Eco bonus: The Green PearlsⓇ hotels, aparthotels and vacation homes pay attention to sustainability when it comes to the ecologically challenging topic of wellness and have several interesting solutions, which we will also present here! Relaxation without a bad conscience 😉

Private spa suite with self-generated green electricity

“Our private spa rooms are especially for Italians.” This is how Thomas Steiner of OLM Nature Escape in northern Italy explains private saunas to Architectural Record magazine. Unlike many German and Austrian spa guests, Italians are not comfortable with “public nudity” and appreciate having their own private sauna in their room.

The newly opened aparthotel in Sand in Taufers, South Tyrol, has a total of 33 eco-apart-suites made of larch wood, each with its own kitchen. You can book additional meals and cleaning services on a modular basis.

Private Spa Suites: Apart-Suite M (53m²) and Apart-Suite L (60m²) each have their own Finnish sauna (90°C). In addition to the bathroom with shower, there is a freestanding bathtub in the bedroom next to the king-size bed. There is also a space for yoga and calisthenics and a terrace or balcony.

Sustainability: OLM Nature Escape is the first off-grid aparthotel in the Alps. The aparthotel generates all the electricity, including that for the energy-intensive saunas, using geothermal probes and solar energy.

Chalets with private spa in Tyrol

There is a small village of eleven chalets in the Alpbach Valley in Tyrol. The Hygna Chalets combine the cozy romance of a mountain hut with private luxury. Staff will deliver breakfast to your door each morning in a beautifully arranged basket. In addition you have access to the infinity pool in the former hay barn (13 meters long), yoga room, and fitness studio.

Private Spa: The Weiden Spa Chalet (61 square feet) has a private hot tub on the patio; the Wiesen Chalet (104 square feet) has a private sauna with outdoor rain shower; and the Wiesen Spa Chalet (118 square feet) has both a private sauna and a private hot tub. As an added bonus, the beds in all of them have a massage function, and in the winter, a crackling fireplace will keep you warm. A basket of firewood is provided upon arrival.

Sustainability: Electricity and heat are generated by a photovoltaic system, a geothermal system, and a pellet heating system. If that is not enough, Hygna Chalets obtains 100% of its green electricity from hydropower. There is also an innovative concept for the year-round hot tubs. They fill with fresh water only when you press the button, so they consume energy only when in use.

Luxury log cabins with private sauna

You can also enjoy your own wellness and relaxation vacation at Summit Lodges Pfunds. Built in the North American log style from local timber, the houses are designed as vacation homes. So you can take care of yourself and enjoy complete privacy in the Tyrolean countryside.

Private Spa: The two cottages “Yosemite” (120 m²) and “Yellowstone” (120 m²) have a large bathroom with a Finnish sauna and a large living room with an open fireplace and firewood.

Sustainability: The log cabins are made of polar spruce and the wood for the interior comes from the local forest and sawmill. The electricity (also for the air heat pump heating) is provided by 100% green electricity from Tyrolean hydropower.

Sustainable hotels with private spas in Germany

Spa suite in the Bavarian Alps

If you want the service and amenities of a hotel with its own private spa, the Klosterhof – Alpine Hideaway & Spa in Bayerisch Gmain is the place for you. This spa hotel has a beautiful, large indoor pool with a fireplace and a sauna area for all hotel guests. But you can also book your very own private spa loft.

Private Spa: The Spa Loft (51 m²) and Spa Loft Suite (70 m²) are two-story dream rooms with large panoramic windows, a balcony and a beautiful view of nature. Equpped with their own private whirlpool and infrared sauna. There is also a spacious bathroom with shower and separate toilet.

Sustainability: The Klosterhof was created from an old monastery building, and the furnishings are made from local apple wood. A combined heat and power plant generates heat for the hotel and spa and the hotel uses modern technology (e.g. heat recovery) to be as efficient as possible. The hotel has been awarded the EU Ecolabel and was one of the first hotels in Germany to receive this certification.

Book the hotels spa area for three hours

The Lifestyle Resort Zum Kurfürsten is an extravagant wellness hotel on the Mosel River. There are three pools and a natural swimming pond, as well as a huge sauna area. The total spa area is more than 4,000 square meters.

