Charles Darwin onces said “EVERYTHING THAT WORKS AGAINST NATURE, WILL NOT ENDURE THE TIMES
We take to the heart what one of the most significant natural scientist said. We stand for the real, for things which have consistency, for sustainability. We want to build something which endures the times.
We are the Sleep Green Hotels – an association of individual hotels with a common vision: To set the sensitive and careful handling with valuable and natural resources, on a holistic level, as a standard in tourism and revolutionize the whole industry. With new ideas and approaches we want to stop demanding from the nature what we can’t give back.
We are really proud of what we achieved in the last years. It was a long way from the emergence to now. But we are not there yet. We still have a lot of plans. And we can’t do this alone.
To fulfill our visions, we need people who share our goals: hotel guests, hotel staff, partners, suppliers, press and everybody else who has a similar mindset about sustainable tourism.
The emergence
At the beginning of the success story there were five energetic and enthusiastic people with good ideas, impressive visions and a special concern: the firm conviction of a sustainable and environmentally conscious lifestyle. To do something today what is good for the world tomorrow.
With combined forces and concentrated knowledge the five founder Volker Aust, Bertram Späth, Michaela Reitterer, Georg Maier and Tim Düysen founded the company Sleep Green Hotels, in the year 2012.
All of them know the industry well, own hotels and care for a better handling with resources and an environmentally friendly functioning. The association of the Sleep Green Hotels makes it possible for them to work together on a better tomorrow, helps to exchange experiences and knowledge and learn from each other.
To make sure of the quality of the cooperation, we have had a strict criteria catalogue which regulates the memberships and processes, right from the start.
The number of members increased rapidly from five to ten and besides the implementation of successful online marketing activities and other PR measures, we were represented at numerous fairs.
At the first conference of all 13 members, it became clear that the Sleep Green Hotels are united by an incredible common enthusiasm and the synergies seem endless. For this reason, we are now even able to count 17 sustainable hotels among our members.
The founders
Michaela Reitterer
Boutiquehotel Stadthalle Wien
As the owner of a travel agency, she fulfilled her life dream and made the hotel “Zur Stadthalle” a green Boutique Hotel, in the year 2001.
Thanks to her incredible determination Michaela developed the hotel to the first “Zero Energy City Hotel worldwide. Her love to the hotel- and tourism-industry induced her to assume the office of the president of the Austrian Hotel Association.
She is not only one of the founders of the Sleep Green Hotels, she also is a great networker which makes it possible for the Sleep Green Hotels to form unique alliances.
Bertram Späth
Hotel Victoria in Freiburg
Bertram Späth, born in 1957, later attended the Hotelfachschule and completed a business management course with a focus on tourism. Since 1985 he has been the owner of the Best Western Premier Hotel Victoria in Freiburg, Germany, and in more than 30 years he has led the family business to great success. Sustainability is a major issue at the Hotel Victoria and it pays off! Together with his staff, Bertram lives his ecological conviction and wants to take on a role model in the hotel industry. Numerous environmental-friendly measures have already given his hotel several prizes. Bertram Späth not only focuses on environmental friendliness but also on regionality and future-oriented thinking.
Georg Maier
Das Grüne Hotel zur Post in Salzburg
- 1972 born in Salzburg
- Education in the Hotel Management School in Kleßheim, becoming an assistant in the hotel and gastronomy industry.
- One season in the hotel Lorünser in Zürs am Arlberg and afterwards working in the family-run business of his parents in Salzburg.
- 1998 he took over the Hotel zur Post with his wife Silvie.
- Since then a lot has changed for the better:
- 1999 the hotel was renovated and modernized and since then a thermal solar system can be found there.
- 2011 a PV-System 10,25 kWp was added and the breakfast only contains bio food products since then.
- 2014 a pellet heating with a stirling engine was installed.
Volker Aust
B&O Parkhotel in Bad Aibling
- Born 1972 in Tübingen, a young doughter.
- Finished his Masters Degree in 2000der Diplom
- Assistant to the CEO of a Real Estate and Hotel company in Berlin
- CEO of a renowed law firm in Munich
- Since 2007: CEO of the B&O Parkhotels and development of a sustainable conference hotel on an old US-barrack
Tim Düysen
Living Hotels
- 1972 born in Westerland, Sylt
- Education as a hotel manager in the City Hotel Hamburg
- Working experience at the reception, front office and sales in the Berliner Schlosshotel “Vier Jahreszeiten”, “Crowne Plaza Berlin” and “Dorint” at the Müggelsee.
- Since 2003 he works for the Living Hotels and is responsivel for the Marketing and Communication.
The idea for the association Sleep Green Hotels came to him, when the “Living Hotel” at the Viktualienmarkt in Munich was build as the first Zero Energy Hotel within the Living Hotels.
In conversations with the other founders the simple idea became a concrete project which was successfully implemented by all the participants.
Giuliano Capo
Capo Companies
Giuliano was born in Frankfurt, as the son of a restaurant owner.
After spending his childhood and youth in different countries, he studied Madiamanagement and acquired working experience in various advertising agencies which are specialized in hotel marketing and hotel chains and a software producer for hotels.
