With countless eco awards and confusing certifications, all aiming to guide us to the best in sustainable travel, Behind the Green takes it back to basics. Back to storytelling and human connection. Meet the visionaries behind the world’s best sustainable and regenerative stays…
Meet Ben, the owner of Creativhotel Luise. He is incredibly creative and always enjoys being involved in a project, whether it’s DIY or gardening, or even photography. He loves to make art from things that nobody is using anymore, to upcycle, his creative influence can be seen throughout the hotel.
Learn more about Creativhotel Luise here>
How did Creativhotel become eco-focused? Was it always this way?
‘The hotel has been in my family for generations, but around the late 80s my parents started to evolve it into an ecohotel. It just started with small things like car-sharing and reducing waste. Being eco-conscious was always just a way of life for them, it had to be. It’s been interesting to watch it evolve since then into this unique hotel!’
How would you best describe the hotel to potential guests?
‘It’s a hotel that tries its best to bring nature into the city. It brings an element of creativity to everything you touch and finds ways to be unlike other hotels. Everything we make has to be creative and sustainable – it’s where our name comes from.’
Tell us more about your ‘regrowing rooms’
‘They’re based on the cradle-to-cradle concept, that every product should have a circular process. Take a table for example, it’s made from wood and then treated with a type of oil to make it more durable, meaning that it’s no longer completely natural and it can’t return to nature. Under the cradle-to-cradle concept, all of the furniture in the regrowing rooms are treated with biodegradable products so that they can be reused again and again and one day returned to nature. There’s so much waste in the world, that this is just one way it can prevented.’
What eco-based activities would you recommend for guests visiting Creativehotel Luise?
‘Despite being in the city, there are some good hikes around here. There are lots of fruit farmers you can visit for fresh, local food. Our area also has the highest density of beer breweries in the world. Most restaurants have their own little breweries with craft beers, I think visiting small places like this rather than big chains is a much more sustainable way to see a place.’
Where do you see the biggest area for improvement in your approach?
‘60-70% of the guests who stay here don’t actually care about sustainability aspect, they’re in the city for work and just stay wherever is convenient. It’s our goal to influence these business people and help them to rethink their way of life by showing them the different, more sustainable options. For instance, at breakfast, we offer branded spreads as well as our own organic, homemade spreads, just to show people the alternatives that are just as good, if not better.’
What has been the most challenging aspect of running a green property?
‘We don’t get paid any more money than the other hotels in the area, despite the quality that we produce and our eco approach. The town doesn’t necessarily focus on advertising to tourists, the focus is on business predominately, so we don’t tend to get as many eco-conscious people as we hope.’
What green initiative are you most proud of at Creativhotel Luise?
‘Definitely the regrowing rooms. It’s not easy to replicate this sort of project, it takes a lot of effort, so I am particularly proud of this. Hopefully one day we would like to be known as the regrowing hotel, to change our name and be recognised as having no carbon footprint, but that’s way into the future.’
What’s next for Creativhotel Luise?
‘We’re currently building a terrace on the roof and are working to help the bees up there. The idea is that people can go up to the roof and feel disconnected from the city. It will be a great place where you can sit and re-energise, sipping some wine. It should be opening quite soon so keep an eye out.’
Find out more about Creativhotel Luise & do your own green checks here>
