WE ARE RESPONSIBLE
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE Sonnenburg
Locally orientated, environmentally friendly and fair – these are the ideals towards which we strive. Thanks to our love for nature, our desire to aspire to economic, ecological and social sustainability is a real no-brainer. We only have one planet, and it is well worth protecting. The Sonnenburg is poised at the start of a long journey. Every day we learn something new, embark on further developments and set ourselves increasingly higher standards and aims. In the process, we have already managed to achieve quite a lot.
“For me, sustainability is not so much a goal, but rather a process which is being continuously developed and refined”
Heike Wohlgenannt
Sustainability throughout the hotel
From the beginning, the Genuss- & Aktivhotel Sonnenburg was designed with sustainability in mind. Both in and outdoors, the use of local natural building materials such as wood and stone played a significant role in the design plans. Recycling was also high on the agenda with, for example, old timber from the original Sonnenburg barn being re-used to provide charismatic highlights throughout the hotel and in the modern room fittings. To avoid waste and to ensure that we only use the amount of energy we really need, our Sicotronic and Loxone energy management systems control the hotel’s usage on a daily basis. Our electricity supplier, the Energieversorgung Kleinwalsertal (EVK), has not only installed an e-charging station right outside the hotel, but also supplies us with electricity produced from 100% renewable energy sources. In the new building we have also installed a comprehensive heating control system by Egger, which ensures that energy use is sparing and expedient. Last but not least, our hotel cleaning agenda focuses on the exclusive use and correct dosage of ecological cleaning materials from Hollu.
OUR PARTNERS IN A NUTSHELL
Our rooms
In the rooms, the use of natural materials and efficient energy distribution are not the only benefits guests will enjoy. An additional feature in all rooms is a power control card, by means of which the electricity is automatically switched off whenever the card is removed. In the bathrooms, toiletries are provided in sustainable and refillable containers, instead of as small single-use cosmetics. And if you decide not to have your room serviced on a daily basis, that’s fine! Just let us know, and we will donate the money saved on cleaning to the Riezler Alpe park reforestation scheme.
Sustainability in the kitchen
Food products play a key role in the hotel and gastronomy trade, both with regard to where they are sourced and how they are prepared. Our approach is one of “quality before quantity” and, as a result, we always prioritise local, seasonal, high quality produce. As an official member of “United Against Waste” we have also declared war on waste, kept track on the amounts of food we use and implemented active measures to ensure that less is thrown away. Three things influence our choices when sourcing our food: we prefer working with a relatively small number of suppliers, all of whom offer top quality produce, and who are based no more than 50 km away from us. In this way, we can cover most of our requirements using locally sourced produce.
EXAMPLES OF OUR SUPPLIERS ARE:
- Our neighbour Ralf Rohner with his “Mahdtalhof” organic farm (beef and pork)
- Firma Rüf (Deer & more from the Kleinwalsertal)
- Adolf Baur (Meat from Allgäuer farms)
- Fritz drinks service
- Zötler private brewery
- Simply good - Herbert Edlinger (Everything to do with herbs)
- Local mushroom, berry and chive collecting specialists
- Products from our own garden
“We must learn to better appreciate the food we eat every day, look carefully at where it has been sourced, throw less of it away and consciously work with our environment. Good planning and well thought out menus help me to achieve exactly that in the Sonnenburg”
Max Nikolic, head chef
Local co-operation
But it’s not only with regard to food products that local partners play an important role. We like to work with local companies in a variety of contexts. Projects undertaken together entailing mutual co-operation are not just a source of satisfaction, but give all participants a chance to learn from each other and progress. So it’s a real win-win situation.
Our local partner companies:
- Trades: Firma Alt, EVK, Bensmann, Carpentry Ebert, Painter Schlegel, Joinery Ebert and Jack of all Trades – our neighbour Hannes
- Marketing: Sweet Chili
- Consulting: Martin Büchele
- Activity programme: Sport Kessler, Bergschule Kleinwalsertal, Walser Bike tours, 1. Private Skischule Kleinwalsertal, Riezlern Skischule, Skischule Seite Egg, Sarile, Sharron Hopely
We plant trees
Together with our partner Click A Tree we plant a tree for every booking we receive. By planting trees, Click A Tree takes an active stand against climate change, whilst also restoring habitat for threatened animal species and providing jobs and full-time employment for local communities in developing countries. So every booking you make benefits not only you but also the environment!