This is an update to our Vacation Rentals article from January 14, 2022

Are you the type of person who likes to enjoy as much privacy as possible on vacation, wandering through food markets and preferring to cook your own meals? The sustainable vacation rentals and apartments of our Green Pearls® partners are ideal for an independent and individual vacation with lots of privacy and your own kitchen.

Many of our partners also offer a combination of apartment and hotel. In a so-called Aparthotel you have a fully equipped apartment at your disposal. At the same time, you can take advantage of the services and comforts of a hotel, such as breakfast, dinner and cleaning.

What makes a sustainable vacation home?

Although we often write about hotels here on the Green Travel Blog, there are of course vacation homes that have a sustainable overall concept. The features of sustainable vacation homes are very similar to those of sustainable hotels:

• Sustainable construction (e.g. conversion of old existing buildings, use of regional and environmentally friendly building materials).
• Use of renewable energy (at least through green electricity, even better through own solar systems, etc.)
• Avoiding plastic and disposable products (zero waste)
• Equipment and furnishings with environmentally friendly products (e.g. environmentally friendly wall paint, sustainable furniture and organic textiles)
• Supporting car-free mobility (shuttle service to the train station, e-bike rental, etc.)

You can learn more in our 7-Point Check for Sustainable Accommodation.

Vacation rentals in Austria

For a true nature vacation, the Austrian mountains are a wonderful destination. In the alpine region you will find meadows, forests, mountain rivers and a unique flora and fauna (e.g. the famous golden eagle).

In a self-catering holiday home you can enjoy your vacation at your own pace and explore the mountains by hiking, biking or winter sports.

LENI MOUNTAIN – Apartments & Chalet in Sölden

Sölden in the Ötztal Alps is very popular with MTB athletes. There are many well marked mountain bike trails for every level of difficulty. The LENI MOUNTAIN apartments are located just above Sölden, some with a view of the 3,500-meter high Zuckerhütl. The apartments (2 to 12 people) are built in the Tyrolean architectural style with local materials such as stone and local wood (spruce, larch, stone pine) and all have a balcony or terrace.

Special features:

• Wellness area with sauna and steam bath
• Breakfast service

A highlight is the LENI MOUNTAIN Chalet. The 200-square-meter hideaway stands alone on the mountain and features a private natural swimming pond, four bedrooms, an open fireplace and a private sauna.

The Peak Sölden – Vacation Homes

Also in Sölden are the seven apartments and two chalets of the Kneisl family. The Kneisls are passionate mountaineers and they will be happy to recommend you the right hiking routes for your desired level of difficulty.

Special Features:

• Amenities include a morning bread service.
• Only 1.5 kilometers from the center of Sölden

Summit Lodges in the Tyrolean Overland

Do you prefer it a bit more secluded? The Summit Lodges Pfunds in the Tyrolean Overland consist of log cabins and are a mixture of alpine hut feeling and modern luxury. Architecturally, the two vacation homes are inspired by the traditional log cabin construction of the Northwest of the USA and Canada and therefore bear the names “Yellowstone” and “Yosemite”.

Special Features:

• A big plus of the cottages: each cottage has its own Finnish sauna! Have fun sweating 🙂.

Vacation rentals in Italy

If you’d rather spend this winter in the warmth, southern Italy might be of interest to you. Stephanie Seipp, the founder of Green PearlsⓇ, was there herself this year and reports on the vacation apartments on the historic estate A’ Cràpa Mangia in this blog post:

Sustainable Travel in Italy – Winter in Campania

The Campania estate has been converted by the owners into nine vacation apartments. Each apartment has a terrace and direct sea view.

Aparthotels – the mix between apartment & hotel

At the beginning of the blog, we already mentioned that in addition to vacation apartments or houses, there is also a hybrid of vacation apartment and hotel: Aparthotels are becoming increasingly popular, they combine the best of both worlds, so to speak: Privacy and service, individuality and all-round carefree package.

OLM Nature Escape – Energy Self-Sufficient Eco-Aparthotel in South Tyrol

In December 2023, a new eco-apartment hotel will open in South Tyrol: the OLM Nature Escape in Sand in Taufers. The main construction material for the round building with 33 separate suites is regional larch wood. Another sustainable feature is that the entire facility produces its own electricity.

Each apartment has a kitchen and a spacious refrigerator. Breakfast is available, however, as are various other catering options and optional cleaning services.

Special Features:

• Some of the apartment suites have a private sauna.
• The complex has an indoor pool, an outdoor pool and a natural swimming pond.

ECO-APARTHOTEL THE DREAMERS’ CLUB in Croatia

The ECO-APARTHOTEL THE DREAMER’S CLUB is an aparthotel that has belonged to Green PearlsⓇ for a long time. It is located directly on the Adriatic Sea on the island of Korčula and was created from the reconstruction of a 100-year-old stone ruin. There are six apartments for 2 to 5 people, and in the morning breakfast (with mostly local organic ingredients) is served right on the terrace.

Hygna Chalets: A Tyrolean Chalet Village in the Kitzbühel Alps

Hygna Chalets does not call itself an aparthotel, but the concept is an interesting hybrid between a vacation home and a hotel. There are eleven luxurious wooden chalets, some with private jacuzzi, all with private sauna and open fireplace. Each chalet has its own kitchen for self-catering. Breakfast is included, however, and is delivered to your door each morning in the form of a lovingly filled breakfast basket. Other amenities include an infinity pool for all guests.

Sustainable vacation homes with hotel connections

Now that we’ve introduced you to some sustainable vacation homes and aparthotels, there’s another special form of “vacation home plus”. Some hotels also offer a vacation home or tiny house on their property. In this case, you enjoy all the freedom of your own vacation home and can also use the hotel’s spa or restaurant.

Tiny House in Tyrol

The Biohotel Grafenast, for example, has a tiny house. The wooden house stands at 1,330 meters above sea level in the middle of the Eastern Alps and is self-sufficient with water, wood stove and organic toilet. For extra luxury, you can use the hotel’s forest sauna and spa, or dine in the organic restaurant.

Apartments in the SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA

Hotel SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA also has apartments (two-room and three-room) with their own kitchen. In addition to the possibility of self-catering here, you can use the organic breakfast buffet and receive a cooking set with spices on request. The large spa area with thermal pool and sauna is available to you free of charge.

Küchenhaus Holiday Home in Mellrichstadt

Finally, there is the Küchenhaus on the grounds of the Hotel STURM. Here you live with up to six people in a fully equipped vacation home with open fireplace and terrace. In addition, you can use the hotel’s wellness area (saunas and natural swimming pond) and, if you wish, have breakfast or dinner in the bio-certified hotel.

Vacation homes and the mixed forms presented by us are the perfect retreat if you want to enjoy a lot of privacy and an individual time-out in a unique ambience. We hope we could give you some ideas how and where you can organize your vacation not only independently but also environmentally friendly.

The family vacation needs to be planned, but you don’t know where to go yet? Take a look at this: SUSTAINABLE FAMILY VACATION – BUT WHERE?

Save this article for your next vacation!