Private Spa: You have the option to book your private spa at the Lifestyle Resort Zum Kurfürsten for three hours. You and your companion can enjoy the Finnish sauna, whirlpool and aromatic steam bath all to yourselves. As an extra, you will also receive the ingredients for a herbal infusion! (Price: 59,50 Euro per person)

Sustainability: The Lifestyle Resort Zum Kurfürsten was created from an existing building. Four combined heat and power plants supply its energy. The pools use modern pool technology to operate as energy-efficiently as possible (e.g. pool covers prevent heat loss at night).

Vegan hotel with private sauna in South Tyrol

As we mentioned at the beginning, Italians in particular love to spend time alone in the sauna. So, it’s no wonder that you can also book the barrel sauna at LA VIMEA in Naturno all to yourself. (For example, with the “Romantic Getaway” package, which we also wrote about in this blog article “Weekend getaway for vegans“.

Private Spa: You can book the forest sauna privately by the hour. The hotel’s spa area also includes an indoor saltwater pool, a natural swimming pond, three communal saunas, and an adventure shower.

Sustainability: LA VIMEA was the first completely vegan hotel in Italy. This applies not only to the food but also to the hotel’s decor. The adults-only hotel has a holistic, sustainable approach that is evident throughout, from the fair-trade organic linens to the daily yoga classes.

Is a private spa sustainable?

Wellness is never really sustainable because it uses a lot of energy and water. But it is certainly more sustainable to stay at a sustainably run spa hotel every now and then than to install a hot tub and sauna at home.

If you squeezed into a sauna with ten other people, each of you would have a smaller carbon footprint, but we understand if that’s not your idea of relaxation 🙂

In conclusion, a private spa is a luxury that you can afford from time to time. However, it does help the environment if you choose sustainable accommodation that runs the spa on renewable energy and is committed to doing more. What do you think? We would love to hear from you.

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Sustainable wellness – is that possible?

“You can try to avoid the fact that wellness is an energy drain, but in the end it is,” says hotelier Daniel Ganzer of Naturhotel Outside openly in an interview. If you intend to offer wellness in a hotel, you have to be aware of this issue. But: There are several ways to reduce electricity and water consumption and minimize the impact on the environment.

Pathways toward green wellness

Our Green PearlsⓇ accommodations are committed to greater sustainability in all areas. However, as you have already read, there is a special focus on the spa area. As always, there is no one “right” way, so here is a collection of what our partners are doing in this area:

• Usage of self-generated electricity, for instance from solar panels or a geothermal system. (Of course, using eco-power is not in itself more energy efficient or cheaper, but it is definitely more environmentally friendly.)
• Pools heated by a heat pump system that uses waste heat from the hotel kitchen, cold storage and server room.
• Modern pool covers that store heat at night.
• Advanced filtration systems that clean and reuse water
• Natural swimming ponds without chemicals
• Time limit for using the sauna
• The use of natural and local materials, such as locally sourced and sustainably logged wood and natural stone.
• No constant availability, e.g. for private whirlpools (instead, they are filled and emptied at the push of a button to clean and store the hot water centrally)

Other ways to identify a sustainably managed spa:

• Bath slippers, robe and towels can be brought from home. (This may not look as uniform, but it saves on laundry and mountains of waste from disposable slippers.)
• Use of natural cosmetics
• Minimizing packaging waste and disposable products (zero waste principle), e.g. by using glasses and cups instead of plastic cups.

A day of vacation, relaxation and regeneration

In fitness and competitive sports, there have been several studies on the importance of muscle recovery. Good for them: rest, warmth and relaxation, for example in the form of a massage. But wellness is not just about the physical, it also has a mental side: a visit to the spa is a wonderful opportunity to take some time off. Turn off your cell phone, get out of your business clothes, and enjoy the warmth, the water, the scents, and the peace and quiet. Really unplug. Even in your head.

