A night at Starhotels Echo, the true green hotel in Milan

Preventing the times Starhotels Echo – Ecological contemporary hotela stone’s throw from the Central Station, has been committed to offering for years the best of hospitality in a sustainable version. His commitment is real, his attention is paid to every aspect, from energy saving to water saving, to environmentally friendly furnishings and architecture, so much so that he has become a case studies revolutionary in eco-sustainable architecture and design, and one of the first examples of 100% “green” hotel construction in Milan. The result of a “responsible reconversion” intervention of a pre-existing structure, strongly desired by the Florentine group, it opened its doors in 2011, and has collected several awards: in addition to the European Hotel Design Award for its sustainable design in 2012, also certification Green Globe, a prestigious international recognition that uses one of the most severe audit processes. With the recent achievement of the 95% compliance score, Starhotels Echo. was awarded in 2019 the Green Globe Gold Status. The hotel was also the first city hotel in Europe to enter the prestigious certification BeyondGreen.

The result of his green soul it is evident right from the welcoming atmosphere of the hotel, from the neutral green colors chosen by interior designer Andrea Aulettafrom the panels with plant decorations and from the large entrance, flooded with light thanks to the large windows overlooking the internal garden, which houses a small chapel from the 1400s with a Bramante-style portico. It is a hotel with many souls, perfect for business travelers and for all truly environmentally conscious travelers looking for hospitality and elegance. Furthermore, in line with the eco-friendly style of the hotel, the concierges are available to advise guests, in addition to the traditional Milanese culture and shopping itineraries, also a series of 100% green itineraries and servicesincluding bike and car-sharing services, addresses for sustainable shopping, gourmet shops and organic restaurants.

The rooms of the Echo hotel.

Each of the 143 rooms, including 7 Junior Suites and 6 Suiteswas designed in compliance with the «Green Room» model, with certified wallpaper and upholstery, beds made with recycled materials and «FSC» wood, natural fiber linen, low consumption lighting partly powered by a photovoltaic system, water hot produced by the heat recovery of the refrigeration units,
water recovery for use in toilet cisterns. To make them even more welcoming, the design that chooses warm natural shades, the natural light that floods the spacesthe Starbed feather beds with ecological mattress and the exclusive «Pillow menu» service, which allows you to choose the most comfortable pillow, suitable for every ergonomic need.

The hotel restaurants

Also the offer of The Orto Green Food & Mood restaurant and so on The Orto Green Food & Mood bar is inspired by the green philosophy. The chef Aldo Vrana offers a cuisine rooted in the territory, with suggestions taken from street food and international cuisines, to create dishes attentive to sustainability with many plant-based proposals, with great attention to the raw material, short supply chain and gluten-free products. A food waste revolution has also been launched to further reduce the impact of hotel operations on the environment: with Too Good To Go it is possible to collect kits with fresh and delicious dishes directly at the hotel restaurant that would otherwise be disposed of. The partnership with Food Bank It also allows guests to Echo. to become active actors in social responsibility: it is in fact possible to donate a coffee (or many) to the association. Each donation, worth one euro, will go to support those who need it most.

The “toll-free” numbers of the Echo hotel.

The result of the hotel’s green commitment is a saving of 25% of natural gas and 15% of electricity, in addition to the reduction of 130 tons of CO2 on an annual basis, and of 20% of water. This is thanks to technical specifications such as the air conditioning controlled by an automatic system with presence detection, the photovoltaic system on the roof (125 m2), the recovery of soapy water for use in toilet cisterns and for watering plants, the use of low consumption taps and high energy efficiency boilers with a reduction of 75 tonnes of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

The ecological conscience of the hotel is also found ninterior design solutions. In the lobby the cedar logs come from sustainable forests, the porcelain stoneware floor with parquet effect is recycled, as is the material of the placemats and furnishing accessories in the restaurant. The carpeting in the common areas and corridors is «Eco Solution Q» certified, while the wallpaper in the rooms is «Nordic Ecolabel» certified, the upholstery is «Greenguard» and «EU Ecolabel» certified, the floors in the rooms and bathrooms carry the «Live Green» seal.

Because we like it

For the relaxed atmosphere inspired by well-being: the hotel is a true corner of peace within the city. And above all because it is the example that every hotel should follow in promoting planet-friendly hospitality with attention and seriousness. Extremely rare and therefore even more deserving.