A small hotel in the Black Forest has been offering ‘Green Hospitality’ for over 20 years

When Bertram Späth and his wife took over the in in 1985, subjects such as the environment and sustainability were, by and large, not considered very important. Nevertheless, they pursued their ideas without compromise. For example, they elected to purchase foodstuffs from regional supplies and made numerous changes inside and outside the building, which dates back to 1865. They also installed solar collectors and optimised the heating system. “We introduced energy accounting and, together with an external consultant, check our energy costs every three years. Now, they are less than three percent”, explains Späth. 

Since the early days, the hotel has received numerous awards, including the Environmental Award twice. “The awards have been very useful for our marketing because we appeared worldwide in the press and also had lots of guests who came especially for the hotel”, adds Späth.