Excelsior Hotel Ernst earns Green Globe Gold for fifth straight year

Excelsior Hotel Ernst in Cologne has received Green Globe Gold certification, extending a run of five consecutive certifications. The five-star hotel is pairing heritage hospitality with energy-efficiency upgrades, local sourcing and recycling programs that support community and climate projects.

Why it matters: - Excelsior Hotel Ernst’s fifth straight Green Globe certification shows the Cologne hotel has kept sustainability measures in place over time, not just for a one-off audit. - The property’s programs touch energy use, waste reduction, local sourcing and community aid, making the impact broader than a single environmental initiative. - The hotel’s approach also matters because it combines luxury hospitality with lower-carbon operations at a landmark property next to Cologne Cathedral.

What happened: - Excelsior Hotel Ernst in Cologne, Germany, received Green Globe Gold certification, marking five continuous years of certification. - The family-owned, five-star hotel first opened in 1863 and sits opposite Cologne Cathedral in the heart of Cologne’s Old Town. - Managing Director Georg Plesser said the hotel views sustainability as an ongoing commitment and highlighted the “Cause We Care” initiative, local partnerships and recycling projects. - The hotel first earned certification in 2019 and has continued expanding sustainability practices across its operations.

The details: - Since 2021, the hotel has run the “Cause We Care” carbon offset initiative with myclimate. - Guests can voluntarily contribute EUR 2 per person per night for a more climate-friendly stay. - Excelsior Hotel Ernst matches that contribution and invests the combined amount in sustainability projects at the hotel and in the region. - In 2026, the property is carrying out three large projects: modernization of kitchen areas, insulation of windows facing the Cathedral side, and motion detectors in corridors to cut unnecessary energy use. - The hotel maintains four rooftop beehives cared for by a local beekeeper. - The beehives provide enough honey for the breakfast buffet for one year and support biodiversity in the city. - The hotel works with regional partners including Feldling, the Microgreen Brothers and Fischzucht Kamp. - Feldling provides access to regional farm products from within a 30-kilometer radius of Cologne. - Microgreen Brothers operates a vertical farm in the city that grows fresh vegetables. - Michelin-starred Chef Mirko Gaul personally collects fish from Fischzucht Kamp, a family-owned fish farm and smokehouse. - The hotel’s Green Team collects natural corks for NABU’s cork campaign. - NABU turns discarded corks into eco-friendly insulation materials, and sheltered workshops process the material while providing jobs for people with disabilities. - The hotel also partners with SapoCycle Germany to recycle discarded soaps and toiletries into hygiene products for vulnerable communities. - The SapoCycle program creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities while repurposing waste. - A new partnership with BlechWech allows the hotel to collect crown caps for recycling and charity funding. - BlechWech channels proceeds from recycled bottle caps to a mother-and-child clinic in Somalia through SOS Children’s Villages Worldwide.

Between the lines: - The hotel’s sustainability strategy is built around practical, visible actions that guests can see during their stay, from offset contributions to recycled waste streams. - The mix of local sourcing and charitable recycling suggests the hotel is using sustainability to support both operational efficiency and community engagement. - The repeated certification also signals that Green Globe is recognizing an established system, not just a new marketing push.

What's next: - Excelsior Hotel Ernst said it will continue its sustainability path with team involvement and more partnerships. - The hotel will keep using collected crown caps to support recycling and charitable projects. - The current energy-efficiency upgrades in 2026 are likely to remain a focus as the property reduces consumption and waste.

The bottom line: - Excelsior Hotel Ernst is treating sustainability as a long-term operating model, and the fifth Green Globe certification confirms that approach is now embedded in the hotel’s day-to-day business.