OVOLO NISHI
Canberra HotelOVOLO NISHI
Canberra Sustainable Accommodation
FEATURES
- well-equipped gym
- library
- free WiFi throughout
- rooms all have TV, radio, iPad, minibar, bathrobes, botanical bath products
THINGS TO DO
Apart from all that Canberra has to offer, the Nishi building’s facilities include:
- a Palace Electric cinema;
- Goodspeed bike shop;
- Nishi Gallery with local, interstate and international art exhibitions;
- Pilates Canberra;
- Soma Day Spa
- Roji hair salon.
ENVIRONMENT
From the Management
Environmental sustainability is one of our core values at Hotel Hotel. What follows is a list of considerations and initiatives that have been implemented at Ovolo Nishi, the Design Icon Apartments and our Monster kitchen and bar.
During the initial build and fit out of Ovolo Nishi and now, 18 months later, during the continued review of our operations, we have learnt that environmental consideration is a case-by-case exercise. We initially wrote this list six months after we opened. There were 50 points back then. We‘ve continued to try and improve wherever possible. We have added a few since and we now have 64.
1. Ovolo Nishi occupies three floors of the Nishi residential building. The Nishi apartments have an 8 star Nationwide Energy Household Rating Scheme (NatHERS) rating. The adjoining Nishi commercial building is a 6 star Green Star rated building with a 5 star National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) energy rating.
2. The gardens at Ovolo Nishi are irrigated with rainwater harvested from the Nishi building.
3. All paint used in the hotel is low VOC (volatile organic compounds so carcinogenic chemicals are omitted).
4. The public lounge has been finished with recycled timber floor boards.
5. The hotel Grand stair is made from recycled timber collected from a demolished house; a basketball court; from the Nishi’s construction site itself; and from off cuts of Nishi’s own Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) façade.
6. The 18 skylights in the lobby reduce our need for artificial lighting.
7. All the hotel room bathrooms feature Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) rated water saving shower and tap fittings.
8. The rooms have double-glazed windows that open and let guests control the internal temperature that way.
9. The hotel rooms each have a light sensor that turns off all the lights after 20 minutes if no movement is detected.
10. The hotel room windows each have a sensor that turns the air-conditioning off if the window is open.
11. During the cooler months, the air-conditioning is turned off in all internal rooms as the building design naturally keeps the rooms at a temperate level.
12. There are Australian alpaca blankets in each room to give guests more choice for natural heating during their stay.
13. The hotel room windows are made from sustainable Australian hardwood, not carbon intensive mined aluminium.
14. The outward facing hotel rooms have floor to ceiling glass windows to increase natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting.
15. The north-west facing hotel rooms have reflective blinds that reflect 90% of the sun’s heat, reducing the need for mechanical cooling.
16. The rooms are fitted with Australian-made lighting using LED low energy fittings.
17. The furniture in the rooms are salvaged and restored pieces.
18. The custom made furniture in the hotel rooms and public spaces have all been made by Australian makers.
19. The rooms feature joinery made from salvaged oak.
20. The wardrobes in the hotel rooms are made from oriented strand board and are off-cuts from other carpentry products.
21. All of the raw materials used in the hotel rooms (like the beds and the study nooks) have been sealed with a natural bees wax instead of chemical based sealants.
22. Carpets in the hotel rooms are made from a natural wool, not a synthetic fibre (reducing carcinogens).
23. The wall paper featured through the guest rooms has been made using all natural and sustainable fibres (like bamboo, grasses and cork).
24. All our toilets are dual flush…
25. We’ve chosen to stock refillable 500ml bottle Aesop skin care products for the hotel rooms rather than the usual smaller bottles to reduce plastic use and wastage.
26. The mini bar is sourced with Australian made products that are mostly organic and when possible local.
27. The glass water bottles in the hotel rooms are filled daily with filtered Canberra water, saving on plastic and resources.
28. The water bottles and water glasses in the rooms and DIAs are hand-made in Australia from re-purposed wine bottles.
29. There are no bin liners in the bathroom bins to reduce plastic use.
30. The Nishi DIAs have an 8 star Nationwide Energy Household Rating Scheme (NatHERS) rating.
31. The Nishi DIAs use passive cooling, reducing the need for mechanical cooling.
32. All DIAs are fitted with the highest rated energy efficient appliances including 6 star energy efficient dryers.
33. Our calico guest bags have been hand screen printed using eco-friendly Permaset inks that
are water soluble and chemical free.