Day spa offers in Austria

Sustainable relaxation at the Naturhotel Outside in East Tyrol

The aforementioned Naturhotel Outside is located in the middle of the Hohe Tauern National Park in Austria and is surrounded by a fantastic mountain panorama. The natural spa covers an area of about 600 square meters and is equipped with a sauna world (salt grotto 45°C, Swiss stone pine sauna 90°C, aroma steam bath and infrared cabin) as well as a heated indoor pool and experience showers. Outside, there is a natural swimming pond with a Kneipp path.

The price: A day spa voucher is available for 28 euros. The wellness day can be complemented with a brunch or dinner.

Unwind in the unique atmosphere of Hotel Klosterbräu in Seefeld

The YOUNIQUE Spa at the Hotel Klosterbräu in Seefeld, Tyrol, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and offers a large sauna area with seven themed saunas and various indoor and outdoor pools (open all year). One of the highlights is certainly the heated rooftop pool, featuring a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. In addition, the hand-carved wooden sauna and 500-year-old monastery walls give the spa a wonderful atmosphere. The spa area covers 3,500 square meters and offers all the amenities you need for a day’s vacation.

Price: 99 euros for the day spa, which includes a sportsman’s breakfast (10 to 11 a.m.), lunch buffet (12:30 to 14:30 p.m.) and cake buffet (15:30 to 17:00 p.m.) – wellness treatments are extra.

119 euros for a Yoga & Day Spa with yoga practice, lunch & cake snack

Day spa packages in South Tyrol on the Ritten

The Hotel Weihrerhof is located in a beautiful area directly on the shore of the Wolfsgruben Lake at 1,200 meters on the Ritten Plateau. Inside the boathouse sauna you will be able to enjoy a direct view of the water. A wonderful experience, especially in winter when the lake is frozen and surrounded by a picturesque snowy landscape. The spa also has an indoor pool. In the summer you can use the spacious lawn and take a swim in the lake..

Price: A day pass for the Sea Spa costs 57 euros, including a regional breakfast (8 to 11 a.m.) and a bathing bag (bathrobe, slippers, towel). The “Day Spa short” is just 37 euros for three hours, including a swim bag. The Boathouse Sauna is open daily from 14:00 to 19:00.

Sustainable day spa in the Allgäu

The Mountain Spring Spa at the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio in Allgäu, Germany, reopened in 2021 and features a very modern design with natural materials. In addition to the heated infinity pool, there is a natural bathing lake, a Zen Garden, and a sauna area with five saunas and a plunge pool. The spa area is open to day guests by appointment. However, the number of outside visitors is limited to a maximum of ten. In addition to the spa area, day guests have access to the Mountain Move fitness area.

Price: 130 euros (Monday to Thursday) and 150 euros (Friday to Sunday). The price includes breakfast (8-11:30am), lunch buffet (1-3pm), cake (3-5pm) and a sauna bag with bathrobe and towel.

Find more wellness hotels in Germany in our blog articles:

Sustainable Spa Hotels in Northern and Central Germany

Green Spa Hotels in Southern Germany

A day of wellness in Zermatt

CERVO Mountain Resort at the foot of the Matterhorn in Zermatt is pleased to open its “Mountain Ashram Spa” to day guests. Admission includes access to the hot stone baths, steam rooms and saunas, as well as the Ritual Room (yoga & meditation) and the climbing wall. The entire spa area is furnished with natural materials and offers beautiful panoramic view of the Swiss mountains.

Price: For three hours, the Day Spa costs CHF 75 for adults and CHF 35 for children ages 6 to 14. Children under 6 years are free of charge.

Day Spa Package: 280 CHF (1 person) 500 CHF (2 people). The wellness day also includes brunch at the Bazaar restaurant and a 60-minute massage of your choosing.

Make your day spa visit sustainable

Finally, we recommend our article on tips for a sustainable spa visit. Learn how to make your spa day more sustainable (to a degree).

Oh and P.S.: A gift voucher for a spa day also makes a great gift!

Save this article as inspiration for your next wellness day.

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Why not leave your decision to experienced hands, especially when you’re on vacation? Sustainable beauty treatments are available in many of our green pearls. Here you will be pampered by well-trained beauticians and have the opportunity of asking all your questions about sustainable cosmetics.

