The Future of the Hotel Industry: Hotel Luise and its Vision of a Circular Economy

Since 1956, Hotel Luise has combined tradition and family history with innovative sustainability concepts. Today, Ben Förtsch, the third-generation owner, is setting new standards in the hotel industry. The goal of Förtsch and the entire Luise team is clear: to create a hotel functioning like a closed-loop system. They use and recycle resources, avoid waste, and support natural material cycles. Every stay is an experience where guests can enjoy ecologically designed rooms, sustainable materials, and food from environmentally friendly agriculture—a small yet valuable contribution to a regenerative future.

Förtsch believes the traditional linear economic system—buy, use, and throw away—is reaching its limits. Accordingly, Hotel Luise adheres to the Cradle-to-Cradle® principle, ensuring that all materials are either fully biodegradable or continuously recyclable. Examples at the hotel include carpets made from old fishing nets, tables made from terrazzo plastic produced from old refrigerators, and a lot of furniture made from 100% recyclable materials, as well as some hotel rooms whose components are entirely recyclable or biodegradable. Another central component of this approach is social responsibility: employees, guests, and the neighborhood are actively involved, and their well-being is the focus.

«For us, sustainability is not just one measure, but many. There are now over 270. Our basic idea is to connect the inside with the outside. Everything is forest. We create spaces with plants that would also grow in the forest. This way, we bring nature into the city and into homes. With biophilic design, we promote positive moods, reduce stress, and strengthen people’s connection to nature.»

Ben Förtsch, Owner and Managing Director

Spend the Night in a Renewable Environment — a Unique Room Experience

The Circular Hotel Rooms, which have been part of the Luise concept since 2016, are particularly impressive. Unique at the time, this type of room design and furnishing has now found imitators. “Fortunately,” says the Luise team, welcoming every concept of this kind. The rooms in this category are made from 100% biodegradable materials:

Ceilings and walls made of compressed straw
Bed frames made of cork
Carpets made from recycled fishing nets
Plug connections and eco-friendly adhesive instead of metal connections

The so-called astronaut shower in the bathroom saves up to 80% of water and 90% of energy thanks to an innovative recycling technology. But sustainability and comfort are also priorities in the other rooms of the hotel: mineral wall paints, solid wood furniture, and real indoor plants promote a healthy indoor climate. Guests in the small single rooms can even enjoy climate-positive stays. Every square meter of the hotel reflects this philosophy: cycles, resource conservation, and the conscious use of energy are made visible and tangible.

Wall of Change – Making Sustainability Tangible and Visible

Another centerpiece of the hotel is the Wall of Change, an interactive display of sustainable practices. It showcases the hotel’s more than 270 sustainable practices, from organic jam and eco-friendly straws to renewable hotel rooms and furniture made from discarded refrigerators and clothing donations.

Guests can experience the Wall of Change both digitally and in person in the hotel foyer. The physical version, in particular, clearly conveys that many small steps add up to a big whole. Guests can see how small changes reduce the hotel’s ecological footprint while providing an inspiring experience. For those in the tourism industry, the Wall vividly demonstrates that sustainability does not have to remain abstract for guests and employees; it can be practical, creative, and achievable.

Microforests: Small Forests with a Big Impact

One particular eye-catcher is the microforest, which grows directly in the hotel garden, connecting nature and the city. Microforests are densely planted, small in area, and they achieve the biodiversity of a 100-year-old forest in just 10 years. Developed by Japanese botanist Dr. Akira Miyawaki, these forests impress with their ability to absorb up to 30 times more CO₂, provide 100 times more biodiversity, reduce noise and air pollution, and create a significantly improved microclimate.

To prepare the garden at Hotel Luise, 30 cm of topsoil was removed, trenches for rainwater were dug, and a pressure-free irrigation system was installed. From 2021 to 2022, 200 tree seedlings were planted in a very small space. The species of trees are native and climate-adapted, including red oak, English oak, wild cherry, sycamore maple, sweet chestnut, rowan, Swiss stone pine, black pine, and fluttering elm. While the dense planting poses a challenge, it creates a unique ecosystem that provides a habitat for insects, birds, and small mammals, supports the mental health of guests, and positively influences the urban climate. Over the next two to three years, the microforest will be actively maintained and then left to develop into an independent living forest.

Sustainable Accommodation and Support for Bike Travelers

For guests arriving by bike or planning a cycling vacation in Erlangen, Hotel Luise offers more than just a place to stay: a generous zero-waste breakfast with regional, organic, and fair-trade products, a small but exquisite fitness area, e-charging stations for cars and bikes, and bike rental including maps, tools, secure storage, and drying facilities for wet clothes make your stay comfortable and eco-friendly.

A toolbox is available for minor repairs, and packed lunches can be prepared for cycling trips. As an ADFC partner hotel in the Bett&Bike program, Hotel Luise is the ideal starting point for exploring Erlangen and the surrounding area in an eco-friendly way, whether on the many well-developed bike paths through picturesque half-timbered towns in Franconia or on leisurely tours through forests and parks. The „Drahtesel-Gehege” ensures that e-bikes and classic bicycles are stored safely and dry while guests explore the city on foot.

Regeneration the Franconian way: The Gud ruh’n Spa

Hotel Luise’s overall concept also includes a sustainably designed wellness area: the Gud ruh’n Spa. In a room designed according to feng shui, there are saunas, steam baths, ice grottos, and bucket showers. A special highlight is the beer massage, developed in collaboration with the Steinbach Brewery in Erlangen, which is unique worldwide. This massage combines relaxation with regional brewing artistry, transporting the senses directly into the world of the brewery. Those who have difficulty relaxing during traditional massages will enjoy this multi-sensory experience that appeals to both body and mind. Spa offerings include aquapuncture in an aromatic bath and customizable herbal baths with ingredients from the hotel garden and regional suppliers.