Sustainability
At Viking Hotel Waterford, we take green hospitality seriously – proudly Green Tourism accredited, reflecting a robust sustainability mindset woven into our every action.
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we invite our guests to be part of our journey to a greener future.
Together, every stay becomes part of something greater: a sustainable tomorrow.
Green Tourism
We are delighted to have been awarded silver status by Green Tourism. They operate a certification programme which recognises the commitment of tourism businesses who are actively working to become more sustainable. Their environmental assessors work with us to give professional advice on areas such as:
- Reducing energy use
- Saving water
- Efficient & eco-friendly waste disposal
- Ethical buying
- Staying local and seasonal
- Minimising food miles
- Promoting biodiversity
Our Sustainability Initiatives
Committed to eco-friendly hospitality: The Viking Hotel Waterford cuts energy and water use, boosts recycling, supports biodiversity, and champions local sourcing.
We’re proudly Green Tourism accredited and dedicated to sustainable practices.
Our Buildings
Our building is insulated with a weberplast acrylic finished render to reduce heating costs and new corridor window fittings to assist with natural ventilation other than motorised.
Our rooms are equipped with energy-saving key card systems that automatically cut off power to lights and standby devices when the card is removed, helping conserve energy.
We also have sensored lights in public toilets cutting off lights throughout the night or when toilets are idle saving electricity, energy and costs.
Transportation
Our team repurposed an empty building into a secure space for our guests to leave their bikes while staying overnight, this has proved to be a very successful team driven project especially with our proximity to the Waterford Greenway.
We also have a bike to work scheme in place for our employees.
Operations
Across the property, we implement the following sustainable practices:
- Motion-sensor lights in corridors.
- Meeting room lights and AC activated just before guest arrival.
- Guests encouraged to turn off electrical items on departure.
- Comprehensive recycling including cardboard compactor, food composting, and separate bins for recycling and waste.
- Takeaway items use wooden cutlery, paper cups, and paper notepads..
Maintenance and cleaning
Our Housekeeping team are trained to ensure electrical items are off in bedrooms.
Large-batch cleaning chemicals use automatic dispensers for specific dilution – reducing overuse and waste.
We also have signs in the rooms for towel reuse and we have begun to upgrade single use toiletries to larger pump bottles to minimise waste.
Giving Back
Do the right thing:
- We support PREM Group charity events, including their annual Golf Day, to raise money for Beyond The Moon.
- We have hosted fundraisers for Ukraine.
- We offer discounted accommodation to sponsored events and national support groups, such as HUGG.
- We support our local community events like Waterford FC in their monthly community publication
- Sponsor local clubs with vouchers for raffles.
….and much more.
Community Work
We work closely with Rehab and in particular their Vita Hub here in Waterford.
We also support Down Syndrome Ireland – Waterford Area Partnership on their newly launched Workability programme.
We actively collaborate with local schools to support TY and LCA students with their work experience and placement requirements. Additionally, we partner with the SETU Hospitality Department, welcoming students for hands-on, on-site training – an experience that proves valuable for both the students and our team.
Our People
Since starting working with Green Tourism we have been training our staff on environmental awareness.
Our Suppliers
Where possible we try to use local suppliers for our food and landscaping.
