Hotels with a heart: Free nights for families in need

Host family Seyrling from Hotel Klosterbr?u is committed to helping families who are less fortunate. ?David Johansson
A vacation is a luxury not everyone can afford. But a vacation can give these individuals and families hope and allow them to forget about their everyday worries for a few days. Sustainable hotels support organizations such as Global Family or the children’s cancer charity Peter Pan by giving families in difficult situations a break in their accommodation.

When fate strikes

A stroke of fate can happen to anyone. Like Karl Polaska-Auer, whose fourth child became seriously ill. That’s when the head of a successful PR agency for luxury hotels realized that “there is more to life than material success.” Together with his wife Krystyna, he founded the Global Family Charity Resort 17 years ago, which offers free vacations to families in difficult personal or financial situations. Since then, 300 hoteliers have hosted some 1,200 families. Three of these hotels are partners.

Global Family Partner Hotels of Green Pearls? in Austria and Germany

Every year, Peter and Waltraud Unterlechner invite families for a vacation

The Biohotel Grafenast in Tyrol has been a partner for five years. Every year we receive three or four requests and then invite one or two families to stay with us for a week,” says owner Peter Unterlechner. The guests include single mothers in difficult situations or families with children who need a lot of care.

The family-run Biohotel Grafenast is located 1,330 meters above the Inn Valley. In summer, the Tyrolean mountains open up for hiking and nature experiences. In winter, the hotel is in the heart of the ski area, with a tobogganing hill and children’s ski school right outside the door.

“We provide the families with free room and board, as well as support with activities and services,” says host Peter Unterlechner. It is nice to see the families enjoying a carefree time and a break from their difficult everyday lives.

Especially the children can hardly believe it and are overjoyed.“ – Biohotel Grafenast

Treat children to a luxury vacation

The Hotel Klosterbrau in Tyrol is a child-friendly 5-star wellness hotel

The luxurious yet sustainable 5-star Hotel Klosterbr?u in Seefeld, Austria, is also a member of the Global Family. Family is very important to the hosts. The Seyrling family is now the sixth generation to run the wellness hotel within the 500-year-old monastery walls, and a total of nine family members actively look after guests in the popular Tyrolean vacation region.

For example, while parents relax in the pool or saunas, kids can hang out in the billiards room or visit the animals in the hotel’s petting zoo.

Relaxation in the Black Forest

Global Family’s partner in Germany is the Hotel SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA. The ecologically oriented hotel is located in the spa town of Bad Herrenalb, known for its fresh air, healing springs and thermal baths. There is also a thermal swimming pool directly in the wellness hotel. Furthermore, the beautiful Black Forest is the perfect setting for active nature experiences.

We invite families to join us for a free vacation, thus enabling victims of violence, poverty, disasters, wars, persecution and terminal illnesses to have a vacation.” – SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA

Community engagement is sustainability

As we described in our blog post on social sustainability, the “three pillars of sustainability” model places social on an equal footing with ecology (environment) and economics (business).

“We see Global Family as an organization that is committed to human rights and aid projects in the tourism sector and that promotes sustainability,” says Karl Polaska-Auer in an interview.

“Holidays for underprivileged families can have a lasting positive impact. For many of these families, it has been a stepping stone out of hardship, especially for victims of violence who were able to experience that humanity still exists.” – Karl Polaska-Auer

Instead of donating money, hotels can help directly by offering a free vacation. Global Family raises the money to cover the additional costs – especially travel – through fundraising events where celebrities rally support.

Each year, the Weihrerhof Hotel invites five families from the Peter Pan Children’s Cancer Fund

The Hotel Weihrerhof is located directly on the lake

In South Tyrol, the Peter Pan Association supports children with cancer and their families. The Hotel Weihrerhof on Lake Costalovara in Renon is one of its partners. Lake Costalovara is one of the cleanest bathing lakes in Italy and is transformed into a giant ice rink in winter.

Every year, five families with children suffering from cancer receive a free vacation at the Hotel Weihrerhof. The Ritten Card also includes free use of all local transportation on the Ritten Plateau, including the cable car, and free admission to numerous museums.

Support the local parent-child center

The APIPURA hotel rinner is also committed to families and, as a partner of the Elki Ritten, provides free accommodation for the teachers of the parent-child center.

Become a holiday sponsor

As a traveler, you can also share your privilege with other families. Global Family has developed a vacation sponsorship concept where one family (who can afford it) invites another family (who normally cannot afford it) on a vacation. You then book the exact same thing for a second family, in addition to your own train tickets and accommodations. The organization will help you find out who might be a good match for you (and if you could get a grant for your project).

In the end, all participants report that they get “an incredible amount back” from giving. Tourism is particularly suited to such activities because it involves sharing and getting to know one another.

You know how important and beneficial a vacation can be – imagine if you never had one. Wouldn’t you wish for a door to open and make it possible?