For many, snow and winter sports are essential to a winter holiday. But ski resorts’ balance sheets rarely look good. Snow cannons consume vast amounts of water and energy, and skiers damage nature by skipping off the designated slopes and natural vegetation. Thus, essential habitats have to make way for more and more new lifts and ski runs.
Ski resorts like the award-winning Dolomiti Superski on the Alpe di Siusi show that winter holidays can differ. The operators have been committed to acting in the most environmentally friendly way possible for years. For example, electricity is generated exclusively from hydroelectric power, and snowmaking is targeted and carried out with water from artificially created lakes. In other words, it is not taken from the groundwater.
In the middle of the area and directly on the slopes is the vegan-vegetarian Hotel Paradiso Pure. Living. From here, guests can strap on their skis and head out directly after breakfast. But non-skiers won’t be bored, thanks to the yoga program, cozy sitting areas, contemporary art exhibitions and wellness area.
Less than a kilometre from a small ski area lies the Naturhotel Outside in the middle of the Austrian Alpine National Park Hohe Tauern. But even though the Großglockner Resort Kals-Matrei area is considered an insider tip, especially among families, the National Park is best explored on snowshoes or cross-country skis. On guided winter hikes, the experienced guides of nature and hiking hotels draw attention to the unique beauty of the winter mountain world.
Respecting nature is also important at the Biohotel Grafenast, high above the Inn Valley, especially in winter. There are weekly guided snowshoe tours. The hosts are also happy to share their enthusiasm for cross-country skiing. And winter hikes? Those are the highlights for the guests anyway.
Sustainable Wellness in Luxurious Surroundings.
When the weather turns moody in winter, the days end early, and there is more slush than winter magic, it is understandable that many travellers look to luxury and wellness. However, this does not have to be at the expense of the environment.
Luxurious hotels such as the CERVO Mountain Resort in the Swiss resort of Zermatt, the ADLER Lodge RITTEN in South Tyrol or the Hotel Klosterbräu in Seefeld, Austria, show how things can be done differently—wellness and luxury in harmony with nature and sustainable values.
Signature treatments with natural products or their own natural cosmetics, spa and wellness areas powered by environmentally friendly energy and a management concept that counteracts water wastage and waste production. The three hotels mentioned above offer a unique atmosphere:
The ADLER Lodge RITTEN impresses with private wooden chalets, each with its sauna, grouped around a natural pond or along the hill’s line. From there, and of course from the heated outdoor infinity pool, the view drifts into the distance and up to the rugged peaks of the Dolomites. Guests will also enjoy a relaxing experience in the forest spa, which seamlessly nestles between the trees.
The Swiss hotel CERVO Mountain Resort goes its way, especially regarding design. With earthy colours, lovingly selected pieces of furniture and following a clear design style, the hotel is ideal for lovers of aesthetics. The wellness area extends over several levels indoors and outdoors and combines traditional techniques from the Far East with modern expertise.
The Hotel Klosterbräu’s wellness area is partly situated in the vaulted cellar of the former monastery, which is more than 500 years old. The unique atmosphere between the historic walls is accented by the light of hundreds of candles. Particular highlights: the beer fountain in the “Sündenkeller” and the rooftop pool with a view of the Alps.
All-Inclusive – But with Care and a Clear Conscience.
The demand for all-inclusive holidays is on the rise. However, such holidays are rarely sustainable, especially if they rely exclusively on buffets. Many Green Pearls® partners, therefore, also focus on individuality in their culinary offerings, especially for dinner.
At the Klosterhof – Alpine Hideaway & Spa, a new dinner concept has been available for a few months. Under the motto “Your Mood defines your Food”, there are three menu suggestions every evening from which guests can choose. All guests can help themselves to the Healthy Lunch Bowl Buffet at lunchtime.
As in the Klosterhof, the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio also offers a rich breakfast buffet with regional specialties, an Ayurvedic focus, a healthy lunch menu, and various options for a multi-course dinner menu. In addition, there is homemade cake in the afternoon.
Regional and seasonal – these two words are the core of the cuisine for all the hotels mentioned. The Hotel Weihrerhof is also the starting point for evening dinner creations. All ingredients come from the immediate surroundings if possible, but at least from South Tyrol and at most from within Italy. On the breakfast buffet, small signs highlight the regional producers. If guests wish, they can even visit the producers during their stay and stock up on honey, bread and other products.
And if you are going to travel the long way south …
After the domestic travel market recovered considerably last year, Germans are increasingly attracted to faraway destinations again this year. Especially in winter, southern destinations such as the Canary Islands or South East Asia are trendy. Making these completely sustainable is almost impossible because of the flight. However, a rule of thumb is: the further away the destination, the longer you should stay. So, if you are drawn to Thailand, the Seychelles or the Canary Islands, you should plan not just one week but considerably more. Perhaps flexible working hours will even allow you to spend part of your travel time as a workcation.
At the OCÉANO Health Spa Hotel in Tenerife, guests are prepared for longer stays. Health and fasting treatments, in particular, are usually booked for several weeks. A mild climate, healthy food, and, last but not least, the good W-LAN in the rooms make the health hotel also attractive for a workcation.
One island away on Gran Canaria, the small, family-run boutique Casa León awaits its guests. In winter, the island is particularly popular with outdoor athletes and climbers. After an active day, the garden of Casa León is the ideal place to relax.
As we have already demonstrated, sustainability and luxury are not mutually exclusive. The Keemala on the Thai island of Phuket proves that this is also possible outside Europe. In the middle of the jungle, the resort’s villas harmonize with the landscape and offer intimate retreats that are particularly popular with couples.
For those who dream of beaches and palm trees instead of tropical jungles yet simultaneously want to travel without a guilty conscience, the Cerf Island Resort in Seychelles also offers ideal accommodation for a longer period. Located on the edge of the St. Anne Marine National Park, the resort offers authentic Creole-style villas and excursions into the national park. Of course, without a motor and only with a kayak or snorkelling equipment.
Winter Travel Trends, but make it sustainable.
Travel trends are rarely sustainable, simply because many people have the same ideas and usually travel to the same places simultaneously. Overtourism is a big problem, especially in the Alps and other ski destinations. So, if possible, at least travel outside the holiday periods; maybe it doesn’t have to be a ski holiday every year. Instead, the region can be explored outside the high seasons and discovered in a completely new way. This relieves the burden on the environment and ensures an income for the hotels, accommodations and lodges outside the seasons.
