Riga Islande Hotel is a four-star hotel located in Riga, offering panoramic views of Riga Old Town, spacious rooms, conference facilities, restaurant, and a rooftop terrace. As sustainability becomes increasingly important for guests, partners, and event organisers, the hotel has implemented sustainable practices and also took part in EE4HORECA activities to exchange knowledge and support the discussion on sustainability in the hospitality value chain.
The Challenge
Riga Islande Hotel operates in an energy-intensive environment, where electricity, heating, lighting, water use, kitchen operations, and guest comfort all need to be carefully considered.
The Support Provided
Through its involvement in EE4HORECA, Riga Islande Hotel participated in project training sessions and found that the project provided a useful platform for discussion, awareness raising, and exchange of practical approaches among HORECA companies and stakeholders. Andris Kalniņš, Managing Director of Riga Islande Hotel and President of the Latvian Hotel and Restaurant Association, contributed to the discussion on sustainability in one of the training sessions to share the hotel’s experience and reinforce that energy efficiency is a driver of competitiveness.
The Actions Taken
Riga Islande Hotel has introduced several sustainability and energy-efficiency practices as part of its environmental commitment. The hotel installed solar panels on the roof of its conference centre, introduced motion-sensor lighting in hallways, upgraded sensor taps in public restrooms, and replaced showerheads and faucet aerators in guest rooms with low-flow variants. It also uses green energy, sorts and recycles waste, applies eco-certified cleaning products, and encourages guests to support environmentally friendly practices during their stay. In addition, the hotel has strengthened its sustainability profile through Green Key certification, confirming its commitment to more environmentally responsible hotel operations. The hotel continues to pay attention to energy conservation in daily operations, including lighting systems, kitchen equipment, automated energy management, water-saving practices, and facilities such as electric car charging.
The Results
In 2024, Riga Islande Hotel’s annual electricity consumption was 911,079 kWh, while its installed solar panels generated 67,286 kWh. This covered approximately 7% of the hotel’s annual electricity needs through renewable electricity generation. The use of sensor taps, and low-flow fixtures has also helped reduce water consumption, while improved lighting controls contribute to more efficient daily operations.
Quote
“Well implemented energy efficiency measures allow companies to save money, but beyond that today sustainability is an expectation of incoming guests from Western Europe. Investing in energy efficiency and sustainability will contribute to competitiveness. However, it needs to be evaluated, which measures will be beneficial, and which will constitute a burden to the companies.”
— Andris Kalniņš, Managing Director of Riga Islande Hotel and President of the Latvian Hotel and Restaurant Association
