Do you want affordable accommodation in the heart of Rotterdam at a hotel with sustainable ambitions? The Usual it is! Get inspired by this eco design hotel. We went before you!
The Usual in Rotterdam
In association with The Usual
Located in the bustling De Cool district, next to the cosy Witte de Withstraat and the iconic Cinerama, you'll find The Usual. A hotel where business travellers and city trippers come together The result is a new hotel concept that fits very much on your greener list. Tip: they also have a location in Brussels for those who want one. We slept one night at the Rotterdam hotel and had an honest getaway! And every type of traveller and every wallet has been thought of. Fine! The Usual has simple rooms ‘Pods’ for guests who want nothing more than a good (bunk) bed and a good (shared) shower. For the more luxurious traveller, there are stylish hotel rooms equipped with all conveniences such as a double box spring, a nice TV and a private bathroom. Fine!
The team at The Usual believes that staying, travelling, eating, drinking and relaxing should be possible ‘differently’. Therefore, from construction to styling, everything at The Usual is about making a positive impact on our planet. The new ‘normal’ according to The Usual. So you breakfast, lunch and dine with local produce, sleep on your Revive Auping mattresses, water-saving measures have been taken everywhere and the hotel ‘gives back to the local community’. Moreover, The Usual has a ‘love for local’ mentality carried through everywhere. From the collaborations the hotel does with local Rotterdammers, to the art and products found in the hotel. An experience to remember!
Our experience at The Usual in Rotterdam.
What you need to know about The Usual Rotterdam
The Usual was founded by a group of non-traditional hospitality experts committed to a greener future in the hotel world. Because there is still a lot of room for improvement in the hotel world - hello breakfast buffets and roaring air conditioners in empty rooms. But there is more. For instance, construction and renovation have already been carried out according to the strictest (BREAAM) environmental standards. The hotel also releases an impact report every six months to keep a finger on the pulse and see how they can do even better. A few achievements:
- The hotel uses green energy and are already off gas.
- Water-saving measures have also been taken with adapted shower heads and sinks, providing 40% less water consumption than normal in a hotel.
- Because a lot of waste is produced in a hotel, they do everything they can to avoid food waste. And with as many as seven waste streams, a lot of waste can be recycled.
- It works with local makers as much as possible. Check out all the yummy products during the breakfast buffet or at the bar!
- In collaboration with a city ecologist, a green oasis was created on the roof with native flowers and plants, bee hotels, bird houses and bat boxes.
- For every direct booking through theusual.com, the hotel sponsors one kilo of plastic removal from local rivers and donates one hundred litres of clean drinking water to families in developing countries through the MadeBlue Foundation.
- There are regular actions to incentivise guests to make better choices. When we stayed at the hotel, there was a ‘No Train, No Gain promotion’ where travellers arriving by train received a 30% discount on their overnight stay. Watch our video about it.
City break Rotterdam? You've already found your hotel!
Got curious about this cool hotel? We understand. Rotterdam is a great city trip destination in its own country, and then The Usual is a fine choice: a new design hotel in a perfect location and for a good price. Check out their website even as you make plans. We might have an attractive promotion for you as a sustainable traveller. Have fun in Roffa!
More sustainable tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Holidays by train can also be taken outside the Netherlands. Check out our tips for trains in Europe.
- Also sustainable and near Rotterdam: the Buijtenland van Rhoon. Out tip!
Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl.
