We’ve all seen those little cards in hotel bathrooms telling us what to do with our towels, just as we’ve all come to realise sustainability is so much more than this. Here, it starts with a simple philosophy – one that means you can consider The Harper among the more ethical hotels in the UK.
We believe that running a business is actually an opportunity to do good. We think ‘good’ simply means making a positive difference to people’s lives – now, and for future generations. It’s really about looking at everything we do through the lens of social responsibility.
For starters, the eco-conscious can sleep easy here. This little piece of Norfolk’s history couldn’t be more energy-efficient today. No gas is used, only biofuel, wood or electricity, even in the kitchen. Unusually, heating and hot water runs entirely on biofuel pellets. Low energy LED lighting is fitted throughout, and the pool’s heat exchange air circulation system regulates the air without pumping heat into the atmosphere.
With an abundance of growers and producers in Norfolk, we don’t rack up many food miles, but we also work with suppliers to further reduce our environmental impact. Take the Norwich distillery, for example, working on ways to deliver our spirits in vats (what’s not to like?) so that we can decant into our own reusable glass bottles.
Where there’s a way, we’ll use technology where others might use paper. No well-thumbed directories in our bedrooms, no printed bills (unless you specifically ask for one), and certainly no little cards in bathrooms. And while you’re recharging, so can your car. There are PodPoint electric vehicle chargers (and Tesla rapid chargers) in the car park.
But what of responsibility beyond being ‘green’? As well as championing local suppliers, we’ve built a team of 50 local people, each working in a way that suits their lifestyle and desire for a healthy work-life balance. We’re committed to creating opportunity for our community, in a culture where people of all backgrounds can thrive - one that challenges the tired assumption that service and subservience are the same thing. Just as protecting the natural environment will have a positive impact on people’s lives, so too will supporting local livelihoods with fair pay and conditions, and kick-starting careers that turn lives around.
We want good times and doing good to go hand in hand at The Harper. It’s a small hotel, but when it comes to making a positive difference, size most certainly isn’t important.
