Discover why a vacation in a sustainable hotel or in a vacation home is something very special. It is because hoteliers with a passion for the environment come up with a number of ideas to make your stay a unique experience. Sustainability can be so diverse, there are many ways to make our planet a little bit better bit by bit – even on vacation. In order to achieve this, hoteliers often take extensive steps in the areas of energy, waste avoidance, gastronomy, social issues, and architecture. And one thing is for sure, the interior design of our green hotels is impressive!

A dream made of wood

Wood is a natural building material that is often used by sustainable hotels because of its multiple qualities. It is one of the most sustainable building materials available and also has some very pleasant characteristics. It smells good, feels nice, and creates a cozy and warm atmosphere. A building material that is able to regulate the indoor climate in a natural way. At best, the wood comes from the region and from sustainable forestry. However, the vacation village MANOAH at the Zeulenroda dam has gone one step further. For the construction of the solid wood houses, so-called moon wood from sustainable forestry was used. This wood comes from trees felled in consideration of the forestry moon calendar. This makes the wood more lasting, resistant, and robust. The houses were built by the Thoma company with the specially patented Holz100 plug-in system. Only wooden wall-plugs are used to connect the walls. Glue, metal, and toxic chemicals can be completely avoided. The solid wood houses are particularly beneficial to health and life energy. In addition, a tree of the year was planted in front of each house. This topic is also reflected in the decoration and design of each vacation home. The interior decoration consists of natural materials such as slate, natural stone, and wood. When selecting the furniture and interior design items, preference was given to regional manufacturers with a focus on environmental friendliness.

Tradition, sustainability & design

Also in the Dolomit Homes wood plays an important role. There, the hotelier and architect Carl Heinz Castlunger made his dream come true. He combined the traditional Ladin timber construction of the region with the highest standards of sustainability. The highlight of his creation is the “Mi Chalet”, a luxury chalet for couples. Here he shows in an impressive way how ecological materials and sustainable construction are compatible with the highest comfort and ambitious design. The chalet was built with two native wood species: larch and spruce wood. The large window front of the vacation home is a dream come true, giving you a breathtaking view of the mountain scenery of the Dolomites.

The renewable room

The Creativhotel Luise in the heart of Erlangen belongs to the most pollution-free city hotels in Germany. Host Ben Förtsch demonstrates how ecological design works, which not only looks incredibly good but is also comfortable. He illustrates what happens when you think further and takes sustainability to the extreme.

Behind the renewable rooms is a holistic and well-planned furnishing concept. From floor to ceiling, everything here is sustainable. Ben Förtsch was very creative in the choice of materials. Carpets were made from old fishing nets and the walls are partly made of hay. Coco-Mat mattresses are made of natural materials such as natural rubber, coconut fibers, and seaweed. All materials used are healthy and provide a good indoor climate. The rooms are also made of 100 percent biologically decomposable or recyclable substances. But also in the rest of the hotel, there are no limits to creativity. According to the principle of upcycling, new things were created from old with love and enthusiasm. An old garage door, a few wine barrels, and a pharmacist’s cabinet from 1930 were brought back to life. There is something extraordinary to discover in every corner.

Sustainable interior: Vegan from floor to ceiling

When you think about veganism you first think about food? In a vegan hotel, you have to pay attention to many more details than just the food. To live vegan means more, than only vegetable nutrition. Who wants to have a positive influence on the well-being of animals, makes sure that he does not use animal products in any other areas of life. The La Vimea in South Tyrol is considered the first purely vegan hotel in Italy. Everything there is vegan and sustainable: the food, the furnishings, the architecture, and the general lifestyle. The furniture in the rooms is made of solid wood from native larches. Moonwood was also used here. The mattress from the company WaterLily is ecologically decomposable, the two-layer premium natural cold foam core is made from renewable sources and a mixture of special essential herbal oils. The bed linen is made of fair trade organic cotton, the quilt is made of sustainable Tencel fibers. The philosophy of the hotel is to act as resource-saving as possible and in harmony with nature. And you can feel that.

Connecting old & new

A combination of tradition and modernity has been achieved by the host couple of the Locanda Mistral. The hotel is located in the Maira Valley, in the middle of the unspoiled nature of Piedmont. The hotel has two converted farmhouses in the Occitan style. The historical main house, dating back to the 19th century, has been carefully restored and renovated. There are the traditional rooms, where elements such as the original wooden trunk floor and the arched ceilings have been maintained. In the recently renovated side-house, you will find the modern rooms, where natural materials from the area have been used, such as larch wood, stone, and lime plaster. The rooms radiate a modern and stylish ambiance. They are furnished in an alpine, Occitan style with lots of wood, individually adapted furniture, and accessories. Here you will find a special combination of modern comfort and natural and ecological materials.

Sustainable interior over the rooftops of Milan

If you are looking for something more extraordinary, you should stop by the Hotel Milano Scala. This zero-emission hotel in the heart of Milan was built in a historic palace from the 19th century. The hotel is characterized by its extravagant details: Eco-chic, classical music, green gourmet cuisine, and a herb garden on the roof terrace overlooking the entire city. The hotel’s rooms are equipped with the latest sustainable technologies while offering the highest level of comfort. They are managed by magnetic cards to optimize energy consumption. The windows are provided with magnetic contacts that block the operation of the air conditioning when opened. In addition, a filtering system ensures excellent air in the rooms. The design of the rooms is dedicated to the Milanese Scala. Warm and relaxing colors and nuances dominate, the walls are partially decorated with original posters from the historical archive of the theater.

As you can see, there are many different ways to decorate a room in a sustainable way. Nevertheless, there is no lack of the necessary comfort and a balance between design and functionality. Where would you feel most comfortable?

Read more: LOCAL ARCHITECTURE AND SUSTAINABLE BUILDING

Do you like this article? Share it!