We take care of the nature, the people, and the community that surrounds us.
Union Øye is a certified green hotel and a proud member of Miljøfyrtårn, the Eco-Lighthouse environmental organization.
Located in the small village of Øye on Norway’s west coast, the hotel is rooted in a rural community where local collaboration matters. Supporting nearby producers is a natural choice; ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible, and many of the flavors on the menu originate from regional suppliers with herbs, vegetables, mushrooms, and wild garlic often gathered from our own garden or the surrounding nature.
As a historic hotel, we see it as our responsibility to share and preserve cultural heritage. We do this by telling the stories that belong here, by maintaining our beautiful buildings, and by helping to safeguard the UNESCO-listed mountain farming culture.
For us, people come first. That is why we go the extra mile to ensure our employees thrive. We know that commuting can be demanding, so we offer staff housing here in Øye. In 2022, we built apartments to provide our employees with a comfortable place to live.
We want our staff to enjoy life both at work and in their free time. We facilitate moments of joy outside working hours, with access to equipment, use of the sauna, and shared Friday workouts. We want to contribute to a vibrant local community. That is why we invite both guests and locals to events such as Easter quizzes, barn festivities, and talks. For us, sustainability is also about connection and belonging. Union Øye has always been part of the village – and the village a part of us.
We have chosen to let the meadows between our buildings grow freely. This strengthens biodiversity in the surrounding area. We also limit machine use when maintaining the nearby woodland by letting goats graze along the forest edge and all guests are warmly welcome to visit them.
When the village flourishes, so do we. The nature that surrounds us is the very foundation of what we do, and therefore it is essential to take care of it. To reduce our environmental footprint, we have implemented several initiatives. One of these is sending leftover candle wax to Hamna 20, where it is turned into briquettes.
We are actively working to reduce food waste and therefore avoid large buffets. Leftovers from our small breakfast buffet are served to staff at lunch. We also have a strong focus on waste sorting – our housekeeping carts are equipped with dedicated sorting solutions, which staff follow up on daily.