GAIA Hotel Basel 

A zero-waste concept without equals

Located directly adjacent to Basel rail station, the Hotel GAIA provides the best possible proof that city hotels can take on a pioneering role when it comes to sustainability. It’s no coincidence that the GAIA Hotel has been honoured with the ibex fairstay label.

This hotel has always been a trailblazer for zero waste, and it continues to lead the way today. Breakfast is served in portions to avoid waste. Left-over coffee grounds are sent to «Urban Mushrooms from Basel», a start-up that uses them to grow these edible fungi. The elephants in Basel Zoo are highly appreciative of the stale bread that the hotel delivers to them every week. There are hardly any plastic products to be found in the hotel: all bathroom accoutrements are made from bamboo and other recycled or recyclable materials. Whenever possible, organic products are given preference throughout the establishment. Thanks to the GAIA’s connection to the district heating network, 100% of its power is ecological and the hotel compensates for its own CO2 emissions.

The family-run Gaia Hotel in Basel maintains various partnerships of many years standing. One example is its relationship with SapoCycle, the first non-profit organisation in Europe to collect discarded soaps from hotels and convert them into life-saving products. The soaps are recycled by people with disabilities and are then distributed to improve hygiene conditions for families in need.