NORWAY: Nordic Hotels & Resorts has opened its latest luxury hotel in Oslo which will run entirely on renewable energy.
The Sommerro is located in the former headquarters of Oslo Lysverker, the city’s original electrical company.
The 231-room Art Deco hotel has seven restaurants and bars, meeting and event spaces, a 100-seat theatre, a spa and a gym. It also has a rooftop pool, terrace and sauna.
Sommerro will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy. It will also provide bikes for guests to rent out and there will be free electric vehicle parking and charging. The hotel encourages its suppliers to use zero emission transport too.
Other sustainable practices include: no plastic bottles in the hotel, sourcing sustainable seafood and local produce for its restaurants, providing sustainable footwear for all its staff and investing in some of Norway’s greenest businesses and creators, such as Sisters in Business which employs female immigrants who create textiles and repair broken items.
Sommerro also has an eight-hour rule for employees to ensure a true work-life balance. The idea is there is eight hours of work, eight hours of fun, and eight hours of sleep.
Sommerro will open Villa Inkognito in March next year which is an 11-suite residence in a building dating back to 1870. The property can be rented in its entirety. Guests can enjoy the privacy of their own villa but will be able to use the facilities, and services on offer at the main Sommerro hotel.
Oslo also recently welcomed the Radisson Red sustainable design hotel.
Image: Sommerro