GREEN PEARLS® – curated partners for sustainable impact
“Farm-to-table” often sounds like a fixed concept. In reality, however, its implementation varies from one establishment to another. Three core principles remain the same, though: direct connections between the farm and the kitchen, a seasonal menu, and traceable ingredients from the farm or field with…
Greywater in the toilet, zero-kilometer vegetables on your plate, and a “Tiny Forest” behind the hotel. Why does heat recovery—though it sounds wonderfully unsexy—often matter more to a hotel than a bamboo straw? We’ll break down the vocabulary of sustainable travel for you.
In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda, a global roadmap for achieving sustainable development by 2030. At first glance, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations sound pretty ambitious and abstract. But what do they have to do with your next hotel stay?
Read more: From the UN to hotels: How the SDGs are being put into practiceMore than you might think! Hotels are employers, hosts, and buyers. They are also an integral part of their region. They decide where their food comes from, how they use energy and water, and how they treat their employees, guests, and local partners.
At Green Pearls®, we witness the diversity of this contribution every day. Hotels develop solutions that fit their capabilities and the needs of their region. The following examples illustrate just how varied the implementation of the SDGs can be in everyday hotel life.
Since 2019, the Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel on the Seiser Alm has consistently transitioned its offerings to a plant-based diet. By the end of 2024, it had become the region’s first entirely vegan hotel. For you, this means, first and foremost, creative vegan dishes that show just how varied a vacation can be without animal products. In this way, the hotel contributes directly to Goals 12 and 13 (responsible consumption and climate action).
At the Hotel My Arbor in South Tyrol, environmental and social initiatives are closely linked. By collaborating with regional producers, avoiding mass-produced goods, and using natural building materials, the hotel reduces its resource consumption. Energy-efficient building designs and renewable energy sources further support Goal 13.
Host Alexandra Huber sums it up this way: “It’s an ongoing process, and we’ll continue to optimize our strategies and actions.”
The Hotel Weihrerhof in Ritten is setting concrete standards with its modern heating systems, water-saving measures, and solar technology. This example demonstrates that even small businesses can make measurable progress through strategic investments.
With a score of 90% on its GreenSign certification, the SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA hotel is a model of energy efficiency, climate-friendly operations, and sustainable city and community development. The hotel’s commitment to sustainability is further demonstrated through social initiatives and transparent reporting, such as its participation in the Baden-Württemberg WIN Charter and the German Sustainability Code.
If you want to see for yourself how a hotel measures up, these externally verified certifications are a much more reliable indicator than the wording on its website.
If you book a stay at SANDnature on the Baltic Sea, you might run into one of the “SDG Scouts.” Young employees there receive specialized training to develop and implement their own sustainability ideas. This way, sustainability isn’t simply dictated from above. The team can help shape the process and drive change within the hotel. The focus here lies primarily on quality education and strong institutions, which is reflected in SDGs 4 and 16.
The Hotel Luise in Erlangen has a similar concept, just under a different name. The “Wall of Change” showcases current projects and links them to the 2030 Agenda. Here, education (Goal 4), climate action (Goal 13), and partnerships (Goal 17) all come together. The program is complemented by the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), which focus on personal skills such as mindfulness and responsibility.
The “ADLER for Planet” sustainability program, implemented at all ADLER Spa Resorts & Lodges, demonstrates the diversity of sustainable practices in hotels. This approach ranges from protecting biodiversity (Goal 15) to reducing waste and using renewable energy (Goal 7). There is also a special emphasis on resource-efficient water management and the sustainable procurement of regional and seasonal products. Transparency plays a central role in this process. Progress is regularly published and made available to guests and employees.
The Klosterhof – Alpine Hideaway & Spa in Bavaria was the first hotel in Germany to receive the EU Ecolabel. Its concept includes energy-efficient building systems, renewable energy, a waste prevention strategy, sourcing regional food, and supporting the local mountain rescue team.
The Naturresort Gerbehof on Lake Constance doesn’t adhere to a specific set of SDGs, but its approach aligns with many of them. Solar power and miscanthus cultivation for the wood chip heating system make the hotel nearly energy self-sufficient. Its own springs and cisterns ensure a reliable water supply.
The Economy for the Common Good (GWÖ) reporting system documents this commitment to the outside world. Additionally, special offerings promote guests’ well-being, an aspect rarely considered in the SDGs.
None of these hotels treats the 17 goals as a simple checklist. Instead, each property selects goals that align with its size, region, and philosophy and implements specific measures in those areas. This is exactly what makes the SDGs tangible in the tourism industry.
When you’re choosing your next Green Pearls Hotel, it’s worth taking a look at which of these goals the property is specifically pursuing—and how you can tell.
The 17 SDGs are the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They range from quality education and decent work to climate action and sustainable consumption. Hotels can use them as a guide and incorporate these goals into their day-to-day operations.
