Gloria Verde, a green pearl in Turkey

We have been in the lucky position to introduce many new hotels to you lately. Our mission (and passion) is to raise awareness of eco-friendly hotels that operate in a wholeheartedly sustainable manner. The Gloria Verde Resort in Turkey is one of those hotels: not only do they do everything they can to protect the environment, they also genuinely take care of their staff and their community. And that, in our humble, expert opinion, is what makes a true green pearl.

We also strongly believe that hotels come alive and set themselves apart from the masses by telling their stories. The Gloria Verde story is one of love, family and a passionate commitment to the good cause:

In 1997 Nuri Özaltin and his wife Sebahat founded the family business together with their three children. It all began with a hotel and a golf course, and with great love and passion for their work, two more hotels were opened between 2001 and 2007. Seventeen years later, the family business is now a successful holding. The Özaltin family puts special emphasis on Turkish hospitality, outstanding service and offering their guests the highest quality in all areas. What counts for them are the moments when they see a smile on a happy guests’ face, when new friendships are forged and guests return again and again.

We talked with Mutlu Sagsözlü, Head of Sales & Marketing at Gloria Hotels & Resorts. He kindly took the time to tell us more about the group’s sustainable and corporate social responsibility efforts.

Green Pearls: Where did the motivation to act as a socially and environmentally responsible organization come from?

Mutlu Sagsözlü: Özaltin Holding, owner of Gloria Hotels & Resorts, is a pioneer in every sense here on the Turkish Riviera. When opening the first golf resort in the region in 1997, the Gloria Golf Resort in Belek, the Özaltin family was very much aware of their responsibility toward the community as well as the environment. So it became the company’s philosophy to look after the environment and support the community it lives in wholeheartedly, to allow for a sustainable, healthy and safe environment for generations to come. We are convinced that with lots of little steps, great journeys can be undertaken. The hotel group supports diverse environmental, educational, arts and social projects, which are all integrated into our business process.

Green Pearls: What makes Gloria Verde unique?

Mutlu Sagsözlü: The Gloria Verde Resort is our eco-friendly 5-star classic. This sustainable jewel has received plenty of awards from renowned tour operators such as TUI or Thomas Cook. In 2013 it was even crowned “Best Hotel Worldwide”. The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism awarded us with the “Green Star” for our outstanding environmental efforts. We optimize our energy consumption by using control systems for lighting, heating and cooling, as well as using solar energy and natural gasoline. Besides using ozone-based cleaning materials, proper waste separation and disposal are very important. We didn’t allow for any trees to be cut down when the hotel was constructed, we built within and around our natural environment.

Green Pearl: Can you tell us a story where Gloria Verde’s social responsibility policy has made a difference in someone’s life?

Mutlu Sagsözlü: One of Gloria´s successful social responsibility projects is giving people with Down Syndrome employment opportunities at all of our hotels. With that we encourage integration, confidence and self-reliance. We also supply golf equipment and golf lessons for free at Gloria Golf Club to children who live in Antalya Serik. We have helped hundreds of children become enthusiastic about golf, which we feel is important as our region is one of the best spots in the world for golfing.

Green Pearls: What does the perfect day at Gloria Verde look like to you?

Mutlu Sagsözlü: The perfect day at Gloria Verde Resort starts by waking up in one of the garden or standard rooms with the chirping of the birds. I step out on the balcony (or terrace) and marvel every time at all the trees in and around the grounds of this hotel. It makes me want to discover and delve into nature, so I take a walk through the hills until I end up on the beautiful sandy beach where I relax in one of the cozy pavilions. I treat myself to an indulgent seawater treatment at the Asklépion Spa & Thalasso, the first thalassic center of the region. My day finds its perfect ending with a delicious meal in one of our restaurants, followed by a seemingly infinite supply of sweet treats in the patisserie. What’s not to love?

Find out more about our new, green pearl Gloria Verde here.