So that you’re not completely lost at the drugstore in the meantime, we’ve compiled the most important information on sustainable cosmetics. By the way: We have already written about natural cosmetics and what distinguishes them in this blog article. Take a look!

Take a look! How do we define sustainable cosmetics?

Not only should sustainable cosmetics do our skin and hair good, they should also not harm the environment with microplastic and other pollutants. Sadly, terms such as natural cosmetics, organic cosmetics or sustainable cosmetics have not been legally protected. That means that any manufacturer is allowed to label their product as such. There are, however, a few criteria that you can use as a guideline before you buy and that you can also pay attention to while you are standing at the shelf.

•  Sustainable packaging, e.g., made from grass paper or from recycled cardboard.
•  Plastic-free, i.e., without microplastics
• No Mineral Oils
•  Organically cultivated ingredients (marked, e.g., by the organic seal)
•  No perfumes Besides the well-known organic seals, there are seals that label products as sustainable, organic or fair trade. Popular and tested seals are BDIH, Ecocert, Demeter, Eco Control, or Vegan, guaranteeing cosmetics from controlled cultivation that are sustainable. BDIH seal products are free of dyes, additives, and fragrances, contain no oil, and use only organically farmed resources. Products certified “EcoCert” are made of at least 95% organic ingredients.

Benefit for skin and soul—cosmetic treatments with Green Pearls® partners

Take a lot of time for yourself, which is especially possible on vacation. Beauty treatments provide a relaxed environment where you can do something good for yourself. For our partners, the fact that the products used are sustainable is a matter of course. To give you an idea of where to go on your next eco-friendly trip, we have contacted our partners and found out which cosmetic wellness treatments they offer, which products they use, and which treatments they particularly recommend

HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio, Allgäu.“TOUCH. And be touched”

Located in Germany’s smallest village in Balderschwang, HUBERTUS represents a holistic concept that balances mind and soul. The range of services includes natural healing methods such as TCM and Ayurveda, as well as movement, relaxation, and coaching units. Healing seasonal herbs and homemade oils are as much a part of the wellness concept as the sustainable Swiss cosmetics line Ananné. It is free of chemical ingredients, 100% natural, vegan and halal, and free of ethanol/alcohol, nano- and microplastic. Due to a special inner packaging, you can completely use the contents through the pump dispenser. For an exceptional beauty treatment, our tip: the HUBERTUS Signaturé Ritual, involving the whole body and giving you lasting relaxation.

ADLER Lodge RITTEN uses its cosmetic line

The Ritten in South Tyrol – already the location is balm for the soul. The Lodge is located on a clearing at the edge of the forest directly at an idyllic natural pond. The ADLER Lodge also focuses on natural cosmetics and has its cosmetics line: ADLER SPA Active Cosmetics containing natural ingredients such as thermal water from Tuscany, essential oils and hay from the South Tyrolean Mountains. The ADLER Signature Treatments pamper you with Alpine scents and healing herbs. Maybe you’ll even take home a few tips to try out at home.

SCHWARZWALD PANORARMA – Natural organic ingredients

The Wellness and Health Hotel with an integrated Selfness Center is in Bad Herrenalb in the Black Forest. Be it yoga, therapeutic fasting or classic cosmetic treatments – at SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA everything revolves around the topic of “selfness”, a mindful approach to oneself and a conscious lifestyle. The hotel uses cosmetics from the certified lines Dr. Hauschka and Pharmos Natur products with purely natural plant substances in organic quality. The Dr. Hauschka products are even suitable for allergy sufferers.

As a tip, we recommend the Pharmos facial treatment with Aloe Vera fresh plant leaf. After gentle cleansing, an intensive massage, mask and peeling, you will feel completely renewed. By the way, it is also recommended for tired men’s skin.

Schlosshotel Blankenburg – Adaptogenic medicinal and rejuvenating plants

The Green Sign certified hotel is located in the idyllic town of the same name, Blankenburg in the Harz Mountains. In its beauty treatments, the hotel relies on the unique, regenerative effects of selected and reactogenic healing and rejuvenating plants such as the Aloe Vera fresh plant leaf. Your skin fully absorbs the moisturizing gel and the many active ingredients nourish the cells, repair and regenerate. The promise: radiant, wonderful skin, freshness and vitality, simply pure well-being. Please try it out and tell us about your experiences.

