Four chefs you should know: These pioneers are turning sustainable hotels into travel destinations

The most important question before booking a hotel is increasingly: What is on the menu? As the editors of Green Pearls point out, for many travelers, it is not the location or the price, but the culinary concept that is becoming the primary reason to book. Chefs and their ideas shape a hotel’s identity beyond the food itself, often determining whether guests book or click away.

Photography by Green Pearls unless otherwise specified.

Cuisine influences travel decisions

According to a recent study by the German tourism consultancy agency Richard Bauer, around 45 percent of Germans consider the local cuisine when choosing a travel destination. For some travelers, local cuisine is a decisive factor in choosing a place to stay or a travel region.

At the same time, the role of hotel restaurants is changing; what was once considered a basic service is evolving into destinations that people specifically book. Thus, a hotel’s culinary offerings become an important element of travel planning and an experience that guests consciously choose.

Concepts that highlight the origin and quality of ingredients and are closely tied to the destination are particularly in demand. Regional ingredients, short supply chains, and an authentic culinary identity are key factors that influence travel decisions.

Chefs as catalysts for sustainability in the hospitality industry

The new expectations that guests have of hotel kitchens often align with the framework within which sustainable chefs already operate. (See Global Geneva article on the Yacht Club de Monaco's support for the WIKI Centennial Expedition/HelpSaveTheMed to promote the eating of largely unknown but delectable Lionfish, a predatory invasive species to the Mediterranean, as a means of curtailing its numbers through cuisine).

This growing focus on regional culinary experiences is shifting the chefs' significance. After all, for a long time, the conventional wisdom was that the restaurant kitchen was the main stage, while the hotel kitchen was merely a supporting role. Now, however, a different picture is emerging.

In particular, sustainable boutique hotels, resorts, and hideaways give their chefs room for their own ideas, access to high-quality regional products, and encouragement to actively help shape the culinary concept.

Sustainability is not merely an abstract ideal here. It is evident in daily operations, seasonal ingredients, close collaboration with local farmers, and mindful use of resources. Unlike in other areas, a property’s sustainable approach becomes tangible to guests through its cuisine, thus becoming a defining characteristic of the accommodation.

Leading figures in sustainable hotel cuisine

The extent to which chefs influence a hotel’s identity is evident in properties within the Green Pearls® network. Their unique approaches transform dining into a distinctive experience, giving each hotel a clear point of differentiation.

Aggeliki Charami

Aggeliki Charami – Vegan Fine Dining as a destination:

Head Chef and Executive Chef at Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel, LA VIMEA Vegan Hotel, and OMNIA plant-based restaurant

Aggeliki Charami showcases the potential of plant-based cuisine. She has quickly made a name for herself in South Tyrol and has already received several awards for her work at Paradiso Pure.Living. Her cuisine attracts guests and offers a fine dining experience that is entirely free of animal products.

Omnia fine food detail

In this interview with Green Pearls®, Aggeliki Charami explains her philosophy and approach in more detail:

She helped shape the evolution of the Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel on the Seiser Alm. What began as a vegetarian-vegan concept evolved into a fully vegan hotel. They also created the OMNIA restaurant, which, thanks to its unique fine-dining concept, appeals to guests regardless of whether they are staying at the hotel.

Chef Aggeliki Charami

Charami’s dishes capture the essence of the landscape and local ingredients. She works with a variety of textures, emphasizes fermentation, and thoughtfully incorporates influences from her Greek heritage. In addition to her work at Seiser Alm, she oversees the kitchen at the LA VIMEA Vegan Hotel in Naturns, where she pursues a lighter style.

Charami menu

However, her approach represents more than just a culinary concept that attracts guests from all over the world. She is setting a trend in hotel kitchens and restaurants, proving that vegan dishes can be a distinct culinary concept in their own right, not just an alternative. 

Giuseppe Schimmenti

Giuseppe Schimmenti – Zero-mile cuisine & culinary storytelling:

Head Chef at ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA

Giuseppe Schimmenti brings the flavors of Sicily straight to his guests' plates. As the executive chef at the ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA, he prefers to work with ingredients sourced directly from the resort’s immediate surroundings. For example, fish, herbs, olive oil, and citrus fruits come from local fishermen and producers or are grown on-site and form the foundation of his cuisine.

Mediterranean cuisine - Sicilian style.

