Philippa Jacks checks out the newly-opened Hotel Rafayel 

Say "eco-friendly hotel" and clients might imagine a log cabin in Sweden or a treehouse in deepest darkest Peru. Not a high-tech, high-
spec, high-end city hotel - in Battersea.

Hotel Rafayel, which had a soft opening in December, is described on its website as “one of the world’s first environmentally-conscious luxury hotels". Rather a bold claim, but the measures taken to ensure this new hotel has a minimal carbon footprint are impressive.

A state-of-the-art ventilation system recovers and reuses up to 70% of heat; rainwater is collected on the roof to water plants and flush toilets; and beds are supplied by a zero-carbon/zero-waste company.

An elaborate lighting system uses LEDs to achieve up to 80% more efficiency than normal energy-efficient lightbulbs. Guests who like to pocket all the travel-sized miniatures (we all do it) may be disappointed to find bathrooms have large, refillable bottles of organic Neom products instead of take-away toiletries.

But Hotel Rafayel has not splurged on green technology at the expense of style and quality. Colour schemes are sophisticated and moody, with luxurious fabrics, heaps of throw-cushions, and beautiful sculptures scattered throughout the property.

There are five different room categories, including the innovative Jet Lag Recovery rooms, where a system of daylight, evening light and blue light helps reset the body clock. Rooms facing the river have the superior views (not that the Battersea stretch of the Thames is the best). However my own view of Halfords was not quite as special. My bathroom was huge, though I found the shower confusing to work and the taps almost impossible to turn.

The Asian-inspired Banyan on the Thames restaurant was exceptional. I enjoyed delicious Cromer crab with mango, and 'Mongolian warrior's lamb' and very slick and friendly service. Breakfast in the small brasserie was also impressive, with a tasty spread of fresh-baked bread, fruits, meats and cheeses plus an extensive menu of cooked items. I loved Mychelle's Baketique, an onsite bakery with irrisistable displays of cupcakes in all sizes, colours and flavours.

The gym features top-notch equipment and there's also a sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy pool. In lieu of a swimming pool, there's a swimming machine with an adjustable current. The spa stocks organic and vegan Ama La and Neom products and the therapists include one trained acupuncturist and a nutritionist too.

The hotel has got off to a very respectable start, already touching 60-70% occupancy at weekends, and practically full for Valentine’s weekend, though sales and marketing manager Tibor Kiss admits that business travel traffic midweek has been slower than hoped. Its proximity to London Heliport means clients can hop to and from Heathrow and Gatwick in minutes. Kiss says it will work perfectly for clients wanting to reach Silverstone for the Grand Prix, and that he’s already had enquiries for the 2012 Olympics.

Hotel Rafayel is not the only luxury brand to have made a foray into London’s ‘left bank’, as the hotel eloquently describes its location. With von Essen soon to open Hotel Verta just next door, the area will have gained two luxury properties within a few months (next stop, Raffles Battersea?!)

But Kiss is confident the two hotels will not compete. “We will bring business for them; they will bring business for us. To have both here is proof that Battersea is a good location, proof of the rebirth of this area” he says.

As for eco-credentials, the hotel has a way to go before it could claim itself to be a true 'eco-hotel'. I'd have liked to see the restaurant commit to locally-sourced produce, and would have preferred not to see an onsite florist that flies fresh flowers in from Holland every week. I appreciate high-end clients might not relish a 10-minute walk from Clapham Junction, but it's a shame that shuttle transfers in an Audi are the alternative.

But whether or not Hotel Rafayel conforms to your idea of a green hotel, it's clear that an environmental conscience really has been brought to bear on its construction and operation. 

For Kiss, formerly purser of a luxury river cruise ship in Cambodia (owner Iqbal Latif's other operation), the interest clients have shown in Hotel Rafayel's ecological footprint has been very welcome. "There are people asking us in an average enquiry email, 'what does your eco-friendly policy mean?'" he says. "Saying your carbon emissions are 20% lower than an average hotel really means something to people here”.

www.hotelrafayel.com

www.utell.com