Austria Seminar Hotel Retter recognized for outstanding environmental commitment

LOS ANGELES, California – Seminar Hotel Retter impressed the jury at this year’s Trigos Awards with the high level of authenticity in the implementation of responsible practices. The Styrian property focuses on regional organic products, making an important contribution to sustainable agriculture and the regional value.

This Green Globe member hotel in Styria, Austria, walked away with the prestigious Trigos Award, Austria’s recognition for outstanding social and environmental commitment. For years, this upscale resort has demonstrated sustainable tourism, integrating ethical and environmentally friendly practices into its core business operations and management.

Numerous environmental measures, such as its own biomass heating plant, the use of rainwater for toilets and irrigation, solar lamps, and energy-efficient controllers show notable results: 3 million liters of water and 900 tons of CO2 could be saved annually. In addition, the jury honored the important multipliers of the hotel: Calculating the ecological footprint of guests, as well as the wide range of organic and biodegradable products, guarantee that sustainability is carried out consistently.

“Retter stands for learning and further development,” explains Ulli Retter, Owner of Seminar Hotel Retter. “We thrive for eco-balance, and have been practicing this ‘way of doing business’ for more than 20 years. Earning the Trigos Award makes us very proud, and will encourage us to improve our day-to-day operation and continue to reduce our eco-footprint.”

Since 2004, CSR pioneering businesses from all over Austria are put in the spotlight at the annual Trigos Award ceremony. This year’s gala event took place at Vienna’s city hall in front of 500 guests from the entertainment industry, business, and politics. An independent panel of experts had taken a two-stage evaluation process to decide on the winners in the categories “Commitment to CSR” for small, medium, and corporate business, “Social Entrepreneurship,” and “Best Partnership.” With their holistic understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility, the Seminar Hotel Retter stood out in the medium-size business category.

ABOUT SEMINAR HOTEL RETTER

Seminar Hotel Retter, located in Austrian national park Pollauer Tal, has been voted ‘Best Seminar Hotel in Austria’ several times. The hotel is built of Styrian solid wood and each of the 98 rooms features non-metal beds and electricity-disabling devices, which create a relaxing atmosphere. The spa area “Bewusst-SEIN” with an extension of 1200m2 was built in clay, glass and wood with the saunas representing all seven “Life-Surroundings” of Pollauer Tal Park. Facilities include a business centre, a beauty salon, and conference rooms. The Seminar Hotel has its own on-site restaurant, offering local and seasonal cuisine. Pollauberg town centre is within a 20 minute walking distance, and Graz Airport is a one-hour drive to the hotel.

Contact: Ulli Retter, Seminar Hotel Restaurant Retter, 8225 Pollauberg 88, Austria, Tel. 03335/2690, [email protected] , www.retter.at ; DI Karl Reiner, OAR, Regionalberatung GmbH, 1010 Wien, Fichtegasse 2/17, Tel: +43 (0) 1 512 15 95, Mobil: +43 (0) 664 243 43 72, [email protected] , www.greenglobe.com/karlreiner

ABOUT GREEN GLOBE CERTIFICATION

Green Globe Certification is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally-accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe Certification is based in California, USA, and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe Certification is a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, supported by the United Nations Foundation. For information, visit www.greenglobe.com