative catering created by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who has been working with Scandic for the past few years.
Scandic Hamburg Emporio opened on 1 September.
About Scandic | Scandic is a modern hotel chain where conscious people come for inspiration and renewed energy. With about 150 hotels and 30,000 rooms, we are already one of the largest hotel operators in Europe. And we are continuing to grow -- within a few years, there will be over 200 Scandic to choose from. Visit www.scandichotels.com.
