Bermuda’s Rosedon hotel has become the first on the Island to win a special green award from a global travel site.

The Pitts Bay Road fixture was given silver GreenLeader status by TripAdvisor.

The hotel is already rated number two in Bermuda on TripAdvisor.

Manager Muriel Richardson said: “Rosedon Hotel takes great pride in this recognition.”

She added: “You have to apply for it and it’s a pretty rigorous application process. You get asked a lot of questions about your green policies and practices.

“We were pleasantly surprised that we were approved for silver level and that we’re the first hotel in Bermuda to acquire it.”

Ms Richardson said that the hotel now had its sights set on achieving gold, then platinum status in the GreenLeader programme.

She added: “We would be aiming for that in the future — we’ve already set gold objectives.

“It’s been an ongoing thing for years to green the hotel — it makes sense and it’s the right thing to do.”

And Ms Richardson said: “We are committed to Bermuda and its people and are working hard to create a uniquely Bermudian product.”

The hotel uses solar power, including a special Heliodyne system for providing hot water and low-power use LED light bulbs for all its outdoor lighting, while most interior lighting is also energy-efficient.

The family-owned hotel, founded in 1950, also recycles water and has a strict waste management programme.

Recycling bins are featured in public areas and staff are also trained in green practices.

The hotel also uses biodegradable and organic toiletries, with leftovers donated to good causes or reused elsewhere in the hotel and there is a reuse programme for linens and towels.

In addition, the hotel ties to source as much produce locally as possible — and even grows it own bananas in the hotel grounds and an organic kitchen garden provides herbs and other plants.

TripAdvisor rates hotel properties on a set of environmental standards set by a green consulting firm, with advice from expert partners.

The more green initiatives a hotel demonstrates, the higher its GreenLeader rating.

Travellers using the TripAdvisor site can now search for accommodation that has a GreenLeader rating and view a detailed list of environmentally friendly practices at each location.