No. Each hotel has its own areas of focus, depending on its size, region, and philosophy.
Look for concrete actions and transparent information regarding the implementation of the SDGs, such as:
You don’t have to find the perfect hotel. What matters most is that the business takes responsibility, operates transparently, and is committed to continuous improvement. Through your booking and your behavior while you’re there, you can support sustainable initiatives and help achieve the SDGs in tourism.
Off-season? Not a chance! Traveling in the fall is becoming increasingly popular. While the heat, extreme weather, and overcrowded vacation spots that characterize the traditional summer season are less appealing to many travelers, fall offers a whole new set of possibilities.
Did you know that, under certain conditions, the carbon footprint of four people in an SUV can be similar to that of a single person in an electric car? Or that a long-distance trip isn’t necessarily more problematic than several short trips within Europe? CO2…
The dietary approach is an essential component of Ayurveda. It is based on the individual doshas. The doshas are three bioenergies composed of the five elements (earth, fire, water, air, ether/space). The literal meaning of the word can be translated as “that which can cause problems.” Which dosha one belongs to is innate. However, according to the Ayurvedic view of health, one can influence one’s own constitution through diet (and an adapted lifestyle).
If you want to know what Ayurveda type you are, there are several online tests available, the best known of which is probably the Banyan Botanicals Dosha Quiz. It’s in English, and you’ll need to register via email.
However, if you familiarize yourself with the different types, you can easily categorize yourself into a group.
If you’d prefer professional support, you can find it, for example, at special Ayurvedic retreats while on vacation. The Hotel Korinjak on the Croatian island of Iž, for example, is deeply rooted in Ayurveda and regularly hosts teachers (some of whom come directly from India or are graduates of the Wagholi College of Ayurveda or BSDT’s Ayurved Mahavidyalaya), who will work with you to determine your Ayurvedic type and provide you with specific dietary recommendations.
Listen to your body. This is one of the principles of Ayurvedic nutrition. What’s good for you? What isn’t? Especially at the beginning, you should stick to foods you’re used to so as not to overwhelm your body.
Recommendations are provided in the form of stimulating or soothing flavors that the individual dosha types can use as a guide.
A person who is predominantly Pitta can slightly temper the fire with sweet and astringent foods. As a Pitta type, you also tolerate carbohydrates much better than others.
In contrast, Kapha types should opt for spicy, salty, or sour foods and spices and eat light meals to avoid exacerbating their tendency toward sluggishness and lethargy.
If you tend toward the Vata type, you can ground your mercurial nature with tart and spicy foods.
Instead of focusing too much on the ingredients in your food, you can start by incorporating a mindful routine. Especially in our fast-paced world, it’s hard to consciously enjoy meals rather than viewing them merely as a necessary evil. After all, eating regularly is also part of the Ayurvedic lifestyle:
Tip: Here’s something you can start doing right away as part of the Ayurvedic lifestyle: Drink a glass of warm (ginger) water as soon as you wake up. This will replenish your fluid levels and help you start the day feeling refreshed.
Also: Put your cell phone aside while eating, focus on the food in front of you, and savor the flavors. For example, the Ayurvedic, sweet, or savory breakfast waffles at the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio.
The HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio specializes in Ayurvedic travel and treatments. Here, you can not only indulge in Ayurvedic delicacies but also learn how to prepare them yourself in a workshop.
These sweet waffles are suitable for Vata and Pitta
· Why? Oatmeal is naturally heavy, nourishing, warming, and oily. Combined with sugar and cinnamon, it has an extremely grounding and calming effect. This is the perfect remedy for the nervous, light Vata dosha. Pitta also benefits from the substantial, sweet energy of oats and sugar (as long as not too much heating cocoa is used).
For Kapha, oats, sugar, and coconut are less suitable, as they drag down the sluggish Kapha dosha even further.
The savory waffles with cashew chutney are suitable for: Vata and Kapha
· Why? The spices (cayenne, pepper, chili, garlic) provide the necessary fire to make the heavy oats more digestible. This stimulates the slow digestive fire (Agni) of Kapha. The bitter/tart character of dried tomatoes and thyme is also beneficial for Kapha.
Caution for Pitta: Green chilies, garlic, sour limes, and long pepper are extremely heating and are therefore not suitable for balancing the Pitta fire.
In Ayurveda, the biological clock (the Dosha times of day) and the digestive fire (Agni) play an important role.
Breakfast is served between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and should be warm, light, and easily digestible. The breakfast waffles should therefore definitely be eaten warm.
As mentioned earlier, a late lunch is the main meal in Ayurveda.
And how many breakfast waffles should you eat? Here, too, there’s an interesting Ayurvedic principle: as many as fit in your two hands!
This is an update from July 22, 2022
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