Hotel of DER Touristik Hotel & Resorts awarded with “Prémio de sustentabilidade 2021” for commitment to sustainability
In early February Hotel Sentido Galomar in Madeira belonging to the DER Touristik Group received the “Prémio de sustentabilidade 2021”, the highest environmental award, by the Portuguese tourism association “Turismo de Portugal”. This is the first time that a hotel in Madeira has won the national sustainability award. Sentido Galomar prevailed against a total of 61 applications from all over Portugal.
With the award, bestowed under the patronage of the Ministry of Economy and Digital Transformation, the tourism association recognises the hotel’s strong commitment to sustainability. Sentido Galomar fulfils economic, social and ecological sustainability criteria that were essential for the award. For instance, for environmentally friendly resources the hostel relies on four separate water systems: Only rain water is used for garden irrigation, treated waste water (so-called grey water) is employed for flushing the toilet, salt water is used in the pools – and drinking water only comes out of the taps and showers. “With our salt water pools alone, we can save 86,000 litres of drinking water per filling and abstain from a number of chemicals”, says Georg Schmickler, CEO Hotel Division DER Touristik Group.
The hotel is also a pioneer when it comes to energy consumption, and is powered entirely by renewable energy through 540 photovoltaic panels. 77 solar collectors are used to produce hot water. Special insulation of heat pipes, the use of the most innovative energy-saving lifts and kitchen appliances as well as double glazing and natural light are just a few other measures that significantly contribute towards energy saving. That the hotel has a charging station for electric vehicles goes without saying.
Sentido Galomar also proves that design and sustainable organisation can go hand in hand: The furniture feels and looks like tropical wood, but is made of a 100% recyclable, weather-resistant and very durable natural fibre product. The garden has been planted exclusively with endemic plants that are adapted to the local conditions. Herbs cultivated on the grounds are used in the kitchen, bar and spa.
In order to create a joint awareness of the environment, hotel employees are trained on a regular basis, sustainability activities and projects are promoted and exchange with local communities, schools and the University of Madeira is sought. “If we all pull together as regards sustainability, we can achieve a lot”, Georg Schmickler is convinced of this. “Our guests can rely on our hotel to do a lot in terms of environmental protection. That’s why we’re all the more delighted about this award and are motivated to continue investing in this direction.”
Image material under: Envionmental Award Sentido Galomar
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Background
The DER Touristik combines its hotel brands Sentido, lti, Calimera, PrimaSol, COOEE and Playitas under the umbrella of the DER Touristik Hotels & Resorts hotel company. Given that no one dream holiday and travel preference is the same, the DER Touristik Hotels & Resorts focus on diversity: Their hotels cover the various guest needs of families, couples and those travelling alone. Hotels of the Sentido, lti, Calimera, PrimaSol, COOEE and Playitas brands are located at short, medium-and long-haul destinations, with an emphasis on the Mediterranean. In the mountains, the COOEE Alpin hotels stand for ultimate skiing and hiking fun among price-conscious holidaymakers. The DER Touristik Hotels & Resorts hotel company is part of the DER Touristik Group. More information at www.dertouristik-hotels.com.
DER Touristik Group has its head office in Cologne, Germany, and is REWE Group’s travel and tourism division. As one of Europe’s leading travel groups, DER Touristik Group encompasses more than 130 companies and employs 9,400 people in 16 European countries. Every year, millions of guests travel with one of the group’s tour operators or specialists. DER Touristik Group includes tour operators such as DERTOUR, Jahn Reisen, ITS, Meiers Weltreisen, Travelix, Kuoni, Helvetic Tours, ITS Coop Travel, Billa Reisen, Konig Aap, Apollo, Exim Tours and Fischer, as well as more than 2,300 travel agencies (such as DERTOUR, DERPART, Kuoni, Exim, and Fischer, as well as franchises and partners), the hotel brands Sentido, Aldiana, Calimera and Cooee, and the online travel agency Prijsvrij Vakanties. The DER Touristik Group also offers on-site support: The company runs an agency network with 74 offices in 29 travel destinations. The staff in the destination agencies assist the guests of the DER Touristik Group from their arrival at their holiday destination and until their departure. For more information, go to www.dertouristik.com.