When the holiday is green: ideas for sustainable tourism

Green travelers are increasing. Respectful of the environment, attentive to its conservation and aware that every choice made impacts the nature that surrounds us. HotelMyPassion has selected hotels, suites and restaurants. But also destinations, projects and services to make a trip a truly green experience

If traveling is also a conscious and green choice for you, made by evaluating hotels, services and destinations that respect the environment and nature, this selection made by HotelMyPassion will allow you to plan sustainable holidays.

The suites

The Olympic SPA Hotel, a charming hotel in the Ladin heart of Val di Fassa in Trentino, received the prestigious TOP ID AWARD 2024 with the NOA architecture studio for the design project of the new Natural Suites.

Each Natural Suite is equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows and a large terrace overlooking the landscape.

The new suites were given names in the Ladin language, typical of the Val di Fassa area.

The 4 Te Bosch suites pay homage to the forest, a suggestive element that gives shape to the interiors. In each of them an internal patio with transparent walls has been created. Therefore a private space accessible in every season that brings light and nature into the environment.

The vegetation of the patio, the presence of a birch tree, the view of the sky become part of a new experience for hotel guests.

For example, they can imagine being outdoors while taking a shower. Or, in winter, they can see snow falling on both sides of the room, with the feeling of being in the middle of an Alpine forest.

Or again, sleeping outdoors on summer evenings, on the suspended beds, and admiring the starry sky.

It is a concept of ecological hospitality, in full respect of the territory and its pre-existences. The new Green Lodges of the Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa complex in Montegrotto Terme (PD) are designed by Studio Apostoli.

They were created to be a manifesto of zero-emission wellness hospitality.

There are 7 suites inserted in 4 wooden stilt volumes. They are connected to each other thanks to a raised system of ramps, walkways and accessible terraces. They also include a recovered historic villa, the eighth and largest in terms of offer within this entrepreneurial initiative.

The lodges are wrapped in larch slats, made using a construction system in wood and eco-friendly materials and equipped with a heating system fed directly with thermal water.

CO2 emission, equal to 0, is one of the main elements of their wellness-oriented concept, which extends from attention to the environment to the person, in the full holistic philosophy pursued by Studio Apostoli.

The hotels

Palazzo di Varignana, a resort with a farm nestled in the hills of Bologna, reveals its first Sustainability Report. That is, a manifesto that testifies to the commitment to sustainable practices and social responsibility.

Through a journey into the different souls of the resort, the document precisely outlines the objectives, results and commitments to implement the environmental transition consistently and gradually.

This is how Palazzo di Varignana defines its integrated approach towards the environment by combining hospitality, well-being and taste with ethical and social commitment.

The document is divided into 5 sections which collect the main steps, already taken or planned for the future, to guide the change towards a more ecological and responsible way of doing business.

FORESTIS is a 5-star luxury refuge in Bressanone, in the Dolomites.

This structure embodies and carries forward in its philosophy and architecture the four natural elements typical of this place: the pure spring water, the excellent mountain air, the mild climate and the saline atmosphere, i.e. the ideal conditions for heal and regenerate.

The restaurants

Sustainable and zero waste. Hilton Milan presents the summer menu of the CotoliAMO gastro bistro.

The new menu was carefully created by Chef Paolo Ghirardi. At CotoliAMO style combines with sustainability.

In fact, the menu holders are made with regenerated leather, while the paper used in the restaurant comes from recycled materials. Objective? Contribute to the preservation of natural resources and the reduction of the hotel’s environmental impact.

The same menu of the gastro bistro, between reinterpretations and new additions, offers delicious and genuine dishes, made with seasonal products, grown directly in the Greenhouse, and other zero waste dishes.

That is, created with locally produced ingredients which are given a second life, in order to minimize waste.

Housed in the 4-star superior Hotel Lac Salin Spa & Mountain Resort in Livigno, the new vegetarian restaurant Stua da Legn welcomes you in the warmth of a mountain environment. In fact, the wooden furnishings and paneling recreate the atmosphere of a real Livigno stube.

And the cuisine proposed by chef Andrea Fugnanesi is also inspired by tradition. He proposes creations that always enhance and freshly interpret the local raw materials, including herb

The Spa

Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda was awarded “Best Sustainable SPA of the Year” at the World SPA & Wellness Awards.

For the second time in a row, Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda was awarded as “Best sustainable SPA” thanks to the commitment to environmental protection and social responsibility carried out since its opening.

The structure, carbon neutral, is characterized by bio-architecture and an interior design inspired by the territory. It uses energy mainly from clean sources and is oriented towards the preference for recycled materials, with the aim of eliminating the use of plastic.

Finally, great attention is paid to its collaborators: the Group is certified Top Employers. That is, the seal that rewards the most virtuous companies in terms of HR policies, which stand out for the benefits offered and working conditions.