Asked at Maslina Resort in Hvar, Croatia 

“Well-being is at the heart of everything we do, and your health and happiness are at the heart of our hospitality,” is how Maslina Resort welcomes you. Mindful Luxury harmonizing with nature is the philosophy of the 5-star hotel. So, it is natural that your skin is also pampered here with products of natural origin only. In a short interview, the Maslina Resort has answered our questions. Read for yourself.

Green Pearls®: What cosmetic wellness treatments do you offer?

Maslina Resort: We offer three different types of facial treatments for the skin: Antioxidant Boost, Adriatic Rejuvenation facial and Ageless Oxygen facial. In the field of skin care we offer Body Mask and Body Polish. Maslina manicure, pedicure and scalp treatments are also part of our beauty offer.

GP: So what do you look for in the products you use?

Maslina: Products we use match our concept of “Mindful Luxury”. We focus on quality, sustainability and animal-free cosmetics.

GP: And which ones do you use? Maslina: High-quality and sustainable Croatian products, Primitivance, Aprive and 45 degrees.

GP: What cosmetic treatments do you particularly recommend?

Maslina: All of our treatments are good in their own way. We recommend different treatments depending on the needs and requirements of each guest.

All Green Pearls® partners are united by the fact that they rely on natural and sustainable products for cosmetics as well. Like the Strandhaus Spreewald, which exclusively uses organic cosmetics from the Susanne Kaufmann company, or the Zeavola in Thailand, which relies on the healing effects of high-quality oils of organic fruits, plants, and herbs from the region.

Here you can find more inspiration. Do you have other tips and experiences on the subject? Please let us know.

 

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Float & relax

Width parts of the 4500 m ² spa at the Mawell Resort area are located amid a million’s year-old landscape of stones into which the wellness area was integrated. Whether the event or forest sauna, salt grotto or invigorating soap brush massage, there is something for everyone. But what we fancy the most is the goat buttercream pack in the floating bed. It doesn’t just sound particularly relaxing, it is! While you unwind in the 36°C warm, water-filled floating bed, the silky-creamy bodypack based on goat butter can soak in. Thanks to various vitamins and an extra portion of urea, this pack has a calming, anti-inflammatory, balancing and cell-activating effect.

Our tip: relax between the treatments on the roof terrace with a view of the surrounding nature or enjoy the fresh air in the relaxation room “forest breathing“.

Breath yourself healthy

At Hotel Rinner in Oberbozen, everything revolves around the fascinating world of the bee, from the design of the rooms and the delicious food to the unique Api-Wellness treatments. The valuable ingredients of the beehive are released into the air by the heat and ventilation generated by the bees beating their wings. And it is precisely this beehive air that you can inhale during the unique Api-Wellness treatments! The air, which now contains valuable natural substances, increases the overall well-being and has a healing effect on various respiratory problems and allergies.

Read more: 4 tips for your extraordinary wellness vacation in Thailand

While guests make themselves comfortable and relax, they can be soothed by the sound of the bees humming. An inhalation device gently draws the hive air through a fine mesh and into the guest’s ventilation mask via a heated tube. The beneficial treatment lasts about half an hour and can be performed from May to September during the bee season. And if you’re worried about the bees, they won’t notice the whole process.

Relaxation with a whitecap

Finally, a massage – and then your thoughts just don’t calm down? Sometimes the thoughts and worries simply do not want to take a break. Fortunately, there is the “Erlanger beer massage” at the Creativhotel Luise! You experience how beer is brewed – while you make yourself comfortable on a soft lounger. During the massage, your thoughts become caught up in a compelling story and the body gets to rest enjoying the experience with all senses. This way, several senses are addressed during the massage: smelling, hearing, and tasting. Relaxation for all the senses is guaranteed – not only for beer lovers. 🙂

Read more: Extremely relaxing: 3 special wellness treatments

Love is in the Air

At HUBERTUS unplugged you escape from daily routine into the airy heights of the Allgäu Mountains. 1044 m above sea level, the Alpin Health & Spa offers retreats and holistic treatments all year round. How about “Legends of Passion” to match Valentine’s Day?

