Sustainable and Personal - How to Find the Right Holiday Home for a Green Getaway

If you are looking for freedom, independence and peace and quiet on holiday, a holiday home or holiday apartment is the perfect choice. Sustainable holiday homes or holiday apartment may also be a cheaper and more convenient choice for families with children or travellers with dogs, as they usually have a private outdoor area and large living areas.

But not all holiday homes and apartments are created equal. While one accommodation may feature a secluded location and complete self-sufficiency, another offers the additional amenities of an attached hotel complex or shared services for several accommodation units. Wellness facilities will also differ. In today's newsletter, we present which concepts our Green Pearls® partners pursue and what sets them apart from the rest.

Individual and Private: The Classic Holiday Home Vacation

A completely self-contained property, built according to environmentally friendly principles, economical in consumption, high-quality furnishings - and all to yourself? The POU DE GLAÇ in northern Spain makes this possible. If you are looking for a peaceful and natural environment, this is the place for you.

The historic collection of buildings has been lovingly renovated in a resource-efficient way and now offers three eco-friendly holiday accommodations for two to six people. A room for events is also available. A special highlight is the historic ice fountain that gives the Refugio its name. In a space where ice could once be stored until June, today is a space for everything from exhibitions to dinners to yoga retreats. The new saltwater pool with a view of the Pyrenees rounds off the green holiday experience.

A magnificent view of the mountains is also available at the Summit Lodges Pfunds in Tyrol. The Spiss family has built two log cabins according to the traditional Canadian natural log construction method. The orientation has been optimised to minimise wear and tear from the weather, while maximising the amount of natural light that enters the building. The green holiday homes have two separate bedrooms, two bathrooms, a cosy living area with an open fireplace and a fully equipped kitchen. A special highlight is the private sauna. Two friendly families or a group can book both lodges together and can enjoy an extra portion of privacy.

Enjoying freshly baked bread on your own terrace in the morning and take in the view over Sölden - no problem at The Peak! Several apartments and two chalets give guests plenty of privacy and space. All accommodations are equipped with a kitchen, and dogs are also welcome in some. During construction, the focus was on the reuse of old wood and local materials. Thanks to the photovoltaic system, the two chalets are completely self-sufficient and hiking trails and ski slopes start right on the doorstep. If guests ever want to enjoy slightly more distant routes, this is also possible in a sustainable way and without a car. In summer and winter, a ticket for public transport is included in the price.

Luxury and absolute privacy are offered by the LENI MOUNTAIN Chalet. This stylish and comfortably furnished holiday home with its own natural bathing pond and wellness area is located in the middle of the Ötztal Alps just outside Sölden. But it's not just the exposed location that makes it a special hideaway. The whole concept is based on sustainability, and the chalet is completely self-sufficient. The interior is made exclusively of natural materials and, in addition to breakfast and beverage service, a private concierge ensures that the sustainable holiday experience is just perfect.

Self-Catering or Hotel service? Both are also Possible!

Enjoy the advantages of your own holiday home or apartment and make use of hotel services such as restaurants, wellness or advisory services as required: This is what hotels that have their own holiday homes or apartments offer. They enable guests to organise their stay to suit their individual needs while at the same time enjoying the amenities of the hotel infrastructure.

The climate-neutral Biohotel Sturm relies on such a concept. The hotel's former kitchen house, which has been converted into a comfortable holiday home, offers space for up to six people and has its own kitchen and private terrace with garden area. This is located directly next to the snack garden and the natural swimming pond, which the guests of the holiday home can also use. Not in the mood for a hiking tour through the Rhön or a home-cooked meal? Relaxing hours in the Rhön spa or a gourmet dinner in the organic restaurant Otto's are just a few steps away. The use of the spa area is free of charge for holiday home guests, breakfast, dinner or wellness treatments can be booked in addition.

Like the Biohotel Sturm, the SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA in Bad Herrenalb offers a climate-neutral vacation in its holiday apartments. Guests can organise their day according to their personal preferences in the 2- to 3-room flats and explore the Black Forest, while the amenities of the hotel are available right next door. The breakfast buffet and use of the spa area with swimming pool and saunas are included in the price. If desired, there is even a cooking and spice package for the stay, the results of which can then be enjoyed on the private balcony.

Hotel comfort and holiday home feeling in mini format is offered by the Biohotel Grafenast in the Tiny House or "high-end caravan" with organic toilet and wood cooker. On only a few square metres, two people will find everything their heart desires. They are completely independent or can use the infrastructure of the hotel next door. The choice is entirely up to you.

Private, Green Accommodation with Shared Facilities

Another opportunity to enjoy an independent and sustainable holiday are aparthotels such as the eco aparthotel The Dreamers Club. Guests stay in their own flats and share the large garden with plenty of options for rest and relaxation. The interiors made of natural materials, the colourful design of the accommodation units and the spacious outdoor areas of the holiday flats in Croatia create a Mediterranean feel-good atmosphere and make you forget about the world outside. Guests of The Dreamers Club can also enjoy the optional services of the resort, such as the breakfast buffet, tapas or cocktails - served either in the garden lounge, on their own terrace, or in their flat.

At the LENI MOUNTAIN appartements in Sölden, the culinary meeting point is the LENI MOUNTAIN Café and Bar. Coffee, cakes, drinks and Tyrolean specialities offer a great change to the food prepared in the large flats themselves. The new wellness area, a bread roll service, and a laundry service also make these vacations a time for indulgence.

Gut Nisdorf on the Baltic Sea coast also offers spacious holiday apartments. Families in particular will get their money's worth in the flats with their own kitchenette. But couples will also feel at home on the farm grounds near the Bodden with their own small beach, natural pond and sauna area. The common meeting place for Gut Nisdorf holidaymakers is the hotel restaurant with terrace, where you can enjoy the breakfast buffet included in the price for all guests or the evening menu that is part of the half board. All meals are prepared with certified organic products.

A new addition to Green Pearls® is the A' Cràpa Mangia in the middle of the Italian Cilento National Park. The A' Cràpa Mangia estate faces the sea and is situated on a hill from where you can look out over the entire bay of Santa Maria di Castellabate and the Gulf of Salerno.

During the renovation of the former estate and its stables, special emphasis was placed on the preservation of the old structures and the use of sustainable and traditional building materials. Nine of the eleven accommodation units have a fully equipped kitchen where hobby cooks can really let off steam. Ingredients from the immediate surroundings, such as their own olive oil, are available in the courtyard bar, as are the pre-ordered bread rolls. The best place to enjoy your meal is on your own terrace with a view of the sea. La Dolce Vita, but sustainable!

Sustainable holiday homes are an alternative for all those who value independence and flexibility on vacation. But even those who don't want to completely forego the comfort of a hotel will find what they are looking for with the Green Pearls® partners. More information about these eco-friendly accommodations can be found at www.greenpearls.com.