Sustainability

The Journey Towards a Greener Outlook

Right from the beginning, it was completely natural for us here at Chateau Mcely to be guided by principles that are in harmony with our philosophy of care and love for ourselves as well as to our surroundings. This means behaving in an environmentally-friendly manner, thinking about the consequences of our actions, continuously keeping on our toes, and constantly doing something more. For one person, it’s a matter of choice. For a hotel, it’s a big challenge.

Sustainable Right from the Start

Thanks to Chateau Mcely’s approach, it became the first five-star green hotel in the Czech Republic and the second in Europe in 2007.

The husband-and-wife team of Inéz and Jim Cusumano emphasized that local Czech manufacturers should be involved in the interior furnishings as much as possible. The chateau's furnishings are made primarily of natural materials. Using local resources is much more commonplace today, but at the time the chateau was undergoing renovation, it was almost a visionary approach.

Cosmetics

MCELY BOUQUET, an all-natural, organic cosmetics line, was founded by Inéz Cusumano in 2010. She wanted to develop her own brand that would be in keeping with the chateau’s eco-friendly operations. The cosmetic products are mixed by hand in the chateau laboratory in small batches using only the freshest and purest non-chemically treated ingredients.

Restaurant

The primary motto of Honza Štěrba’s Piano Nobile was, is, and will always be: Eat Local!  Herbs, edible flowers, small fruits, and vegetables grow in the chateau garden, so in summer, the chefs can walk down the path and pick what they need. What the chefs can't grow or produce themselves, they try to source mainly from local and organic farmers. The nearby Ledec bakery supplies baked goods. Our restaurant doesn’t use disposable mini packaging for things like butter, jams, honey, and similar products. 

Heating

For heating and hot water, we use an eco-friendly wood chip boiler from a local supplier. This boiler is basically a way of using waste wood and is one of the most environmentally friendly ways of heating. Burning wood produces the same amount of carbon dioxide as the natural smoldering of wood in nature. 

Electricity

We use green electricity for lighting and our solar panels to heat the water in the natural swimming pond. We also have our own photovoltaic cells that make us partially self-sufficient in terms of electricity. Green electricity significantly helps to improve the quality of the environment as it is produced exclusively from renewable sources - the sun, water, or biomass. All of this entails a higher upfront cost with a relatively long payback period, but we believe it makes sense. “Our vision is to change the world by changing yours. We need to think about living in a healthy environment and preserving it for those after us,” says Vlastimil Plch, Founding Managing Director.

Park

All leaves are composted and returned to the park. We also use the hay from the meadows to create special bowls around the trees to help them retain moisture, and the park also has an insect hotel.  Four hectares of the park are meadows that are beneficial for insects (butterflies, honeybees, bumblebees, and others) that can breed here, which helps support nature and its cycle. We grow many kinds of plants and herbs here, which we use to produce cosmetics and teas and in the chateau kitchen. The wide variety of different flowers growing here allows us to use mostly our own supplies for decorating the chateau during the blooming season. We also try to use the unused flowers left by brides after their weddings to make others happy, for example, in a nearby senior citizens' home. 

Adopt-a-Tree

We offer the opportunity to plant a memorial tree in the chateau park or symbolically adopt an endangered one.  

On the occasion of a wedding, the birth of a child, an anniversary, or just for joy and remembrance, we have a variety of trees available to choose from for new planting. With our help, you’ll plant and water the tree and place the memorial plaque yourself. The tree then receives constant care from our gardeners, and you have a vivid memory of a significant moment in your life. 

All trees are valuable monuments to us, and we see the importance of their protection and maintenance. After careful inspection by arborists, some of our trees have been identified as endangered, and special Air Spade technology must be used to save them. We are very grateful that our guests are helping us protect this heritage through this symbolic adoption of a selected tree. 

Water

We offer guests swimming in a natural biotopic pond. No cleaning chemicals are required for its maintenance, making bathing more pleasant. The pond provides a water surface for birds, frogs, insects, and other animals. 

A system of polders in the chateau park helps retain some rainwater and keep the trees watered.   

Electromobility

We have three electric charging stations at Chateau Mcely. We have partnered with Lexus, a company that promotes eco-friendly and energy-saving operations with its hybrid vehicles. Our colleagues use electrically powered trolleys to move around the extensive park, and gardeners use only electric power tools. 

Waste

We aim to sort our waste as much as possible, minimize the amount of disposable packaging, recycle, and remind our colleagues and guests of these practices. The entire team carefully sorts all waste, including the bins in the rooms. In the bathrooms, you will find high-quality natural cosmetics in refillable containers and only a minimum of disposable products in non-plastic packaging.  We also provide information for our guests in the chateau rooms on being more environmentally friendly.  

Community

Charity is an integral part of life at Chateau Mcely. We have been teaching English at the children’s home in Nymburk for many years. We offer financial assistance to specific families in the area whose children or mothers have been less fortunate and are facing adversity. Each year, we contribute a portion of the proceeds from the Princess Gathering to support people with disabilities at the nearby Center for All. We help local seniors and support the community and local associations. We regularly meet with the leaders of the surrounding villages during Advent, and we organize an annual meeting with St. Nicholas and the devil in the chateau halls for the children from the Mcely kindergarten. We also plant and restore fruit tree avenues between nearby villages.

Green Awards

Green Hotel 2007
Chateau Mcely became the only five-star “green” and eco-chic hotel in the Czech Republic and the second in Europe with the highest green certification from the European Union.

World’s Leading Green Hotel 2008
The World Travel Awards “Oscar” of the tourism industry, in the category of Green Hotels.

Green Manager of the Year 2009
Executive Director Ing. Vlastimil Plch, MBA, who has managed Chateau Mcely since its founding, was awarded the “Green Manager of the Year” award by the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of the Czech Republic for his exemplary approach to the ecology of hotel operations.

Europe’s Leading Green Resort 2011
In the prestigious World Travel Awards, Chateau Mcely won first prize in Europe’s Leading Green Resort category.