34. We use calico laundry bags to reduce the use of plastic bags.
35. The dry cleaners that we outsource to, use compressed cardboard coat hangers and
calico suit bags to return laundry.
36. We choose suppliers that have an environmental and sustainable program over ones that don’t.
37. We have chosen organic and biodegradable additional guest amenities (like cotton buds)
whenever possible, and they are all packaged in recycled cardboard.
38. We also stock organic tampons, vegan condoms and sustainable bamboo toothbrushes.
39. The toilet paper is all made from 100% recycled, post-consumer waste fibres … it’s
called “Who gives a crap”, 50% of its profits are donated to WaterAid to build toilets and
improve sanitation in the developing world.
40. We have low-VOC ‘baby safe’ finish cots for the kidlets, locally made alpaca blankets and
organic baby products.
41. Our key cards are made from a certified sustainable plantation wood, not plastic. We
communicate this on the cards by way of educating our guests on the importance of this
choice.
42. Our key card wallets are multi-use as they are made from a map of the precinct (origami style).
43. These key wallets are now marked with room numbers in lead pencil, not ink, which lets us
re-use them (up to three times).
44. We encourage our guests to use our complimentary bikes, they are made by local Canberra outfit Goodspeed Bicycles.
45. We email receipts to our guests rather than printing them (unless requested otherwise).
46. We don’t leave any lights or televisions on before guests check in.
47. All hotel staff printer preferences are set to 2-sided printing, reducing the wastage and usage of paper.
48. Reservation filing and administration is filed electronically and not printed.
49. Our everyday collateral is printed on 100% recycled Envirocare paper made from 75% post-consumer waste
50. We save our printed paper to hand make the note pads in the hotel rooms – so they are made from recycled and post-consumer waste.
51. We use these pads in our office as well.
52. We have a strict rubbish program, sorting and recycling all possible hotel waste.
53. For cleaning we use Ozone water and micro fibre cloths instead of chemical cleaning products.
54. Weekly timesheets have been replaced with an electronic sign in and out “finger scan” program.
55. Our compendium has been developed electronically and provided to guests via the in-room IPad.
56. There is no printed collateral in the guest rooms.
57. We subscribe to a number of newspapers online for our guests to read on their in-room IPad (to cut down on the number of printed newspapers).
58. We do express check out for all guests via the in-room IPad to save on printing at reception.
59. The Monster kitchen and bar use only biodegradable, Australian made and owned take-away packaging.
60. The Monster kitchen and bar sources produce directly from small local farmers thus reducing food miles.
61. Linen clothes and napkins are used at Monster kitchen and bar instead of paper.
62. The atrium is populated with Dixonia Antarctica ferns salvaged from Tasmanian rainforest
destined for clearance… While it’s not an environmental saving we think it goes some way to communicating the beauty of these forests and the need to protect them.
63. We manage our own beehives. They make us honey and get busy cross-pollinating plants in the area.
64. Fix and Make program that includes talks and worships open to the public on fixing and making. From these, we hope to learn even more ways towards environmental sustainability.
What we love…
Ovolo Nishi is a stunning green hotel that sits in the environmentally thoughtful Nishi building, arguably Australia’s most sustainable building, within Canberra’s arts and culture precinct, NewActon.
Tell me more…
On the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, Ovolo Nishi is an upscale hotel is a 15-minute walk from the National Museum of Australia and 8 km from Canberra Airport.
Contemporary rooms are individually designed with original artwork, textured-clay walls and salvaged-oak beds. Free Wi-Fi, flat-screens, minibars and room service are provided, and upgraded rooms add separate bedrooms, double rainfall showerheads and free-standing tubs.
There is a sleek restaurant/bar with an indoor fire pit. Parking, bike rentals and yoga classes are free, and there’s a 24-hour exercise room and a modern library, as well as 3 meeting spaces.
The 68 rooms are dressed with salvaged and restored 20th century Australian furniture, original artworks and artisan-made furnishings. The beds are made from reclaimed oak, and the walls are a mix of concrete, cork, earthen clay, and natural fiber wallpapers. The custom made furniture in the hotel rooms and public spaces have all been made by Australian makers.