A qualified Ayurvedic therapist makes you familiar with the oil massage Snehana, the climax of Ayurvedic touches performed in close and mindful devotion. Sensitive hands showing the partner the way over the body of the other. Get pampered as a couple and experience the physical encounters with your partner in a completely new way.

Time stops like magic thanks to Baltic healing powers

The ROMANTIC Boutique Hotel & SPA in Lithuania inspires us not only with its historic building (here you live in an old mill from the 19th century!) but also with its unique spa concept. At the ETNO SPA, all treatments are based on traditional, Baltic healing methods, using only regional products that are ecologically certified. For the baths, amber, loam, milk, and beer are used, for peelings chopped chestnuts and poppy as well as many local herbs. In the future, there will be a spa area only for hair – to improve the health of the hair and to repair. We can’t wait!

Wellness for coffee lovers

Do you love the smell of freshly ground coffee beans? Then the “coffee time” at Hofgut Hafnerleiten is perfect for you: Here, you will not only get an introduction to the portafilter machine and the finest cappuccino but also a massage with a coffee peeling.

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However, there are also special spas that are embedded in nature instead of being located at busy roads pampering you with special, traditional treatments. We share some tips for your next wellness vacation with you.

Wellbeing Sabbatical on Koh Samui

If you want to relax while learning how to make everyday life healthier and more balanced in the future, the ‘Wellbeing Sabbatical’ at the Kamalaya on Koh Samui is just perfect for you! You should bring some time for this retreat, at least 21 days. At the beginning and then weekly there will be personal consultations with your mentor. There are a variety of activities and treatments to help you while being relaxing at the same time: Ayurvedic massages, physiotherapy, meditation, pranayama, yoga, and Qi Gong as well as tips for healthy eating. If 21 days are just too long but you still want to get a taste of it, there are also shorter offers, for example, ‘Intro to Detox‘, where you can participate from 3 nights on.

Relaxation in the grotto

On Koh Samui as well, you can find the forest spa ‘Tamarind Springs‘, which places great emphasis on wellness in harmony with nature. The spa was therefore carefully integrated into nature. If you are here, you shouldn’t miss a visit to the herbal steam grottoes: the steam baths have been built into the natural grottoes and today you can experience the traditional wellness treatment here – the herbal steam helps detoxify the body.

Learn from professionals

Last but not least, a tip for everyone who not only wants to be pampered himself, but also wants to do something good for others: The Wat Pho Thai Traditional Medicine School in Bangkok trains professional masseurs, but also offers courses for beginners. Whether Thai or foot massage, massages for toddlers or aromatic oil therapy – there is something for everyone here. During the one-week courses, you not only learn the theoretical basics but will of course also practice them.

Stretching of a special kind

Have you ever heard of ‘Rue-si Datton’? This special Thai movement and stretching style can be learned at the Wat Pho Thai Traditional Medicine School as well. It consists of a total of 80 positions, of which 18 are learned in the course. The movements that are reminiscent of yoga and tai chi are said to have health-promoting and even healing effects.

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From own rethinking to 4* hotel owner

Stephan fortunately already knew how to persuade regional suppliers and farmers over to more ecological practices as well as how to organise climate-neutral events even before he took over the SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA. Previously, he had transformed the Bio-Seehotel in Zeulenroda into an environmentally friendly conference hotel. He not only made changes to the hotels he worked with, but also to his own way of living. He stopped smoking, started to exercise and became interested in organic food. But Stephan could not have imagined that all this would lead to him running a 4-star hotel with its own sustainability officer.

Green Black Forest

His enthusiasm for good food has remained to this day – and you can taste it at SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA. Slow food, regional and organic food, base fasting and zero waste buffets are the hallmarks of the kitchen. Of course, sustainability not only plays a role in the cuisine, but also in all areas of Stephan’s hotel. He pays special attention to the suppliers he works with to ensure short transport routes and little packaging, and his own garden is kept as natural as possible in order to promote local species conservation. His guests can opt out of daily room cleaning, and then Stephan offers a step further with an option for a completely climate-neutral journey and overnight stay.

