Hotel Plesnik: Celebrating Centuries of Sustainability in Slovenia

Slovenia is regarded as a capital of sustainable tourism in Europe, dedicated to preserving its unique landscape and promoting a slow approach to travel. Nestled in the country’s picturesque Northern alpine region, Hotel Plesnik is a family-owned business that celebrates generations of sustainability.

The Plesnik family's roots in the Logar Valley date back as far as 1426. Through the years the family has engaged in agriculture and tourism. Its products and services are perfectly adapted to coexisting with nature, which is why to this day the valley boasts an exceptionally well-preserved natural landscape.

Hotel Plesnik has been certified since 2020 and complies with 81% of Green Globe Sustainable Tourism Standard criteria, a high achievement amongst Green Globe’s members.

Hotel Manager Nina Plesnik says, “Every year we try to set new, additional goals toward sustainability for both our hotel and our whole destination. This is why we are proud that our destination Logarska (Logar Valley) Solčavsko is among the TOP 100 most sustainable destinations in the world for 3rd year in a row. And in 2021 our sustainability efforts were further recognized when our village of Solčava was awarded Best Tourism Village by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).”

For centuries the inhabitants of Logar Valley have been preserving their heritage by living a sustainable lifestyle. The Plesnik family and all hotel employees strive in all areas to care for the unspoilt nature and are conservative with their use of resources.

In conjunction with Green Globe Certification, the hotel adheres to a sustainable management plan, which includes environmental, socio-cultural, quality, health and safety considerations. Annual assessments are undertaken, and new measures regularly introduced for continuous improvement. The opinions of hotel guests and suppliers are also welcome in helping achieve better quality and a greater protection of nature.

At Hotel Plesnik the management and staff strive to ensure that the use of resources, and preservation of the environment, are fairly divided between today’s generation and those who will follow. Their underlying philosophy is to improve the quality of human life, and while economic growth is part of development, it is not a singular goal, nor can it continue indefinitely.

The motto of Hotel Plesnik is: Health is our Wealth. Guests are offered a range of health programs, which are based on the principles of permaculture and ancient healers, such as Sebastian Kneipp, Rudolf Steiner, as well as the practice of Ayurveda. All the programs include healthy food, healing and beneficial herbs, along with related outdoor activities focused on relaxation and wellness.

Guests have use of the outdoor bio-pool, which is cleaned by fish, wet-biological cleaners and plants. Water in the natural pool is filled from a rainwater tank, and without chlorine or other harsh chemicals, guests enjoy the feeling of swimming in an Alpine lake, while taking in the panoramic views of the Kamnik–Savinja Alps.

Hotel Plesnik’s approach to food and beverage is an important part of their relationship with nature. In the kitchen the hotel uses ingredients from local and Slovenian origin to the greatest extent possible. Fresh food is prepared daily with emphasis on avoiding waste by careful catering. Guests also play an important part by ordering dinners in advance to ensure the volume of ingredients purchased is as precise as possible. Overall, the hotel works hard to avoid single use of material, with a ZERO WASTE system based on Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Redesign.

Since 2017 Hotel Plesnik has adopted and operated a utilities management plan to save energy and lower water consumption. The hotel’s water supply is sourced from the Ivovec spring which is located amid the pristine nature of the Logar Valley. Guests are encouraged to enjoy this pure water, while the hotel utilizes a HACCP quality system to guarantee its safety. Since 2017, water consumption has been reduced by approximately one third each year.

Hotel Plesnik monitors the use of electricity monthly. All hotel equipment has the highest energy efficiency ratings, and 80% of the lighting is provided by efficient LED lights, using 40% less energy. During winter, guests are provided with instructions on how to ventilate rooms with the least consumption of fuel. Heating for the hotel comes for the community’s biomass generator, which avoids the use of non-renewable energy.

Contact:
Nina Plesnik
Hotel Manager

Hotel Plesnik****
Logarska dolina 10, 3335 Solčava
Tel: +386 (0)3 839 23 00
Fax: +386 (0)3 839 23 12
info@plesnik.si
www.plesnik.si

About Green Globe Certification

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). For information, please visit www.greenglobe.com