Get the Facts
Where is it? NewActon, Canberra
What? Boutique hotel
How many? 68 rooms
Who? Everyone
How much?
Sounding Good? Read on…
Half of the rooms in Ovolo Nishi look out of their opening hardwood windows onto the lake or bush, and half onto the internal atrium populated with Tasmanian ferns. The public spaces include a library stocked with small press and vintage books, two large fireplaces for people to colonize, and the Monster kitchen and bar preoccupied with local, seasonal food.
The hotel Grand stair is made from recycled timber collected from a demolished house; a basketball court; from the Nishi’s construction site itself; and from off cuts of Nishi’s own Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) façade.
Address:
Hosts: Ovolo Nishi Hotels
Address: NewActon Nishi, 25 Edinburgh Avenue, Canberra ACT 2601
PRICE RATE POLICY
Every enquiry and booking through GREEN GETAWAYS AUSTRALIA shows your support for the fabulous environmental initiatives undertaken by this accommodation.
FEATURES
- well-equipped gym
- library
- free WiFi throughout
- rooms all have TV, radio, iPad, minibar, bathrobes, botanical bath products
THINGS TO DO
Apart from all that Canberra has to offer, the Nishi building’s facilities include:
- a Palace Electric cinema;
- Goodspeed bike shop;
- Nishi Gallery with local, interstate and international art exhibitions;
- Pilates Canberra;
- Soma Day Spa
- Roji hair salon.
ENVIRONMENT
From the Management
Environmental sustainability is one of our core values at Hotel Hotel. What follows is a list of considerations and initiatives that have been implemented at Ovolo Nishi, the Design Icon Apartments and our Monster kitchen and bar.
During the initial build and fit out of Ovolo Nishi and now, 18 months later, during the continued review of our operations, we have learnt that environmental consideration is a case-by-case exercise. We initially wrote this list six months after we opened. There were 50 points back then. We‘ve continued to try and improve wherever possible. We have added a few since and we now have 64.
1. Ovolo Nishi occupies three floors of the Nishi residential building. The Nishi apartments have an 8 star Nationwide Energy Household Rating Scheme (NatHERS) rating. The adjoining Nishi commercial building is a 6 star Green Star rated building with a 5 star National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) energy rating.
2. The gardens at Ovolo Nishi are irrigated with rainwater harvested from the Nishi building.
3. All paint used in the hotel is low VOC (volatile organic compounds so carcinogenic chemicals are omitted).
4. The public lounge has been finished with recycled timber floor boards.
5. The hotel Grand stair is made from recycled timber collected from a demolished house; a basketball court; from the Nishi’s construction site itself; and from off cuts of Nishi’s own Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) façade.
6. The 18 skylights in the lobby reduce our need for artificial lighting.
7. All the hotel room bathrooms feature Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) rated water saving shower and tap fittings.
8. The rooms have double-glazed windows that open and let guests control the internal temperature that way.
9. The hotel rooms each have a light sensor that turns off all the lights after 20 minutes if no movement is detected.
10. The hotel room windows each have a sensor that turns the air-conditioning off if the window is open.
11. During the cooler months, the air-conditioning is turned off in all internal rooms as the building design naturally keeps the rooms at a temperate level.
12. There are Australian alpaca blankets in each room to give guests more choice for natural heating during their stay.
13. The hotel room windows are made from sustainable Australian hardwood, not carbon intensive mined aluminium.
14. The outward facing hotel rooms have floor to ceiling glass windows to increase natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting.
15. The north-west facing hotel rooms have reflective blinds that reflect 90% of the sun’s heat, reducing the need for mechanical cooling.
16. The rooms are fitted with Australian-made lighting using LED low energy fittings.
17. The furniture in the rooms are salvaged and restored pieces.
18. The custom made furniture in the hotel rooms and public spaces have all been made by Australian makers.
19. The rooms feature joinery made from salvaged oak.
20. The wardrobes in the hotel rooms are made from oriented strand board and are off-cuts from other carpentry products.
21. All of the raw materials used in the hotel rooms (like the beds and the study nooks) have been sealed with a natural bees wax instead of chemical based sealants.
