BIO HOTELS

What BIO HOTELS does

BIO HOTELS is a non-profit association founded in 2001 and headquartered in Ötztal-Bahnhof, Austria, that unites independently owned hotels operating under a unified 100% certified organic standard. Member properties are concentrated in the DACH region (Germany, Austria) with additional presence in Italy (South Tyrol, Tuscany, Lazio/Rome) and Greece. Every member hotel must pass annual third-party bio inspections (conducted by ABCERT and other control bodies) and biennial CO2 accounting, positioning the network as a verifiable alternative to greenwashing-prone "eco" labels.

The association's primary product is a multi-language (DE/EN/IT) booking portal (biohotels.info) where travelers search, compare via a Merkzettel wishlist, and reserve certified organic hotel stays. Supporting the core platform are 18 publicly accessible bio restaurants, an award-winning restaurant portfolio (Michelin stars, Green Michelin Star, up to three Gault&Millau toques, Falstaff listings), category sub-brands (Wellness, Nature, Health, Green Meetings, Family, Climate-Neutral), and a digital gift voucher product (€50–€5,000) redeemable across the entire network. The website is built and maintained by vioma GmbH; association operations and marketing are handled by the subsidiary be-oh Marketing GmbH.

Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring membership dues paid by hotel operators who join the network, transaction/booking fees on reservations processed through the portal, and gift voucher sales. The organization operates with a lean team of 5 employees, and distribution is exclusively direct via the proprietary portal, phone, and email — with no third-party OTA marketplace presence. Customers are environmentally conscious leisure travelers across multiple use cases (wellness, nature, family, romantic, culinary, corporate green meetings) served by a fragmented base of independent member hotels.

Name

BIO HOTELS

Legal name

be-oh Marketing GmbH

Website

https://biohotels.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BIO HOTELS is a 25-year-old Austrian non-profit association operating a multi-language booking portal for 100% certified organic hotels across Germany, Austria, Italy, and Greece. It serves environmentally conscious leisure, wellness, and corporate travelers via direct bookings and is funded through member hotel dues, booking commissions, and gift voucher sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Organic Hospitality Network

NAICS

Traveler Accommodation (7211), All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Eco-Boutique & Sustainable Lifestyle Hotels (THAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wellness-Lifestyle Boutique Hotels (THAGADAF), Eco-Lodges (Sustainable/Nature-Based) (THAGAIAC), Luxury Eco-Resorts (THAGACAK)

Keywords

• Certified organic hotels
• Sustainable hotel association
• Organic hotel booking
• Eco-friendly hospitality
• Wellness hotel network

Headquarters

HQ city

Ötztal-Bahnhof

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Hotel Membership Fees: BIO HOTELS generates revenue primarily through membership fees paid by member hotels. Hotel operators join the association by meeting the strict 100% bio certification standards and pay dues to be listed in the BIO HOTELS network. The association's website drives bookings to member hotels, creating value for members in exchange for their membership.
2. Booking Commission / Transaction Fees: Guests book stays directly through the BIO HOTELS booking portal (biohotels.info). The platform takes bookings for member hotels, likely earning a commission or booking fee on each transaction processed through the website.
3. Gift Voucher Sales: BIO HOTELS sells digital gift vouchers (Gutscheine) valid across all member hotels. Vouchers range from €50 to €5,000 and can be redeemed on the booking portal. Each voucher sale represents a transaction that can be used at any member property.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

BIO HOTELS is a non-profit association that curates and markets a network of independently owned, 100% certified organic hotels across Europe. It operates the biohotels.info booking portal where consumers discover, compare, and reserve stays at member properties in Germany, Austria, Italy, and Greece, while also selling redeemable digital gift vouchers (€50–€5,000) valid across the entire network. Hotel operators join the association by meeting strict bio certification standards and paying membership dues, gaining access to the shared BIO HOTELS brand, distribution platform, and sustainability framework.

