The Best Environmentally Friendly Hotels in Madrid

The Artiem hotel chain put an emphasis on sustainability before it was fashionable, and its Madrid outpost was one of the capital’s first green hotels. The use of plastic is kept to a minimum, and all items such as cups, straws and containers are fully recyclable. Rooms supply ecofriendly toiletries, as well as bins for separating recyclables. The restaurant’s slow-food ethos puts an emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce.

NH is another brand committed to ecofriendly practices that go beyond the basics, and this hotel is a fine example of that green-minded policy at work. Energy efficiency is high on the agenda with ecofriendly light bulbs and regular energy-use checks. Recycling is widespread across the hotel and biodegradable toiletries are provided in-room. Staff are regularly trained on green practices, and even guests can be educated on how to lessen your footprint during their stay.

The Hotel Madrid Centro boasts a long list of green policies, from energy-saving measures to water-use efficiency. More than half of the fruit and veg in its breakfast buffet are certified organic or fair trade, plus its cooking oil is recycled to be used as biodiesel. The building’s carbon emissions are regularly checked and guests are even encouraged to give feedback to help improve the hotel’s green practices. What’s more, a city-centre location means most of your travelling can be done on foot.

The Radisson Blu Madrid takes sustainability to the next level – it even has a wind turbine that generates clean energy for the property. The hotel also scores highly on limiting waste production, decreasing water wastage and minimising electricity use. Rooms come with energy-saving controls, and toiletries that are 100 percent biodegradable come in mostly recycled packaging. You can also sleep easy knowing their recycling programme extends to everything from flooring to mattresses.

Reflecting the hotel’s green motif, the Mint is part of a sustainability programme that all Vincci Hotels participate in, which aims to cut down on waste and paper usage with electronic bills and receipts. Staff also have training sessions on how to reduce waste, and energy- and water efficiency is monitored. Organic, health-focused meals are on the menu, both at breakfast and from the fun food truck, parked up on the rooftop terrace.

Five-star and sustainability don’t always go hand in hand, but thankfully that’s not the case at the Santo Mauro. Its fabulous gardens are filled with native flora and tree shading helps to keep the building cool. There’s water-efficient plumbing throughout the hotel and you’ll find recycling bins in common areas, too. Sustainability is maintained in the kitchens through the use of locally and responsibly sourced ingredients, and the hotel also recycles cooking oil. The perfect place for guilt-free luxury.

The InterContinental Madrid has been one of the frontrunners in sustainability since first opening its doors in 1953. The group has a Green Engage programme in place – an innovative system that gives its hotels the means to measure and manage their impact on the environment. Practices range from low-chemical gardening and eco-friendly paint to optimised AC cooling and an electric car-charging point. Most of what can be recycled is dispensed with accordingly.

Looking for somewhere that’s as easy on your pocket as the environment? The Hat Madrid is the place. It’s the first hostel in Madrid to use biomass as a source of energy for heating hot water. Bunk beds and other furnishings are built from sustainably sourced wood, and recycling is actively encouraged. The hostel also prides itself on being completely paper-free (apart from in the bathrooms, that is).

Its location, a short stroll from the city’s Big Three museums (the Prado, Reina Sofía and the Thyssen) makes the Artrip hotel popular with art lovers, but it’s also one of the area’s greenest places to rest your head. Solar panels make much of their energy clean and renewable, toiletry dispensers cut down on plastic waste and plastic is recycled. Free purified tap water also means you can fill up your drinking bottle before setting out for a day exploring the capital rather than picking up any plastics on the go.