By now he is the managing director of his own advertising agency and was convinced, by the strong personalities of the association, to be part of the family. Since 2014 he is the completing piece of the puzzle and a driving force when it comes to online marketing. He supports the Sleep Green Hotels with his Know-How in the field of Business Development.
Environmental protection
In every hotel there are innumerable interfaces with the environment. A sustainable hotel attaches importance to, for example a source for an ecological and sustainable heat and electricity supply. But for us, there’s more to it than that.
Our hotels offer regional food at the breakfast buffet, encourage their guests to travel with public transport, rent out E-Bikes and show with their furniture how Upcycling works.
It’s our believe to act ecological and we are not doing it because it’s a trend.
The sustainability has to be real and noticeable on all levels. That’s the standard we set for us and for all our members.
It’s very important to us, that all our members meet our standards, so that the guests can rely on the quality of our name. Due to the huge number of quality labels and awards out there, it often becomes unclear which ones of them are really fulfilling their pledge. That’s why we check our our criteria very carefully and make sure, that the quality standards of the partner hotels comply with our expectations.
As an additional reward for special engagement we give out further awards to our members. For different criteria we give extra ecological points. A minimum of three points is necessary to be a member of the Sleep Green Hotels. We guarantee a good sleep, with a clear conscience for our guests with the following criteria:
Human focus
Being sustainable not only means to produce environmentally friendly energy and offer regional food. It’s also about treating employees responsibly and offering an attractive working environment for them. We think that employees are the most important resource of a hotel – and that it’s crucial to treat them fair.
The Corporate Social Responsibility Report, short CSR, shows how important a good employee handling is for each hotel. It documents the employee management and the way the employees are integrated in the Green Philosophy of the hotel.
A good example for that is the LANDHOTEL ALTE POST*** in Müllheim. On a regular base the employees are trained in all the relevant fields like emergency planning or waste separation.
Clean energy
Another green point can be earned by hotels who obtain 90% of their electricity from regenerative sources of energy.
This can be proved, for example, by means of the last electricity bill. The RAPHAEL HOTEL WÄLDERHAUS*** in Hamburg has an optimal infrastructure for that: A photovoltaic system on the roof and the use of geothermal energy for its heat requirements (94 energy piles in connection with a heat pump) makes it possible for them to generate 100% of the required energy from renewable energy sources.
Exemplary foodies
One point, for sure, goes to hotels with happy chicken eggs at the breakfast buffet and meat from healthy cows and vegetables from regional cultivation areas on the plate. A hotel cuisine which works with organically certified foods and can show proof that the food suppliers are regional and ecological, makes it easy for the guests to enjoy and feel good about it.
We are especially proud to call the das GRÜNE HOTEL ZUR POST*** in Salzburg as one of our members. Their tasty breakfast buffet was acclaimed, from the Austrian Bio Garantie, as officially ecological. It’s known for a big variety of products from controlled biological cultivation and a dining assortment based on the seasons.
Tested and proved
We appreciate all institutions and organizations who care for a sustainable management and lifestyle and attach importance that our hotels are as well seen from other institutions
as sustainable and advisable. A green point goes out for all those who have earned a minimum of two official awards as a sustainable company which can be proved by an evidence of the certification.
A showcase in this area is the BEST WESTERN PREMIER Hotel Victoria**** in Freiburg. It was often distinguished for its exemplary environment protection, because the whole hotel is pursued only with regenerative energy. To name only some of the certifications/awards: EMAS, winner of the Environmental Award, Green Brand Award and Bio-Siegel.
Besides that, our hotels are characterized by an above average valuation on booking- and evaluations-websites like
- Booking.com (minimum 8,0 rating)
- Tripadvisor.com (minimum 4,0 rating) and a recommendation rate of
- 90% on Holidaycheck.com
Each of our members needs two of the three required ratings.
Renewable is excellent
One of the popular green points can be earned if 50% of the required energy for for heating and cooling comes from renewable sources. This can been shown by feed-in agreements and accounting.
As the nickname “Zero Energy Hotel” already indicates, a special praise in that area goes to the BOUTIQUEHOTEL STADTHALLE in Vienna: The hotel was the first zero-energy city-hotel worldwide.
Depending on the weather, the 130 m² of solar panels heat up enough hot water to supply the entire hotel with renewable energy. Water from our wall is used to flush the toilets and to tend the unique garden and lavender roof.
During summer you are welcome to start your day with a hearty and healthy fully organic breakfast in the garden, surrounded by fragrant lavender and rose bushes. There is so much more to tell about renewable energies and our hotels but you will need to have a look for yourself.
Our vision
The cooperation of the Sleep Green Hotels has grown much in the last years but we are still aiming higher. We want to be the pioneers oft Green Tourism. We want to act exemplarily and we want to demonstrate which possibilities are just a few steps away to make overnight stays in hotels, congresses and whole trips more sustainable in the future.
We take the issue of defining sustainability right very serious. We want to fight against “Green Washing” and do educational work in that area. We want to be a platform with a large network of representatives of the industry, which are interested in environment protection the same we as we are.
We want to train our members and teach our partners and guests what it really means to be sustainable and how it can be implemented in daily life.
There’s still a lot to be done – we need your support!