Sustainable luxury tourism in Switzerland

The Living Circle breaks new ground

The Swiss group The Living Circle is a collection of nine select businesses in Switzerland that are fully committed to nature and sustainability. The focus is on the careful and respectful use of resources and responsible action in relation to people and the environment. New partnerships were recently announced.


Luxury Hotels Fed By Nature

The Living Circle includes the four luxury hotels Castello del Sole on Lake Maggiore, the Storchen Zürich on the Limmat, the Widder Hotel in the heart of Zurich's old town and the Alex Lake Zürich directly on the shores of Lake Zurich in Thalwil, as well as the Schlattgut in Herrliberg, the Terreni alla Maggia vineyard in Ascona, the Château de Raymontpierre in Vermes, the Bauech restaurant and the Rustico del Sole. They are all united by the fact that the "farm to table" concept is practised, the diversity of nature is valued and luxury does not have to mean sacrifice. Quite the opposite. The four luxury hotels in particular prove that elegant design, Michelin-starred cuisine, excellent service, exceptional spa experiences and a spectacular location harmonize extremely well with a sustainable approach.
At Castello del Sole, for example, top chef Mattias Roock only serves ingredients from his own production or regional products in his "Sapori del nostro orto" menu. He has been awarded the new green Michelin star for this. For example, the hotels serve wines from Terreni alla Maggia, meat from the Château de Raymontpierre farm and dairy products and eggs from the Schlattgut farm. "Sustainability is a matter of course for me. We owe it to the wonderful nature that surrounds us - especially here on Lake Maggiore. It is particularly nice to see that this need is also shared by our customers. They are highly sensitive to sustainable cuisine and the careful use of our resources," says Simon V. Jenny, General Manager at Castello del Sole.


New collaborations

As far as climate protection is concerned, The Living Circle has set itself particularly high goals. For all hotels, a collaboration has been agreed with the climate protection consultancy foundation "myclimate", under which guests can voluntarily add an additional CHF 4 to their bill. This is supported by a further CHF 4 from the hotel. Of the CHF 8 donated, three quarters go to the hotels' sustainability projects and one quarter to an international climate project.

The Castello del Sole, the Storchen Zurich, the Widder Hotel and the Hotel Alex are also members of the NOW association. It is committed to sustainability and transparency in the hotel industry and rates hotels according to their environmental friendliness and social responsibility. The criteria are based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Guests can check the "It must be now" website and the hotels' websites at any time. "We publish our level of sustainability transparently and publicly. This spurs us on and is a clear commitment to our guests," says Jörg Arnold, General Manager of The Living Circle Hotels in Zurich.

Further information & booking: www.thelivingcircle.ch