Sustainability im Sentido Galo Resort
The topic of sustainability is also increasingly coming to the fore at DER Touristik Hotels & Resorts: How can even more water be saved or even less waste produced? How can local markets be supported and supply chains kept as short and environmentally friendly as possible? The team of DER Touristik Hotels & Resorts supports its partners in all these and many other questions on this important topic.
The team of DER Touristik Hotels & Resorts supports its partners in all these and many other questions on this important topic.
The Sentido Galomar hotel in Madeira is a great example of sustainability and environmental protection. It has already been awarded many environmental certifications and is a pioneer in this field.
At the beginning of February, our hotel Sentido Galomar on Madeira received the highest environmental award, the „Prémio de sustentabilidade 2021“, from the Portuguese tourism association „Turismo de Portugal“. This was the first time that the national sustainability award went to a hotel on Madeira. The Sentido Galomar prevailed against a total of 61 applications from all over Portugal.
With the award, which is under the patronage of the Ministry of Economy and Digital Change, the tourism association acknowledges the comprehensive sustainable commitment of the hotel. The Sentido Galomar fulfils economic, social and also ecological sustainability criteria that were decisive for the award. For example, the hotel relies on four separate water circuits for environmentally friendly resources: rainwater is used exclusively for garden irrigation, treated wastewater (so-called grey water) is used for toilet flushing, salt water is used in the pools, and drinking water flows exclusively from the water faucets and showers. Our salt water pools alone save us 86,000 litres of drinking water per filling and the use of numerous chemicals," says Georg Schmickler, CEO Hotel Division DER Touristik Group.
The hotel is also a pioneer in terms of energy consumption and is powered entirely by renewable energies through 540 photovoltaic panels. Hot water is provided by 77 solar collectors. Special insulation of heat pipes, the use of the latest energy-saving elevators and kitchen appliances, as well as the use of double glazing and natural light are just some of the other measures that contribute significantly to energy savings. It goes without saying that the hotel has a charging station for electric vehicles.
The Sentido Galomar also proves that design and sustainable design are not mutually exclusive: The furniture has the feel and look of tropical wood, but is made of a 100% recyclable, weather-resistant and very durable natural fibre product. The garden was planted exclusively with endemic plants that are adapted to the local conditions. The herbs grown on the grounds are used in the kitchen, bar and spa.
In order to create a shared understanding of the environment, the hotel's employees receive regular training, sustainability activities and projects are promoted and exchanges are sought with the surrounding communities, schools and the University of Madeira. If we all pull together on the issue of sustainability, we can achieve a lot," Georg Schmickler is convinced. „Our guests can rely on the fact that we do a lot in terms of environmental protection at our hotel. We are all the more pleased about this award and are motivated to continue investing in this direction.
If you would like to find out more about sustainability at Sentido Galo Resort, click here.