“Upcycle and Recycle: a unique way of being sustainable.”
Where it is located
Artist Residence is a hotel in the centre of Penzance, Cornwall. Penzance is the most sustainable town on the coast (declared a plastic-free country in 2019) thanks to the targeted actions of ‘Surfers Against Sewage’, an association of British surfers who have pledged to reduce the amount of plastic used on the coast to avoid marine pollution. Besides Penzance, other noteworthy places within easy reach of the hotel are a Seal Sanctuary and small fishing villages on the coast.
Design and mood
Design is one of the three reasons why this hotel claims to be sustainable: all the furniture is an upcycle and recycle of antiques, which have been given a second (or third) life. Present in both the rooms and common areas, the shabby chic marine style is distinctive to the Hotel, along with modern art pieces that have been created by artists from the community. The mood is approachable, cosy and quirky.
Room style
The hotel is a renovated old Georgian house and the rooms (22 + a cottage in total) are all quite small (like rooms in a house) and different from each other. The one in which the contributor stayed had the particularity of having a sloping loft roof with exposed beams. The decor always follows the same style (upcycle and recycle) with the added dichotomy of different paintings and pieces of art by different local artists.
The common areas
Being a renovated Georgian house, the reception is simply the entrance to the house.Common areas are the restaurant, a lounge area with a fireplace and sofas (also used as a bar and waiting area for the restaurant) and a two-storey terrace, which always follows the same decor and mood.
Services
The main service is catering, which is also the second reason why the hotel is sustainable: almost the entire menu is KM zero. In addition, the hotel is a kind of free art gallery, with contemporary art pieces in all the rooms. There is an excellent Wi-fi service with good network coverage throughout the hotel.
Technology experience
Probably due to the very ‘vintage’ mood and design, there is no technology to support the hotel’s sustainability.The entrance key to the room is a normal analogue key, as is the operation of the lights, and there was no air conditioning in the room.The only device to make the user experience more pleasant when entering the room is the radio turned on to a channel with classical music.The television has no Smart functionality, and only broadcasts British channels.
Eco-sustainability
What makes this hotel sustainable are the completely upcycle design to save resources; the deep connection to the local community, as the chain is famous for its many connections to small local artists; and finally, the local provenance of the gastronomic products (the catering is in fact sourced from local farms and fishermen).
Green Points
Use of Local Products
Waste Sorting
Plastic Free