Sustainable Tourism - L'Hôtel Littéraire Gustave Flaubert certified B+ in the FairScore 2026

What would Flaubert, the man of the "mot juste," say to see his name today associated with an environmental rating? He would no doubt appreciate the rigour of the approach: at the Hôtel Littéraire Gustave Flaubert, each overnight stay is now assessed by the FairScore, a certification that serves to objectify what the establishment implements daily to reduce its footprint.

The FairScore, or the art of measuring the invisible

Behind this name lies a rigorous method: the FairScore rests upon Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a framework developed by ADEME that does not limit itself to observing what transpires within the hotel's walls.  
It traces the entire journey of an overnight stay with breakfast, from the manufacture of the products employed to their end of life, including their transport and usage.  
A principle ultimately akin to Nutriscore, but applied to environmental footprint rather than nutritional value — with a grade ranging from A+ to E-, built upon four indicators: greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, depletion of energy resources and the proportion of organic and ecolabelled products.

A rating that speaks for itself

The hotel attains a B+, positioning itself comfortably above the French four‑star average (grade C). The breakdown of the four indicators elucidates this performance :

• 4 kg of CO2 emitted per overnight stay
• 343 litres of water mobilised over the entire life cycle
• 42 kWh of energy resources consumed
• 50% organic and Ecolabel-certified products

At the scale of the Société des Hôtels Littéraires group, these individual performances contribute to a 31% reduction in the overall environmental impact index since 2023.

The Norman terroir as a guiding thread

If one word were to encapsulate the hotel's CSR approach, it would doubtless be "proximity". At the bar, the menu gives pride of place to local producers: the spirits of Coq Toqué and the Distillerie de la Seine sit alongside coffees roasted in Normandy and Kusmi teas. The same reasoning applies to breakfast, where cheeses from the Ferme Dusmesnil and yogurts from the Ferme des Peupliers accompany a 100% Norman organic apple juice, not to mention a few pastries crafted on the premises.

This closeness is complemented by a careful attention to the products used behind the scenes: all of the hotel's cleaning products are Ecocert-certified, a guarantee of consistency between the image conveyed and the actual practices.

When the hotel opens itself to biodiversity

The establishment's commitment goes beyond mere consumption management. In the hotel's courtyard, an insect hotel offers a refuge to small urban wildlife, while a partnership with the association Un Toit pour les Abeilles enables the sponsorship of local beehives, two initiatives that restore nature to the heart of an otherwise urban establishment.

On the thermal comfort front, technology takes the reins: the A-Grid system intelligently regulates heating and air conditioning throughout the building, adjusting requirements in real time rather than by fixed settings.

A course held steady over time

Valid for three years, this FairScore certification is accompanied by an action plan designed to extend the efforts already undertaken. One thing is certain: between its beehives, its insect hotel and its Norman producers, le Flaubert has found its own way of embodying exacting standards — its literary one, and that, now measurable, of its environmental impact.