Summer has already arrived and consequently the Costa Brava beaches begin to fill up with tourists –and also non-tourists– who are looking for combat the high temperatures on the idyllic beaches which are home to all the towns along the Catalan coast.
The Hostel Empuries , located in the town of the same name, is the star destiny for lovers of environmental care . A magical place turned into a authentic laboratory of sustainability . Its objective? Demonstrate that tourism, and especially the hotel sector, does not necessarily have to generate impacts negative for the planet.
A shelter turned to the sea.
A PLACE WITH A LOT OF HISTORY
In the north of the Costa Brava, between Escala and Rosas, is the small town of Empuries. A corner that would go unnoticed were it not for the great architectural work that was discovered in the 19th century and that has now become one of the architectural benchmarks in all of Europe, a discovery that Paradis family knew how to take advantage of Privileged to have a place very close to where the excavations were being carried out and which attracted the attention of the most important architects from all over the world, they decided to open Villa Theresa , a restaurant that mainly gave food to everyone who worked on the construction site.
With the passage of time, and the increase in the presence of tourists from all over the world who opted for Empúries as their place to spend their holidays, they decided to go one step further and that was the beginning of the Hostel Empuries which maintains the same name today. A decision that coincided with the tourism boom on the Costa Brava.
In 2002 there was a property change that marked a before and after: the members of the Archer family They became the new owners of the business. And with them they brought the implementation of new guidelines: turning the hostel into a pioneer project in sustainability. A true laboratory of philosophy cradle to cradle (respect the environment and at the same time enrich it) with a very clear objective: to demonstrate that the hotel sector not only did not generate negative impacts on the environment, as has always been considered, but it could also have very positive consequences.
The retirement you deserve.
THE POINT THAT MARKED THE START
One step further. The year 2011 was when the real sustainable revolution . The third and most important remodeling of the hotel: many spaces were transformed with the clear guideline of becoming the first hotel in Europe with LEED Gold certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), and they succeeded.
pillar lebanon She was the interior designer in charge of the improvement and modernization plan to achieve this goal. Decisions were always agreed with the owners of the hostel, who at all times wanted to be very present. As a result, warm and welcoming interiors as well as practical and functional. All with the same goal of being as environmentally friendly and long-term sustainable as possible.
A modernization that supposed a clear benefit for nature with the construction of a new garden that tried to recover the native plants of the area that had been lost in time. From here came the Papallona Project , Next to the University of Girona, that allowed to recover part of the population of native butterflies that they had disappeared.
The green roofs They are another great example. A structure formed from plant elements that collect rainwater, They store it together with the water from the sink, shower and other similar corners, and it is finally used for other uses such as watering the plants and filling the cisterns.
wake up like this
FOR LOVERS OF PROXIMITY GASTRONOMY
How could it be otherwise, the hotel has a own garden in which all the vegetables and fruit are grown, which will later be offered to both guests and people who decide to spend the day. And for the rest of the products? Always 100% proximity. The hostel has been forming a network of providers in the area that day after day offer them the best of the best. Fish? Always the one of the day.
But the commitment of Hostal Empúries with the environment goes much further: In addition to an orchard, they also have a garden where they grow their own plants, which will be used for cooking or as infusions for customers. Even to make mojitos! Yes, yes… a guilt-free cocktail, knowing that the mint used for the drink comes from the farm's garden.
Eat with a view.
AND MUCH MORE…
The finishing touch of this sustainable project are the 54 rooms designed to offer maximum comfort for your guests and a spa with endless options to close an experience of ten. They offer treatments that are rather rituals that try to recover the traditions and methodologies of the ancient Greeks. The essential oils that they use for massages are also made by themselves and come from the famous garden of wonders.
And finally a curious detail for sports lovers: Xuan Lan , one of the most famous instructors yoga internationally, she is a true space lover and even one of her books was written in the same hostel. And so much so, that the cover photo was taken in one of the magical corners that hosts the Hostal Empúries.
The spa at Hostal Empúries.