A hotel with sustainability in focus
- Article
In September 2021, Clarion Hotel Sundsvall opened its doors, becoming the city’s largest hotel with 270 rooms. On the rooftop terrace, an impregnated standard decking from SCA provides a durable and stylish outdoor space.
Anna Borggren, who has been the hotel director for a year, explains that the Strawberry Group, to which the hotel belongs, has been actively working with sustainability for over a decade. Their goal is for all hotels within the group to be completely climate-neutral by 2030.
“We had great conditions from the start since the hotel was built with sustainability in focus from the very beginning, so we are well on our way to reaching that goal,” says Anna.
Local and sustainable partnerships
Sustainability efforts at the hotel span multiple areas, from optimizing energy consumption and sourcing food from local suppliers to carefully selecting sustainable materials.
One such material choice is the rooftop terrace, where the decking consists of impregnated standard decking from SCA SmartTimber - an obvious choice when the terrace was built.
“An important part of our sustainability work is collaborating with local businesses that contribute to a greener future and share our values. That’s why it’s no coincidence that we chose decking from SCA, a company with strong sustainability initiatives and a local presence,” says Anna.
“We are glad that our products can help Clarion achieve its sustainability goals. The construction industry accounts for approximately 40 percent of global CO₂ emissions. For us, building with long-lasting wood products is the way forward. It’s great to see SCA being chosen as a sustainable option in the building process,” says Vanessa Pihlström, Head of Marketing Communication and Sustainability at SCA Wood.
To extend the outdoor season, part of the terrace has been enclosed with glass. The original decking was kept inside the enclosure, both to maintain a cohesive aesthetic and to make use of the existing materials.
“This summer, the people of Sundsvall have really discovered us,” Anna shares.
Hotel guests are offered a concept called Nordic Food, which reduces their environmental impact by focusing on locally sourced ingredients and minimizing meat consumption. Additionally, the hotel now provides climate reports for conference guests, allowing them to track the carbon footprint of their stay - with a strong emphasis on the sustainability of the food served during events.