Schimmenti’s dishes are closely linked to personal memories. Having grown up in a Sicilian family for whom shared meals were central to life, he still draws on this influence today. His menus feature traditional recipes, techniques, and products from the island, placed in a contemporary context. His cuisine tells the story of a heritage deeply rooted in the region’s daily life, craftsmanship, and food culture. Guests immediately sense this connection, which is precisely what makes the culinary experience a central part of traveling.

Schimmenti’s dishes are closely linked to personal memories.

On the GREEN TRAVEL BLOG, Giuseppe Schimmenti takes readers on a (virtual) culinary journey through Sicily and shares the must-try dishes of this Mediterranean island.

Berni Aichner - a culinary philosophy based on Slow Food principles and a focus on regional ingredients.

Berni Aichner – Cuisine as a defining feature of a hotel:

PRENN° Culinary Director at OLM Nature Escape

As the culinary director at OLM Nature Escape, Berni Aichner is responsible for the concept of the PRENN° restaurant, which gives the aparthotel its distinctive culinary signature. In 2026, Gault&Millau recognized the harmonious blend of architecture, sustainability, and cuisine with the “Hotel of the Year in South Tyrol” award.

The South Tyrolean chef gained experience working with three-star chef Norbert Niederkofler, among others, before assuming full culinary responsibility at the OLM. There, he implemented a culinary philosophy based on Slow Food principles and a focus on regional ingredients. His approach deliberately breaks away from traditional hotel concepts.

Local vegetable salads and buckwheat falafel

Photo: Hannes Niederkofler

Rather than fixed menu sequences, the focus is on a flexible approach tailored to the individual needs of the eco-aparthotel’s guests. The offerings are complemented by themed evenings and special events (e.g., Cooking with Reinhold Messner), during which the restaurant opens to an external audience.

Escape into nature...

Aichner closely aligns the culinary concept with the aparthotel's individualized focus. This way, the cuisine reinforces the brand identity and helps to clearly position the property.

Sascha Förster - Emphasizing a personal and unique customary approach

Sascha Förster – Culinary Experiences:

Executive Chef at Klosterhof – Alpine Hideaway & Spa in Bayrisch Gmain

At the Klosterhof – Alpine Hideaway & Spa, Executive Chef Sascha Förster offers dining experiences that transcend the traditional hotel restaurant. The highlight is the "Secret Forest" dinner, an intentionally intimate fine-dining event. These events take place at select locations, some of which are hidden, and combine the menu, food, and surroundings to create a unique culinary experience.

Färber Hotelbetriebs GmbH - KLOSTERHOF - Alpine Hideaway & Spa

The locally sourced ingredients reflect the current season. The menu is created, using whatever is currently available. With a limited number of 12 guests, every dinner becomes a one-of-a-kind experience in a personal atmosphere. Even during regular hotel operations, Förster emphasizes a personalized culinary approach. His "GenussArt" menu allows guests to choose from different culinary styles, ranging from regionally inspired dishes to plant-based options.

Game consommé with figs and raviolii

Photo: Färber Hotelbetriebs GmbH - KLOSTERHOF - Alpine Hideaway & Spa

His approach demonstrates that special culinary experiences can appeal to guests and that events like "Secret Forest" can be the reason for a trip, especially for foodies.

When cooking becomes a signature style

Although they are all different, these examples illustrate a trend that is becoming more common in many sustainable hotels: chefs shape a property’s culinary identity, set the tone, and use their dishes to convey a sense of origin, craftsmanship, and philosophy.

As cuisine becomes a central focus of travel planning for many travelers, the importance of a unique culinary identity grows for hotels and accommodations. Unique dining concepts and a commitment to authentic, regional cuisine are specifically sought out. Cuisine is becoming as these examples demonstrate, an essential part of a hotel's identity and reputation.

A growing and influential factor in tourism

The importance of culinary offerings in tourism will continue to grow. For hotels, this will make their cuisine and culinary concept an integral part of their positioning, if they aren’t already. Even today, a hotel’s culinary concept partly determines how it is perceived, offering an opportunity for differentiation.

For the industry, this means shifting priorities: culinary concepts must be more deeply integrated into strategic planning. Topics such as regionality, resource use, and value chains are no longer relevant only to sustainable accommodations. They are part of the expectations of a traveler who makes more conscious choices and seeks authentic experiences.

Chefs are central figures in this development. Their concepts and ideas will influence how the sustainable hospitality industry evolves. After all, culinary enjoyment will continue to play a significant role in the travel experience.

This article was kindly contributed by Green Pearls, a communication and information platform for sustainable, handpicked, and unique places worldwide based on its own rigorous requirements for quality and sustainability among its members.