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The Hotel Luise has an ambitious goal, that much is clear. The fact that the establishment can boast the title of Germany's first climate-positive hotel is far from enough for the team. The hotel industry enthusiasts from Erlangen have set themselves the goal of becoming the hotel of cycles. Sustainable management has been promoted here for decades. The Wall of Change communication concept is comparatively new: an interactive installation in the hotel that visualises over 270 sustainable measures. It shows that every step counts - whether huge or tiny. The project aims to encourage guests and businesses to steer their own path towards a greener future.
We take a look behind the scenes of a hotel that’s not only thinking about today but already focused on tomorrow. In this interview, Managing Director Ben Förtsch shares how a vision became a success story and why sustainability at Hotel Luise is not just a concept, but a matter of the heart. What does DialogShift and digitalization have to do with it all? Stay tuned! 🤫
Ben, you’re the third-generation manager of Hotel Luise, known as the Captain and for your unconventional yet innovative methods. One of those is the Wall of Change. What inspired you to start this massive project, and what is your goal with it?
Projects like our renewable hotel rooms have made us a flagship operation for sustainability in the hospitality industry, but we’ve stood for sustainable and holistic business practices since the 1980s. On our path to becoming a model business, we’ve gathered valuable experience and constantly evolved — not just in terms of sustainability. With the Wall of Change, we wanted not only to highlight our high-visibility projects but especially to make visible all the many behind-the-scenes efforts that brought us to where we are today. We want to make those accessible to other businesses and interested parties so they can avoid the detours and mistakes we made along the way. By sharing our knowledge and experience, we want to inspire others to follow our lead. We also aim to create as much transparency as possible for our guests around the steps we’re taking.
A central component of the Wall is the Cradle-to-Cradle principle, a sustainability concept aimed at keeping materials and products in closed cycles. How is this applied at Hotel Luise, and what role do resources play?
Our basic philosophy is not to consume (material) resources, but to use them. Consumption implies a lack of circularity. That’s why we aim, where technically possible, to only purchase materials that can be cycled and to return any resources to the loop. This means having a detailed recycling concept and planning the return of specific Cradle-to-Cradle products in the future. Returning natural resources is also a priority. Biodegradable raw materials should remain biodegradable, so material purity is essential. Just as important is preserving existing furniture, repairing products, and repurposing elements to reduce waste. Naturally, this overarching goal includes eliminating small packaging, promoting reusable solutions, and analyzing and optimizing material flows. We welcome the support of our guests and suppliers in these efforts. A major first step in this direction was our renewable hotel rooms, which are fully based on the Cradle-to-Cradle principle. Almost all components are either 100% biodegradable or 100% recyclable. For instance, the rooms feature fully recyclable carpets made from discarded fishing nets and plastic bottles. They’re also equipped with astronaut showers from Orbital Systems, which clean and reuse water while you shower, saving 90% water and 80% energy. We continuously implement recycling and upcycling projects in the hotel — from decorations made of recycled materials and handmade furniture from scrap wood to tables with tabletops made from old refrigerators.
How do your guests respond to these creative ideas?
Many guests don’t realize how sustainable we are until they arrive and see it for themselves — especially through the Wall of Change. It’s important to us that guests experience high comfort with no limitations, which is often what people associate with sustainability. That can motivate them to adopt more sustainable habits themselves. We’re also noticing that sustainability is becoming more of a deciding factor and guests are coming specifically because of it. That makes us really happy, especially when they’re looking for inspiration. We believe we can only make the world a better place if we work together. We want our actions to inspire others and find like-minded people who want to save the world with us.
What’s an example of a small, easy-to-implement action that can make a big difference?
Two things come to mind — one that has a big impact in hotels and one for private life. An invisible yet impactful action is switching to green electricity with your energy provider. That significantly reduces your carbon footprint. At our hotel, it’s greeting guests with a smile. As simple as that sounds, it creates a positive baseline mood for our guests. That’s exactly what we want — for our guests to be open and positive toward our sustainability initiatives and ideally take something home and apply it themselves.
What can others learn from Hotel Luise?
We see ourselves as an incubator for a sustainable way of doing business. We aim not just to live sustainability, but to pass it on and keep evolving. Our hotel is a space for exchange where innovative ideas for an eco-conscious future can grow. We focus on transparency and share our knowledge on many levels. We regularly organize events on topics like circular economy, resource conservation, and sustainable tourism. Through social media, blog posts, and talks, we share best practices, challenges, and successes. We partner with regional and international players to develop innovative concepts and learn together. By showing what sustainable operations can look like — from climate neutrality to consciously designed workflows — we inspire others to take similar steps. We also frequently test innovative concepts or products, which reduces risk for others, since they can learn directly from our experience.
DialogShift is thrilled by your work and commitment. That’s why we’re especially proud that our chatbot has made it onto the Wall of Change — not once but twice: once as a project and once as a digital assistant that provides orientation through your extensive blog. How does Chatbot Luise contribute to your vision?
Chatbot Luise is a key part of our sustainability strategy because it conserves resources on multiple levels while improving the guest experience. Luise answers questions around the clock — from travel information to tips for a sustainable stay. This saves paper otherwise used for information materials and reduces the staffing needs associated with traditional communication. That frees up time for our team to focus on guests on-site. The chatbot playfully introduces guests to our sustainability approach — from circular economy to CO₂-neutral services — and gives practical tips on how they too can travel and live more sustainably. This lowers the threshold for adopting sustainable behaviors. On luise.eco, users can ask targeted questions about specific measures and receive detailed information. This allows the Wall of Change to be used even more effectively for gaining knowledge and inspiration.
The fact that AI works in a way that is anything but resource-efficient naturally concerns us. However, completely dispensing with AI is unrealistic for all of us. You can find out more about this in this article, and how Luise is received by our guests, who appreciate the quick, uncomplicated help provided by Luise. For many, the chatbot is often ‘one step less’ to obtain information. They don't have to search long for information, call or write an email.
The Hotel Luise shows how innovation and sustainability can come together in the hotel industry. The Wall of Change makes sustainable measures visible, while chatbot Luise bravely keeps track of how many projects and aces the Hotel Luise still has up its sleeve. 😉 Whether it's the circular economy, digital guest communication or creative upcycling ideas - the Hotel Luise doesn't stand still.