Sustainability from head to toe

Of course, one of the key focal points at SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA is the beautiful natural surrounding, but above all the hotel focusses on their guests. Their health and well-being are essential for Stephan and his team, which is why their Selfness and Wellness concept with its adjacent health campus offers a wide range of experiences and treatments for body, mind and soul. All offers are accompanied by experts from the health campus and ensure a sustainable new awareness, which continues to benefit beyond the guests’ stay at the hotel. Relaxation even after your vacation!

Meaningful action as the key to success

Stephan’s motto “Economic growth through ecologically meaningful action” drives him – and his success has proved him right. He has not only doubled the capacity utilisation and turnover in recent years, but also the number of employees. Stephan is sure that the future of tourism is sustainable. He hopes for even more hoteliers to implement this and he has one wish: “I hope that the ‘hospitality’ that is often quoted in our industry will be understood at the same time as ‘being a guest oneself’ on Mother Earth”.

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From brewery to the hotel

Originally a small brewery with beer pub was located in the nearly 200-year-old building in Mitteltal, before Hotel Lamm opened in the rooms. When Katrin’s great-grandmother bought the brewery in 1926, the first stone was laid for the hotel, and she fast transformed the brewery in a hotel. Since that time the hotel is family-owned. The original architecture and the old, restored pieces of furniture tell the stories of a time long past. A sustainable hotel management was natural for Katrin’s parents from beginning, Katrin reports: “Already before decades my parents focused intuitively on ecologically friendly measures:  I know garbage separation, energy and water savings and products sourced from the region, from an early age. And in general, my childhood was characterized by a life in and with the nature”. Because sustainability also means lastingness, it was an obligation for her to continue the work of her parents.

Listening to the inner voice

Faithful to her motto “Live carefully – in accordance with nature, family and yourself” Katrin inaugurated a new selfness concept called ReBeNa since her takeover in 2010 – which means in brief: experience the region, feel the movement, feel nature. “Sport, food and mental strength were always an important part of my everyday life,” the mother of four tells us and offers guests the option to also make this experience. Be it traditional wellness applications, the visit of the bath house, the generous saunas facilities, treatments after the Rosen Method or natural experiences in the untouched Black Forest – guests have time for themselves to fill up with new strength. Sustainable wellness implies not only internal balance, but also the use of natural and ecologically generated essences to protect the health of the guests and the environment.

Successful Pioneer

“Since decades our guests value the balance between good ambiences, coziness and sustainability,” reports Katrin. The guests appreciate equally the regional focus and authenticity of the house which is also reflected in the kitchen. The dishes are prepared from products sourced from local farmers and local suppliers. In this manner one avoids long ways of delivery and the ingredients are served fresh. Of course, she also is an idol for her employees when it comes to sustainability. She motivates them and they take part in in regular trainings on the subject. For a good reason, Katrin explains: “Our uppermost priority is to preserve and protect our wonderful environment here.”  

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What about you? Do you like or avoid carnival? On the 4th of March 2019 is Shrove Monday and thousands of dressed up assemble in the European strongholds. But the fifth season doesn’t appeal to everybody. Some of our Green Pearls® hotels offer a perfect escape from Shrovetide – for a relaxed vacation, while the others celebrate.

The impressive mountain scenery of Arosa can easily make up with carnival. Every athlete and nature lover will find the right venture. During the winter months, Arosa is perfect for any kind of winter sports, but you can also choose to enjoy the breathtaking view of the snow-covered mountains from more than 300 km hiking trails including panoramic routes on levels up to 2,900 meters. And when you are snowshoeing, you can recover at 20 mountain huts with local refreshments. And best: when you return, you are invited to get pampered with a delicious meal at the restaurant Twist at Valsana Hotel & Apartments.

 

 

Vacation to clean your cells

A relaxed alternative to the overcrowded streets on Shrove Monday is a Detox vacation. A fasting cure is ideal to get fit for spring. The Selfnesshotel SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA offers a classical fasting ingestion after Dr. Buchinger or a base fasting, a cure consisting only of regional fruit merely seasonal one and vegetables focusing on an alkaline diet to neutralize the body. Yoga lessons, meditation music as well as hikes to reach a maximum physical balance accompany both cures.

