LOS ANGELES, California – The contemporary and stylish Mövenpick Hotel Berlin is located in Germany’s busy capital. Seamlessly blending the old with the new, the hotel has retained the unique design elements of the former Siemans building such as wooden paneling and ornate stucco ceilings while offering modern conveniences and green options.
Green Globe congratulates Mövenpick Hotel Berlin on its Gold Membership status marking five years of certification. The property has also achieved an outstanding compliance score of 87%.
Frank Hörl, General Manager at the hotel said, “I feel very much that we can change the world and make it a better place for all people. It is not only about resource management in terms of how we use water, energy etc. but also giving all human beings the opportunity to have access to the same privileges we do and enjoy our world of opportunities.”
The hotel is able to make independent decisions regarding planned social projects. This has led to the launch of numerous social initiatives that improve lives and benefit local and international communities.
Bahnhofsmission is Germany’s largest shelter organization for homeless people that provides accommodation, food, clothing, sanitary services and advice to the homeless. The Mövenpick Hotel Berlin team lends a helping hand at the Bahnhofsmission each year. Berlin has approximately 6,000-7,000 homeless people, with numbers tripling in the past two years. At annual open days the team bake cakes and assist with handing them out, take time out during regular work shifts to help prepare and distribute food and drinks as well as collect clothing and shoes.
Mövenpick Hotel Berlin has also supported the Rotary Kindertag (Children’s Day) event for many years by conducting cooking classes and educating children on good nutrition and healthy snacks suitable for school. Each year Rotary Clubs in and around Berlin treat over 3000 children to a two-day program where they have fun at the Berlin Zoo whilst learning about healthy diets, exercise and the enjoyment of reading.
Additionally, the hotel organized and partially sponsored Rotary En Route, an initiative where volunteer staff manned a world café for twelve Rotary International Clubs from six European countries. The clubs gave presentations about their social projects with the Mövenpick Berlin Team enlisting all clubs to support one common social project – the Beyond Innocence Foundation in Kenya. BIF is a temporary safe haven for abused youth, which aims to provide educational and emotional assistance that will lead to a secure and stable future for each child.
Other international projects planned for 2016 include Nelson Mandela Day. Together with the South African Embassy the property is organizing a fundraising activity incorporating a charity gala dinner and an auction that is expected to raise significant funds.
Mövenpick Hotel Berlin continues to support another initiative in the village of Gando in Burkina Faso in West Africa – Bausteine für Gando. This project managed by the Kéré Foundation is headed by Francis Kéré, an award-winning architect who is also a close acquaintance of General Manager Hörl. The hotel promotes the foundation’s fundraising events and collects money on their behalf. Mr. Hörl, hotel management and staff together with several Rotary Clubs have raised US $80K. Monies raised contribute to building schools with sustainable materials in a country listed by the UN as one of the least developed countries in the world.
Returning back home, in Germany the property supports the Doctor Refugee Project where local doctors help refugees in Berlin. While thirty-four sofas that were replaced with sofa beds were donated to Stadtmission Berlin in 2015 and 2016. Stadtmission is a social service organization dedicated to assisting the homeless and people on low incomes. Finally, staff will generously give to blood donation drives from March to August 2016.
Mr. Hörl concluded, “All of us, at the Mövenpick Hotel Berlin, feel that we can make a real difference by giving others our support, a helping hand, thoughts and ideas and, yes, also our resources as a hotel.”
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, an international upscale hotel management company with over 16,000 staff members, is represented in 24 countries with 83 hotels, resorts and Nile cruisers currently in operation. Around 20 properties are planned or under construction, including those in Chiang Mai (Thailand), Bali (Indonesia) and Marrakech (Morocco).
Focusing on expanding within its core markets of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts specializes in business and conference hotels, as well as holiday resorts, all reflecting a sense of place and respect for their local communities. Of Swiss heritage and with headquarters in central Switzerland (Baar), Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is passionate about delivering premium service and culinary enjoyment – all with a personal touch. Committed to supporting sustainable environments, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has become the most Green Globe-certified hotel company in the world.
The hotel company is owned by Mövenpick Holding (66.7%) and the Kingdom Group (33.3%). For more information, please click here.
Green Globe is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Green Globe is a member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .
