Excelsior Hotel Ernst in Cologne, Germany has been awarded Green Globe Gold certification, marking five continuous years of certification. The family owned hotel is located opposite Cologne Cathedral in the heart of Cologne’s Old Town. The five-star property, that first opened its doors in 1863, exemplifies the quintessential combination of classic hospitality and sustainable operations.

Georg Plesser, Managing Director at Excelsior Hotel Ernst, expressed his delight at achieving this milestone, “Sustainability is an ongoing commitment for us. We are proud of initiatives such as “Cause We Care”, our long-standing local partnerships and our recycling projects, and we are especially proud to have been certified by Green Globe for the fifth consecutive time.”

Since first certified in 2019, Excelsior Hotel Ernst has been steadily integrating sustainability practices within its operations. Through impactful environmental, social and economic sustainability practices, the hotel is creating lasting value and positive change locally and globally.

“Cause We Care” with myclimate
In partnership with myclimate, the hotel has been running the Cause We Care carbon offset initiative since 2021. Guests can make a voluntary contribution of EUR 2 per person per night towards a more climate-friendly stay. As a thank you, Excelsior Hotel Ernst doubles the amount and invests it in concrete sustainability projects within the hotel and in the region. This has a double impact of supporting local resource-saving measures while also contributing to global climate protection.

This year in 2026, three large projects are currently taking place at the property. The modernization of kitchen areas and insulation of the windows facing the Cathedral side contribute to improved energy efficiency, and the installation of motion detectors in corridors also help reduce unnecessary energy consumption.

Strengthening Local Partnerships and Rooftop Bees
Excelsior Hotel Ernst is especially proud of its long-standing cooperative relationships with local partners and producers. Four rooftop beehives cared for by a local beekeeper, produce the hotel’s own unique and delicious honey. The beehives supply the breakfast buffet with enough honey for one year and support the preservation of biodiversity within the city.

Responsible procurement and local sourcing is a core pillar within the hotel’s sustainability vision. The hotel works closely with regional partners such as Feldling, the Microgreen Brothers and Fischzucht Kamp. Feldling offer direct access to regional products from farmers in the Cologne area (within a radius of 30 km) while the team at Microgreen Brothers operates a small vertical farm in the city that cultivates fresh vegetables. Michelin-starred Chef Mirko Gaul personally collects fish from a local fish farm, underlining the hotel’s commitment to quality, regionality and short supply chains. Chef Mirko visits Fischzucht Kamp, a family-owned fish farm and smokehouse known for its sustainable, artisanal approach to aquaculture.

Recycling initiatives That Benefit Communities
Excelsior Hotel Ernst’s Green Team is continuously seeking new ways to reduce waste and support meaningful initiatives. Natural corks are collected for NABU’s cork campaign. The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), Germany’s oldest environmental organization, collects discarded corks and converts them into eco-friendly insulation materials. The collected corks are processed by sheltered workshops providing livelihoods for people with disabilities.

The hotel also works in collaboration with SapoCycle Germany, a non-profit organization that recycles discarded hotel soaps and toiletries into hygiene products for vulnerable communities. Through this program, employment opportunities are created for people with disabilities while waste is repurposed.

Excelsior Hotel Ernst’s newest partnership is with BlechWech, a Cologne-based foundation that collects crown caps (bottle caps) to fund medical and humanitarian aid. The hotel collects bottle caps which are then sent by BlechWech to raw material traders and metal recycling plants. The proceeds from the recycled bottle caps currently benefit a mother-and-child clinic in Somalia via SOS Children’s Villages Worldwide.

“While we are proud of the progress we have made, we remain aware that sustainability is a continuous journey. That is why we are especially pleased about our new cooperation with “BlechWech“, which marks another meaningful step in our ongoing efforts. By collecting and recycling crown caps, this initiative helps reduce waste in the environment while supporting charitable projects. Together with our team, we are committed to continuing this path and creating a positive impact for our guests, our region and beyond,” concluded Georg Plesser.

Contact

Britta Funke
Director PR & Marketing
Excelsior Hotel Ernst
Trankgasse 1
Cologne, 50667
Germany
T + 49 (0) 221 270 3157
F + 49 (0) 221 270 3333
britta.funke@excelsior-hotel-ernst.de
www.excelsiorhotelernst.de

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