Inside Central London’s First B Corp 5 Star Hotel

Covent Garden’s five-star cultural haven of a luxury hotel has revealed it is now a certified B Corp. First opening in 1998 and independently owned ever since, One Aldwych joins just 18 accredited accommodation brands across the UK.

One Aldwych Is Now Certified B Corp

‘Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and has been for over 20 years,’ shares Janine Marshall, managing director of One Aldwych, who believes the hotel’s independence has played an integral role in its successful B Corp bid.

Verified by B Lab, to achieve B Corp certification, a brand must meet high standards of social and environmental performance as well as transparency and accountability. For One Aldwych, this included overhauling the supply chains to prioritise British produce, from bathroom amenities from Kent-based family-run brand Mitchell and Peach to hand-woven blankets on the beds from weavers on the Isle of Skye. One Aldwych has also introduced energy-saving techniques, a specialist water vacuum drainage system and in-house water filtration and bottling, all to reduce its carbon output and water wastage.

Lobby Bar

‘Responsibility has to be taken all the way down the ecosystem, from day-to-day operations to the materials and amenities provided. We speak to our guests, our designers and suppliers to assess what’s important for them – and to them. From locally sourced goods to low-impact lighting, water and electricity, to upcycling materials and composting waste, sustainability is our promise – and it’s in our DNA. Everyone in the hotel is involved and committed.’

The news comes just a couple of months after fellow independent hotel Bingham Riverhouse in Richmond revealed its B Corp certification. One Aldwych and Bingham Riverhouse join The Pig Hotels and Inhabit Hotels as the UK’s only B Corp accredited hotel brands. Other British travel brands certified by B Lab include Exclusive Collection, Mr & Mrs Smith, Sawday’s, Luxury Cottages and Cornish Holiday Cottages. One Aldwych was also recently awarded One Michelin Key in Michelin’s first round of awards for Great Britain and Ireland – so it has been a very good year.

‘Welcoming One Aldwych to the B Corp community is hugely exciting,’ says Chris Turner, executive director of B Lab. ‘Its commitment to to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and will help spread the notion that success in business is as much about people and planet as it is profit.’

BOOK IT

One Aldwych is one of the best hotels in London, and can be found in Covent Garden (1 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BZ). Rooms can be booked at onealdwych.com