Product overview

BIO HOTELS is a hotel association and booking platform for certified 100% organic hotels across Europe. The core offering is the BIO HOTELS Booking Platform, which enables travelers to discover and reserve stays at certified bio hotels. Supporting products include 18 public organic restaurants and award-winning bio restaurants recognized by Michelin, Gault&Millau, and Falstaff guides. The gift voucher system allows gifting stays valued from €50 to €5,000. The portfolio is organized into sub-brands covering Wellness Hotels, Nature Hotels, Health Hotels, Green Meetings, Family Hotels, Climate-Neutral Hotels, and Romantic Hotels. Since 2001, member properties operate under unified standards for organic food, natural cosmetics, renewable energy, and CO2 balancing, while maintaining individual character.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BIO HOTELS Booking Platform Multi-language (DE/EN/IT) booking portal at biohotels.info that lets travelers search, compare, and reserve stays at 100% bio-certified member hotels across Germany, Austria, Italy, and Greece. Features include a Merkzettel (wishlist) comparison tool and direct inquiry/booking.
• Public BIO Restaurants Network of 18 public organic restaurants operated by BIO HOTELS member properties where non-resident guests can dine without prior booking, all certified organic and serving gourmet organic cuisine.
• Award-Winning BIO Restaurants
• BIO HOTELS Gift Vouchers (Gutscheine)
• Wellness Hotels
• Green Meetings (Sustainable Corporate Events)
• Health & Cure Hotels (Basenfasten, Vegan, Vegetarian, Allergy-Friendly, Ayurveda, Yoga)
• BioWirtinnen Partner Network
• BIO HOTELS Association Membership (Mitglied werden) Membership program for hotel owners who meet 100% bio-certification standards; members gain access to the BIO HOTELS brand, the biohotels.info distribution platform, and shared sustainability standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% certified organic certification for all member hotels — no exceptions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ABCERTcoreOthers · 1 January 2001ABCERT is the organic control body that conducts annual bio inspections for BIO HOTELS member hotels, ensuring compliance with EU organic regulations and BIO HOTELS internal standards. The certification process is a prerequisite for membership and ongoing association with the BIO HOTELS brand.
• BioWirtinnen (Women Bio Restaurant Operators)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioWirtinnen is a network of women-owned or operated bio restaurants that share the same passion for organic quality as BIO HOTELS. The association recommends these restaurants to guests and they form part of the broader organic culinary ecosystem. The partnership is cross-promotional, extending the BIO HOTELS organic dining network.
• vioma GmbHcoreTechnology or Integrationvioma GmbH (based in Offenburg, Germany) is the technology partner responsible for building and maintaining the BIO HOTELS booking portal (biohotels.info). The website uses vioma's booking and channel management technology (TAO analytics), which processes bookings, manages hotel listings, and handles the voucher ordering system.
• TapTreeminorOthersTapTree is the payment processing partner integrated into the gift voucher checkout flow. For every successful payment transaction processed, TapTree binds at least 1 kg of CO2 as part of its carbon offset program, aligning with BIO HOTELS' sustainability values at the point of purchase.
• be-oh Marketing GmbHcoreOthersbe-oh Marketing GmbH (based in Ötztal-Bahnhof, Austria) manages the BIO HOTELS association's marketing, operations, and website management on behalf of the association. The company is a subsidiary of the BIO HOTELS association. It handles the association's marketing activities, press inquiries, member communications, and day-to-day operations including the phone and email customer service center.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Green Pearls: Green Pearls is a curated collection of sustainable hotels, resorts, and lodges across Europe and beyond with strict sustainability criteria — the closest direct analogue to BIO HOTELS' certified-organic hotel network and booking-portal model in the DACH/European market.
• Viabono: Viabono is a German umbrella brand for sustainable tourism labels that aggregates certified eco-friendly accommodations, hotels, and travel providers — directly comparable to BIO HOTELS as a Germany-based certification and discovery platform for sustainable stays.
• Bio Hotel Bayern: Bio Hotel Bayern is a regional association of certified organic hotels in Bavaria — comparable as a competing bio-hotel association, though narrower in geographic scope and overlapping in member hotel pool.

Regional players

• Fair Trade Tourism: Fair Trade Tourism is a South Africa-based certification and network for responsible tourism accommodations — comparable as a third-party-certified sustainable lodging network, though operating in a different geography and focused on fair-trade rather than organic certification.
• Green Hotels Association: Green Hotels Association is a US-based association of environmentally friendly hotels providing sustainability resources and marketing — comparable as a sustainable-hotel association, but primarily North American in scope and without BIO HOTELS' strict 100% organic certification.

Broad incumbents

• Relais & Châteaux: Relais & Châteaux is a large established global association of luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants — comparable as a curated, quality-certified hospitality association competing for premium leisure travelers, though broader in scope and not specifically focused on organic certification.
• Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas: Six Senses is an established luxury hospitality brand built around wellness, sustainability, and nature immersion — comparable to BIO HOTELS' premium wellness/nature positioning at the high end, though operating as a single branded chain rather than an association of independent owners.
• Booking.com (sustainable stays filter): Booking.com is the dominant global OTA that has introduced sustainability badges and filters for eco-labeled stays — a broad incumbent that increasingly competes for the same eco-conscious traveler BIO HOTELS targets via its direct portal.

Emerging players

• Healing Hotels of the World: Healing Hotels of the World is a global curated collection of holistic, wellness, and integrative-health hotels — directly comparable to BIO HOTELS' wellness/health sub-brands and overlapping member audience, though without the strict organic certification requirement.
• Naturhotel Association: Naturhotel associations across the Alpine region aggregate nature-immersive, often organic-leaning hotels — comparable to BIO HOTELS' Nature Hotels sub-brand, with overlapping member hotels and travelers but typically lighter certification standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/biohotels/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/biohotels
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bio-hotels
• Instagraminstagram.com/biohotels

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BIO HOTELS