The linen
Orio Team, a company that operates in an advanced industrial system, is recognized by the market as one of the most authoritative players for the supply and production of high-end hotel linen.

And Orio Team is attentive to protecting the environment so much so that it has obtained the Oeko Tex Standard 100 certification.

The latter is among the best-known labels for fabrics tested for harmful substances and guarantees that all manufacturing processes take place respecting nature and the safety of the customer and operator who uses the textile.

The amenities
To reduce the impact on the environment, hotels are gradually abandoning plastic in single-dose bathroom amenities in favor of dispensers and offering ecological products, even in spas.

Among the companies that stand out for offering green solutions to the hotel industry are Groupe GM and Prima.

Groupe GM is a French company, an international leader in the guest amenity sector. Headquartered in Paris, Groupe GM designs, manufactures and distributes cosmetics and accessories for the hospitality industry in more than 80 countries on all continents. Furthermore, thanks to an international network of dedicated agents, Groupe GM distributes a unique portfolio of over 50 brands.

Thanks to innovative approaches, Groupe GM has managed to develop products that not only minimize the water footprint, but also substantially reduce the dependence on plastic and other scarce resources.

Prima has been collaborating with ADA Cosmetics International for over 25 years to distribute the most exclusive cosmetics brands throughout the Italian peninsula.

Over the years it has created tailor-made atmospheres for the bathrooms of thousands of prestigious hotels, offering the most sought-after cosmetic treatments, the most innovative environmental protection dispensers and the creation of tailor-made dry amenities.

Prima recognizes its responsibility towards the planet and is committed to reducing its environmental impact. It supports the transition to sustainable energy sources, reduces the consumption of non-renewable resources and promotes waste reduction.

It collaborates with its suppliers to ensure that its products and services are produced with a sustainable approach. It also promotes solutions that help preserve the beauty and vitality of nature for future generations.

The bed

Simmons, a multinational bedding company and leader in the hospitality segment, has signed a product line capable of changing the rules of the hospitality sector.

The “revolution” is called Natural Heritage. This is a family of products designed to bring together technologies, materials, a green heart and design, interpreting the sentiment of a guest who is increasingly sensitive to environmental issues and the use of natural products.

The Natural Heritage line is made up of 2 toppers and 5 mattresses, produced with cotton fabric and padding in natural material obtained from recycled plastic bottles and virgin wool.

All from a Reuse, Reduce, Recycle perspective.

In fact, the company vision aims at increasingly sustainable production also through a lower use of precious raw materials, a drastic reduction in waste and the use of energy produced from renewable sources.

The green destination

The Historic Sanctuary of Machupicchu in Peru has been recognized as a “Carbon Neutral Destination”. This result places Peru in a cutting-edge position in environmental sustainability and in the fight against the effects of climate change. The recognition was awarded by Green Initiative, the main climate certification company in the tourism sector, which certifies the achievement of decarbonisation objectives. To achieve this, the Machupicchu Historic Sanctuary has taken effective measures to reduce its carbon footprint and offset remaining emissions by implementing sustainable practices such as solid waste management and promoting a circular economy. It is important to underline that the certification took the results of carbon emissions in 2019 as a reference and focused on promoting actions for the reduction, treatment and correct management of the waste produced. Furthermore, it included raising awareness among residents, businesses and hotels. With this in mind, 4 processes have been implemented for the reuse of recyclable waste, the installation of a PET plastic and cardboard compaction plant; Plus a biodiesel plant to process waste oil from restaurants and casinos and an organic waste pyrolysis plant to generate natural carbon. Finally, 2 glass crushing machines to convert the bottles into grit to be used for construction and ornamental purposes.

The original idea
The Hotel Lindenhof in Naturno (Bolzano) literally takes a step forward in its sustainability journey.

In fact, all his collaborators will wear ID.EIGHT sneakers during their work shift. That is, the Tuscan brand that has been able to combine design, comfort and respect for the environment by making its shoes starting from food waste.

The collaboration is part of the green path undertaken by the hotel for some time and which takes the form of a series of measures and initiatives that also involve collaborators and employees.

For example, for some time the creation of employees’ work outfits has been entrusted to Italian producers and made with organic fabrics and truly Made in Italy.

The green project

For Gallo Rosso, sustainability is an essential value.

Also because, as an association linked to the rural world in Alto Adige, it supports the principle valid for every peasant culture of “recovering the recoverable”.

The farmers of Gallo Rosso often choose to renovate the farm by reusing the wood from the old barn. And to furnish the apartments with wood from their forests. Not only. They use photovoltaic panels to supply themselves with energy.

Finally, some farmers also use the manure from the stable to heat the house. The artisan farmers of Gallo Rosso who work with wood often use branches or trunks abandoned in the woods.

And the farmer who creates crochet work for the Gallo Rosso brand personally follows the entire processing of the wool from her sheep. That is, from shearing to spinning.