On a recent visit to Cape Town I had the opportunity of staying at Hotel Verde (verde meaning green in Italian), a leading sustainable accommodation and conferencing venue that has been recognised as Africa’s greenest hotel. Located just 400m from Cape Town International Airport, it was a quick shuttle drive from Cape Town International Airport to the hotel.
In addition to a range of eco-friendly amenities and services, including carbon-neutral accommodations, an electric vehicle charging station, and extensive renewable energy systems, the hotel now has a fully-fledged spa facility. The new Verde Vita Spa and Wellness Centre, offers a luxurious space for guests to relax and relax and rejuvenate after a long flight, or before heading home after enjoying all that Cape Town has to offer.
So, with some time to spare, I decide an hour-or-so of pampering is called for. I love the aesthetic of the spa with its organic shapes, green wall finishes and curved arches, all inspired by the natural shapes found in nature. I am ushered into one of the three beautifully appointed treatment rooms – Magnolia, Lavender, and Jasmine – named after popular flowering plants, by Avuyile, my lovely spa therapist. Her professional hands working their magic on my weary shoulder muscles – ‘too much time in front of your computer’, she suggests.
The Spa follows the green philosophy of Hotel Verde with carefully selected locally manufactured spa equipment and furnishings, and locally manufactured linen towels. The treatment menu consists of professional treatments using only South African product ranges, which are certified organic or natural, aligning with Verde Vita’s philosophy of ‘Green Life’. By using South African skincare brands, such as ESSE, Cashmere & Co., Matsimela, BioSculpture and SUNSKIN, known for their dedication to using natural, organic, and planet-conscious ingredients, Verde Vita’s spa treatments not only nourish the body but also contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.
With an extensive selection of signature spa treatments, guests can choose from rejuvenating body treatments and facials to soothing massages, each experience designed to restore balance and nourish the mind, body, and soul. There is also an infrared cabin, a type of sauna that uses infrared lighting, a manicure and pedicure treatment section, an eyelash extension treatment room, and a post-treatment Breathing Room.
I emerge from my spa treatment, wishing I’d opted for a full-body massage, so relaxing was the experience. The sultry scent of almond oil draped over my shoulders like a soothing organic hug. The post-treatment Breathing Room a relaxing space to unwind, sip on tea, and take a deep breath and enjoy the offering of a platter of fresh, organic and locally sourced fruit.
As part of the spa experience, customers have the opportunity to indulge in the natural hotel pool in the lush garden surrounded by wetlands and fynbos. The weather was a bit chilly, so I choose instead to amble around the wetlands along the 350-meter jogging trail, giving the outdoor gym a miss on this occasion, and enjoy the breeze blowing through the reeds and the bees and butterflies flitting amidst the blossoms – thanks to the fact that the pool uses plants to filter the water without the need for any harmful chemicals such as chlorine. This natural ecosystem is part of a conservation and stewardship programme which conserves the wetlands and features bee hives as well as a small food garden – there is also a small hydroponic garden for salad greens and herbs.
Walking indoors the ode to nature continues with a living green wall, the potted plants receive ‘sunlight’ from the strategically placed UV lights supplemented by occasional visits outdoors. I love the textured wall in the lobby that was created using recycled glass and that the hotel’s carpet runners are made of recycled plastic. And that there are recycling bins in my well-appointed room – sorting the recycling ‘at source’ makes life so much easier for housekeeping staff.
I dine at Nuovo, Hotel Verde’s restaurant, the à la carte menu features something for all tastes. All meals are carefully prepared with passion by a dedicated team led by Executive Chef Adrian Schreuder, who tells me that ingredients are locally produced, responsibly sourced and seasonal. “We grow our own herbs to incorporate into our dishes. All other ingredients are responsibly sourced from suppliers within a 160km radius of the hotel” he tells me. The deliciousness of my lunch attests to this.
In addition to his role as Executive Chef, Adrian is part of the hotel’s Green Team and offers to give be an abridged version of the Hotel Verde Eco Tour. He explains that during the development of Hotel Verde several considerations, active and passive designs, technologies and equipment were included into the design of the building. These range from the simple and obvious like recycling during construction, to technically demanding and complex installations of equipment like photovoltaic panels, wind turbines and a grey water recycling plant – a 2023 solar panel upgrade has seen energy efficiency boosted by almost 200%.
We head down to the basement parking area, the lights are triggered by movement sensors, and the walls adorned by beautiful murals painted by local graffiti artists. Adrian points out an example of a Cobiax void former (hollow recycled plastic balls) and tells me that these were strategically placed within the concrete floor slabs to dramatically reduce the amount of concrete required. Saving approximately 535 cubic metres (1284 tonnes), whilst still maintaining structural integrity.
I learn that the sophisticated grey-water recycling plant contributes towards 37 per cent reduction of potable water use. A network of pipes run through the building to reticulate grey water, collect it and supply it to toilets. A rainwater filtering and capture system (with a capacity of 40 000 litres) provides water for car wash and irrigation, and only nine rooms have bathtubs and all urinals in public toilets use a waterless system. Other obvious measures include water-wise taps and shower heads, and the use of water- and energy-saving, and efficient, low-consumption appliances in the kitchen and laundry.
Adrian tells me that by circulating hot and cold water through a geothermal field, the team bypass the need for standard air-conditioning systems, which is one of the biggest energy consumers. Coupling up ground source heat pumps to the 100 vertical holes via six horizontal headers (which were specifically designed for Hotel Verde), it uses the earth as a heat source in winter and ‘heat sink’ in summer, boosting efficiency and dramatically reducing operational costs.
Other installations include an active intelligent building management system controlling the super-efficient heating, air-conditioning and ventilation system. A system that would be of little value if the building wasn’t thoroughly insulated, Hotel Verde has insulated roofs and doors as well as double-glazed and spectrally selective windows as well as airtight windows and doors.
Thanks to all of this innovative sustainability technology, in 2014, Hotel Verde became the first hotel in Africa to offer accommodation and conferencing that is 100% carbon neutral. It was also the first hotel in Africa and the sixth globally to attain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum status for new construction – LEED is an internationally recognised green building rating and certification system. In addition, the hotel also received LEED Platinum certification for operations and maintenance, making it the first hotel in the world to achieve double Platinum certification. It also achieved a six-star Green Star certification from the Green Building Council of South Africa for its operations.
In addition to Hotel Verde’s conspicuous environmental sustainability initiatives, I can’t help but be impressed by the eye-catching art installations to be seen throughout the hotel. Mario and Annemarie Delicio are the owners and directors of Hotel Verde Cape Town, and as a big art lover, Annemarie played a significant role in the interior design of the hotel, including the selection of a body of eclectic artworks that celebrate the talents of local artists.
They initiated and funded a project allowing grade 11 art students to decorate the walls of their green hotel. The project saw 45 grade 11 learners from various schools within the airport vicinity researching environmental responsibility and conceptualising and producing artworks in a variety of media which now form part of the hotel’s art collection – the learners’ art was translated by local crafters and artists into mediums such as sewing, beading and mosaic. The finished works are now exhibited on the four floors of the hotel, along with credits to each child and craft professional.
But perhaps one of the most iconic of these pieces is the five-story mosaic art installation designed by Svenja, Mario’s youngest daughter, and brought to life by Jocelyn Crowley De Freitas and her team from Jos Mosaic.
Hotel Verde is more than just a convenient overnight stopover, it’s a place to relax, to be pampered, to see sustainability in action and to revel in the creativeness of South Africa’s youth.
Click HERE to read the story in Responsible Traveller digital mag…
