Applications for The Considerate Hotel of the Year Awards 2006 are now being invited and are open to any UK hotel or guesthouse with six or more guest bedrooms.

Hosted by The Considerate Hoteliers Association, the 2006 awards are supported by the British Hospitality Association (BHA) and the Hotel and Catering International Management Association (HCIMA).

This year, the leading organisations in their fields – WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) for waste minimisation and recycling; Envirowise for water management; Oxford Brookes University and Sustain for sustainable food; and Hospitable Climates for energy efficiency – have set four challenges for UK hotels:

• Envirowise challenges hotels and guesthouses to save at least 30 per cent on their water and effluent bill • WRAP challenges hotels and guesthouses to reduce the volume of waste they send to landfill by at least 20 per cent

• The Oxford Brookes Hospitality/Sustain challenge will be awarded to the hotel or guesthouse that has done the most to promote seasonal British food on its menus • The Hospitable Climates challenge will be awarded to the hotel or guesthouse that can reduce energy consumption by the greatest amount

There will be an award for each challenge and the overall winner – to be named Considerate Hotel of the Year – will be the hotel or guesthouse which has either performed best against a number of categories of the award or outstandingly well in one category.

All applicants will receive a copy of WRAP’s excellent information pack on managing waste in hospitality businesses, immediate enrolment into the Hospitable Climates energy management programme and access to an Envirowise advisor who will discuss how to identify immediate costs savings, which may involve a FREE site visit. These visits have saved 3,000 businesses more than £20m.

Application forms are available at www.consideratehoteliers.com or via The Considerate Hoteliers Association. The closing date for entries is 5pm on Friday 24 November 2006.

The winners and runners-up will be announced at the Master Innholders Annual General Managers’ Conference at The Dorchester Hotel on Tuesday 16 January 2007. Details: John Firrell +44 (0)1308 482 313