Embedding the guest experience with a genuine commitment to eco-friendly practices is of paramount importance to David and Martin, who believe that true luxury must be built upon environmental integrity.
We hold an unwavering belief that true luxury and environmental responsibility are not competing forces but inseparable ones. From the earliest stages of reimagining our heritage building, sustainability was a foundational design principle. We believe that caring for a heritage building is itself an act of sustainability: preserving what already exists, honouring the embedded carbon of generations of craftsmanship, and demonstrating that historic structures can meet modern environmental standards without compromise. Our mantra, “Green is Our Gold,” reflects a deep conviction that the most memorable guest experiences are those delivered with the lightest possible footprint.
Hotel Ernest completed both Sustainable Tourism and Tourism Emissions Reduction Accreditation, and we participate in a carbon offset program with Fifteen Trees. But accreditation is not our endpoint; it is our baseline. We share our sustainability story openly with guests during property tours and across our digital platforms because we believe transparency inspires action, and that every guest who leaves Hotel Ernest more conscious of sustainable travel is an outcome as valuable as any commercial metric.
We have eliminated single-use plastics entirely from guest rooms and food service, operate comprehensive waste separation targeting 80% landfill diversion, and use refillable dispensers for all guest amenities and cleaning products.
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At Hotel Ernest, sustainability extends beyond the walls of the hotel and into the landscape around us. Through our partnership with Fifteen Trees, we undertake batch tree plantings across central Victoria to offset our carbon footprint, with plans to expand these efforts over time. It’s a commitment that reflects our founding belief that true luxury and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.
Hundreds of native trees have already been planted through this collaboration, including eucalypts, acacias, banksias, and hakeas, at sites on the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung People. These plantings support the rehabilitation of riparian zones along local waterways, providing shade, shelter for native wildlife, and protection against erosion. The emerging bushland now supports a thriving community of species, from koalas and echidnas to over forty species of birds. It’s a living, growing contribution to the region we call home.
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