Travel for Best Ager – The best sustainable hotels for vacations in senior age
Seniors today are not what they may have been in the past. Nowadays, the 70-year-olds are healthy, educated, active and a vital and an interesting target group for many hotels. The question is, what do hotels have to offer for the older generation?
A new trend, for example, are "Adults-Only" hotels for those who appreciate peace and quiet and are happy to do without a "kids' club" and "youth disco" in the hotel! Here we show you which hotels are particularly attractive for travelling in old age. Don't worry: it has nothing to do with emergency call buttons and stair lifts!
Traveling in the Later Years - What is important?
In your later years, you may not feel "old" - but it's clear that you no longer go on the same holidays you would have when you were in your 20s. Shared rooms, cheap mattresses, bad food and waiting for the night bus in the evening - when you're young, you don't care about much. Or rather, your priorities are different.
Parents with small children are primarily concerned about the well-being of their children. They need supervision, a children's pool, chips, a playground and - other children to play with. "Adults Only" does not mean that you don't like children (such as your grandchildren). But why should you spend your holiday surrounded by the screaming of children, when you finished your life of diaper changing and crying decades ago?
Nature, Culture and Wellness Getaways
Author Hans-Georg Pompe writes in his book "Boom Branchen 50plus" (Boom Industries 50plus) that for 90% of 50- to 60-year-olds, travelling is a top priority. Without children in the home and after many years of hard work, the main objective is to "enjoy and treat oneself". In other words, comfort is a must. Both in the journey and in the accommodation. In addition, a trip should also offer culinary and intellectual appeal.
Those in their golden years appreciate it when it is evident that the hotel industry has taken this into consideration. For example, when it comes to sustainability: "Indulging oneself" is indeed the trend - but surveys also show that environmental awareness has increased.
Tours and guides are important
Competent hotel personnel are also important. Visitors are happy to take advantage of guided tours and tour guides. It is quite a different experience whether you just "follow your nose" or have an experienced hiking guide next to you.
Many of the Green Partner Hotels state that they do not have a special focus on "seniors", but that there are certain things that older guests in particular appreciate. At the Weihrerhof on the Ritten in South Tyrol, for example, older guests especially enjoy using the RittenCard. With this ticket for public transport, you can get to the Rittner Horn or the centre of Bolzano without needing a car. Guests can also take various longer and shorter hikes directly from the hotel, depending on the altitude without having to climb too much. Furthermore, there is also an e-bike rental service.
Those who would like to go on guided hiking tours can go on tour with hiking and mountain experts at the Austrian Naturhotel Outside. The Tyrolean nature hotel does not name pensioners as an explicit target group, but the hotel guests are usually older than 40. Those who are still "good on their feet" at over 70 will feel very comfortable at the hiking hotel.
Popular Destination for Retirement Travel: Bad Herrenalb
A classic destination for Golden Agers is the spa town of Bad Herrenalb in the northern Black Forest. In the climatic health resort, healing water flows, there are thermal baths and a magnificent mountain panorama. When it comes to wellness and recreation, Bad Herrenalb is one of the top destinations in Germany. Numerous trips for retirees are offered to Bad Herrenalb, which are also suitable for older visitors with disabilities. Various coach tour operators offer, for example, to pick up guests directly from their own front door and then drive them to the spa resort in comfortable coaches. A tour guide takes care of everything: hotel rooms, food, and excursions - with package tours of this kind, travelers are relieved of all the hassle and can concentrate entirely on the goal of the trip - enjoyment and relaxation.
For those in their golden years who organize their trips themselves, we can recommend the sustainable Hotel SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA. The hotel offers to pick up its guests from the Bad Herrenalb train station with the shuttle service and has its own e-bike rental service to be car-free and mobile on site. In addition to a wellness treatment, guests can book cultural offers such as a guided tour of the monastery and historical tours of the old town.
Adults Only Hotels
In virtually every holiday region, there are now Adults Only Hotels, which are aimed exclusively at couples and single travellers without children. You can tell that you are in such a hotel simply by looking at the food. There are no obligatory children's meals, but creative creations with lots of vegetables and herbs - at the Green Pearls partners mainly in organic quality and regionally sourced.
Adults Only Hotel LA VIMEA in South Tyrol
LA VIMEA in South Tyrol considers itself to be the first completely vegan hotel in Italy. The restaurant offers magic from the plant world with mainly regional ingredients from South Tyrol. This is not only interesting for vegans and vegetarians, but also for anyone who likes to try something new on their holiday. On the breakfast buffet you will find stir-fried tofu, chia pudding, fresh fruit, smoothies, vegan spreads and much more.
The hotel is a great place to relax in nature. There is a fitting offer for this with yoga, meditation and forest bathing and a wellness area with indoor pool, outdoor pool and saunas. The hotel recommends taking the train to get there. The route through the beautiful mountain landscape is just the right way to set the mood for a relaxing holiday. Guests can be picked up by the shuttle from the Naturno train station.
Adults Only Hotel SAND on the Baltic Sea
The Lifestyle Hotel SAND is located directly on Timmendorfer Strand on the Baltic Sea (only one street separates the hotel and the beach). Although it is an Adults Only hotel, the atmosphere here is very relaxed and guests are addressed informally as friends. The hotel has a large roof terrace with a chill-out area and various saunas. Sustainability is a key feature of the hotel's style and atmosphere, the furnishings are made of natural materials, the food is regionally sourced and the cosmetics are natural and organic. At the hotel's cocktail bar, you will not only meet silver agers, but also couples on a romantic holiday in their mid-40s or single travelers who have brought their dogs along on holiday with them.
3 Travel Trends in Later Life for the Year 2023
Many travel journalists and travel portals have made forecasts for the travel year 2023. Three things are emerging as a trend for travel in active retirement age:
Exploring your own backyard
The trend is being termed "staycation". During the Corona period, for example, many Germans found that Germany and neighbouring countries such as Switzerland and Austria are very attractive travel destinations. A holiday destination that can be easily reached by car or train provides more planning security. In addition, the trust in the local health care system is higher.
Traveling in nature
The great passion for nature is also attributed to "social distancing" from the times of the pandemic. In the great outdoors, there is less need to worry about safe distances and infections. This trend is expected to continue in 2023. Mountains, forests, lakes and the sea also convey a sense of freedom and health.
Sustainable Travel
Ecotourism was already an emerging trend before Corona. Already in 2019, Germany ranked first (ahead of France and the US) on a global "ranking of countries with the most environmentally conscious travellers". However, this is primarily thanks to the younger generation (keyword Fridays for Future). According to a survey, only 38% of the "green travellers" belong to Generation X (born between 1965 and 1981) or older (born before 1965), the other 62% are younger.