22. Carpets in the hotel rooms are made from a natural wool, not a synthetic fibre (reducing carcinogens).
23. The wall paper featured through the guest rooms has been made using all natural and sustainable fibres (like bamboo, grasses and cork).
24. All our toilets are dual flush…
25. We’ve chosen to stock refillable 500ml bottle Aesop skin care products for the hotel rooms rather than the usual smaller bottles to reduce plastic use and wastage.
26. The mini bar is sourced with Australian made products that are mostly organic and when possible local.
27. The glass water bottles in the hotel rooms are filled daily with filtered Canberra water, saving on plastic and resources.
28. The water bottles and water glasses in the rooms and DIAs are hand-made in Australia from re-purposed wine bottles.
29. There are no bin liners in the bathroom bins to reduce plastic use.
30. The Nishi DIAs have an 8 star Nationwide Energy Household Rating Scheme (NatHERS) rating.
31. The Nishi DIAs use passive cooling, reducing the need for mechanical cooling.
32. All DIAs are fitted with the highest rated energy efficient appliances including 6 star energy efficient dryers.
33. Our calico guest bags have been hand screen printed using eco-friendly Permaset inks that
are water soluble and chemical free.
34. We use calico laundry bags to reduce the use of plastic bags.
35. The dry cleaners that we outsource to, use compressed cardboard coat hangers and
calico suit bags to return laundry.
36. We choose suppliers that have an environmental and sustainable program over ones that don’t.
37. We have chosen organic and biodegradable additional guest amenities (like cotton buds)
whenever possible, and they are all packaged in recycled cardboard.
38. We also stock organic tampons, vegan condoms and sustainable bamboo toothbrushes.
39. The toilet paper is all made from 100% recycled, post-consumer waste fibres … it’s
called “Who gives a crap”, 50% of its profits are donated to WaterAid to build toilets and
improve sanitation in the developing world.
40. We have low-VOC ‘baby safe’ finish cots for the kidlets, locally made alpaca blankets and
organic baby products.
41. Our key cards are made from a certified sustainable plantation wood, not plastic. We
communicate this on the cards by way of educating our guests on the importance of this
choice.
42. Our key card wallets are multi-use as they are made from a map of the precinct (origami style).
43. These key wallets are now marked with room numbers in lead pencil, not ink, which lets us
re-use them (up to three times).
44. We encourage our guests to use our complimentary bikes, they are made by local Canberra outfit Goodspeed Bicycles.
45. We email receipts to our guests rather than printing them (unless requested otherwise).
46. We don’t leave any lights or televisions on before guests check in.
47. All hotel staff printer preferences are set to 2-sided printing, reducing the wastage and usage of paper.
48. Reservation filing and administration is filed electronically and not printed.
49. Our everyday collateral is printed on 100% recycled Envirocare paper made from 75% post-consumer waste
50. We save our printed paper to hand make the note pads in the hotel rooms – so they are made from recycled and post-consumer waste.
51. We use these pads in our office as well.
52. We have a strict rubbish program, sorting and recycling all possible hotel waste.
53. For cleaning we use Ozone water and micro fibre cloths instead of chemical cleaning products.
54. Weekly timesheets have been replaced with an electronic sign in and out “finger scan” program.
55. Our compendium has been developed electronically and provided to guests via the in-room IPad.
56. There is no printed collateral in the guest rooms.
57. We subscribe to a number of newspapers online for our guests to read on their in-room IPad (to cut down on the number of printed newspapers).
58. We do express check out for all guests via the in-room IPad to save on printing at reception.
59. The Monster kitchen and bar use only biodegradable, Australian made and owned take-away packaging.
60. The Monster kitchen and bar sources produce directly from small local farmers thus reducing food miles.
61. Linen clothes and napkins are used at Monster kitchen and bar instead of paper.
62. The atrium is populated with Dixonia Antarctica ferns salvaged from Tasmanian rainforest
destined for clearance… While it’s not an environmental saving we think it goes some way to communicating the beauty of these forests and the need to protect them.
63. We manage our own beehives. They make us honey and get busy cross-pollinating plants in the area.
64. Fix and Make program that includes talks and worships open to the public on fixing and making. From these, we hope to learn even more ways towards environmental sustainability.