 

Wild forest instead of wild crowds

Who decides for a fasting diet at the SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA and wants to explore the unspoiled Black Forest while hiking, should take part in the guided hike tour “Wildes Albtal”. You follow the Alb trails for about three hours, sometimes also leaving the trails for some adventure. Off the way you learn about the history and origin of the Albtal and meet the multi-facetted scenery of the Black Forest. For more information click here.

 

 

Exchange colorful costumes for exotic spa treatments

In the middle of the Allgau Alps, traditional Asian knowledge of health and Bavarian idyll merge in a small oasis. You can find tailored treatments focusing on healing, relaxation, nutrition, exercise, and mental strength with yoga, Ayurveda, diet plans, or massage – depending on your individual needs at the HUBERTUS Alpin Lodge & Spa. Moreover, the extensive spa area including saunas, steam baths, pools, barefoot paths, power places and various resting places is ideal to unwind. For those craving a special treatment check out the hotel’s own Holistic Touch applications promoting a holistic approach to body massages and skin treatments based on neurological and Ayurveda principles.

 

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Whitecap for your beauty

Worldwide unique the Creativhotel Luise offers a beer massage. Admitted, beer massages are not new for real spa lovers, but this one is unusual. During the multi-sensory treatment, applied while lying, you experience the origin of beer with all your senses. The idea originates from Ben Förtsch, the manager of the climate-positive hotel. Because he can hardly unwind during massages, he developed together with a friend the beer massage with binaural sound-recordings you listen to through earphones, coming from the Brauerei Steinbach Bräu. Besides, at the same time you smell the beer in your nose while the healing essences of hop, barley and malt sooth your skin. Relaxation for all senses is guaranteed – at least for beer lovers 😉

From meadow to spa

Hay is not only well for cows and sheep – but also for your health! At the Arosea Life Balance Hotel in the Ulten Valley you may take a health-supporting hay bath. Of course the hay comes from unfertilized South Tyrolean Alpine grasslands and is natural. The special composition of blossoms and grass stimulates the blood circulation, is cramp relieving and makes calm. For everybody suffering discomfort from rheumatic disorders or having problems with the respiratory tract or are tormented by tension, the bath in Alpine grassland hay is exactly the right thing.

Journey through time

When you are looking for a special spa experience, you will make a find at Hotel Lamm. In the spa village belonging to the hotel you are spoilt in a traditional bath tub with healthy snacks, spring water and healing oils or mud. A neck and shoulder massage provides for your well-being while relaxing in warm water. In summer, the tub is outside so you may enjoy sunrays during the treatment. Another unusual treatment is the bodywork after Marion Rosen. This massage technology is particularly good for people wanting to access their inside. Through touching special muscles, unconscious tensions are resolved and help to deeply relax.

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Based on harmony

Planning the Arosea Life Balance Hotel, the owners Anne Stauder and Thomas Gerstgrasser placed great emphasis on a holistic balance of the environment and hotel. Thus, the surrounding nature and animals living there should not be stressed during the construction. Due to the design of the Botanic Architecture, the hotel literally blends with the adjacent nature. Natural materials such as wood, wool and stone indoors make the hotel a cozy place with a warm atmosphere.

Nature meets hospitality

The connection of nature and well-being can also be discovered in the alpine garden: The large natural swimming pond, surrounded by native trees and plants, is a place for rest and relaxation. Lying on the lawn for sunbathing, you can listen to the rustling leaves and deeply breathe in good mountain air. A walk around the nearby Zoggler Reservoir including Kneipp treatments makes it a perfectly relaxed day of vacation.

Inner balance

Harmony and a holistic approach are a matter of heart at the hotel: In the spacious wellness and spa area, you are spoiled with natural oils; fragrances and natural cosmetics and relax in one of the saunas. A special highlight: bathing in sheep’s wool and mountain herbs. It may sound crazy but the treatment has a relaxant effect! The natural warmth gently penetrates the deeper layers of the skin and thus relieves tensions.You can also do yoga classes here – finding rest, “me-time,” and inner balance.

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