The award-winning foreign-run hotels in rural Malaga province

Cómpeta in the Axarquía area of Malaga province has been attracting foreign buyers and holidaymakers for decades so it is not surprising that some of the mountain town's holiday accommodation is run by foreign residents. Now two of those properties have received international awards for sustainability, in the case of Málaga Hills Boutique & Wellness Eco-Hotel and Almijara Residence has been voted one of the 'best of the best' by Tripadvisor for five consecutive years.

The former was awarded the international Green Key label in June. It is a leading standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainability in the tourism industry. According to the Green Key website, the recognition “assures guests that, by choosing to stay with a Green Key establishment they are helping make a difference for the environment. The high environmental standards expected of these establishments are maintained through rigorous documentation and frequent audits.”

Hotels, hostels, small accommodation, campsites, holiday parks, conference centres, restaurants and attractions are all eligible for the Green Key label, as long as they meet their strict environmental criteria. It looks at aspects including energy and water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, responsible sourcing, guest awareness and education and carbon footprint management.

As a small, independent hotel with just a few rooms, Dutch owners of Málaga Hills, Vréneli and Rudolf Stadelmaier said on receiving the recognition, “We believe that sustainability is not just for the big players. On the contrary, small hotels like ours, embedded in nature and local culture, have a duty to lead by example.”

Sustainable, responsible tourism is becoming more important to travellers. According to a 2023 Booking.com sustainable travel report, 76% of travellers look for more sustainable travel options, while around 49% say that they would be more likely to book a hotel with a sustainability certificate.

Vréneli and Rudolf say that sustainability is “deeply personal” and add, “We are parents and grandparents and frankly we feel ashamed that our generation has contributed so much to the destruction of this planet. We see the consequences of climate change every single day. Not in the abstract, but right here, in our own lives.”

They are deeply aware of the impact that the recent drought has had on the south of Spain ahd Rudolf worked on environmental protection projects back in the Netherlands when he led public campaigns for the government, under the “now iconic” slogan: ‘Een beter milieu begint bij jezelf’ (A better environment starts with you). They say, “We bring that same spirit into our hotel today.”

In fact, in 2024 Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen spent a week’s holiday in the hotel with her husband, Danish filmmaker Bo Tengberg. As it was a private holiday, the details were only shared after the couple had left.

The hotel has also won the Tripadvisor Travelers Choice Award for 2025, as have Almijara Residence, a small boutique hotel in Cómpeta town centre run by Paul Tilly and Maurice Jonker. Since appearing in The Times British newspaper in 2019, the couple have won countless awards including Kayak award for best B&B Spain; Luxlife International Resorts and Retreats awards for best in Andalucía, and TripAdvisor Best of the Best -Top one per cent of places worldwide to stay for five consecutive years and Paul and Maurice have recently heard that they have won again for 2025.

Paul is a Zimbabwean-born Irish citizen and Maurice is originally from South Africa. The interior of the property has been renovated and designed with South African and Zimbabwean themes which they say, “reflect our heritage, helping us stay relevant and to differentiate ourselves”.

The couple are very involved in the local community and in fact Maurice was elected as a councillor for residents and the elderly in 2023. They are both actively involved in animal welfare and are part of a registered animal charity called Project Todo Ayuda. Maurice is also Chair of OrgulloCompetaPride.

They have lived in Cómpeta for eight years and say they “opened the B&B with the intention of it helping settle into a new community”. They both enjoy meeting people and feel they have “found home and have settled into a very international Spanish village”.

With a year-round programme of cultural and traditional events including Día del Vino, which celebrates the town's grape harvest on 15 August and the annual art walk which showcases the wealth of international artists and creators in the area, LGTB+ Pride events every June, Holy Week and many more in between, there is always something to do in Cómpeta.

Hikers are also attracted to the town thanks to its wide range of walking options in the Almijara mountains, which include Malaga province's highest peak, La Maroma, at 2,068 metres above sea level.