Set in the Oberbort area of Gstaad with the majestic snow-dusted Swiss Alps towering in the backdrop, The Alpina Gstaad brings together first-class dining with exceptional facilities and sublime service, all tied together with a sustainability-focused vision. Regarded as one of the region’s most superb hotels, this 56-key Alpine retreat has been ahead of the curve in sustainable practices since it opened its doors a decade ago. Built by local craftsmen using recycled materials and locally sourced indigenous wood and stone, the property honours its locale and the natural environment at every turn.
From the outside in, the dedication to sustainability sees no end – the hotel is powered with a mix of ecological sources, and reduces yearly consumption through hydroelectric strategies, central heating generated from the Saanen community plant fueled by wood chips, sensor-driven air conditioning and heating systems and pools partially heated with reclaimed energy. Throughout the hotel, it aims to reduce plastic waste by encouraging recycling, using glass water bottles, minimising plastic use in the kitchens and opting for felt slippers in the rooms. To ensure that it upholds the highest standards of sustainable practice, The Alpina Gstaad also works closely with two industry-leading organizations, EarthCheck and NOW.
NOW, a global community spearheading a force for good for people and the planet, promotes accountable travel and its transparency. As part of this organisation, The Alpina Gstaad joins an inspiring collection of properties that provide sustainable travel experiences and take responsibility for their impact on communities and the environment. Taking it a step further, the hotel also provides concrete evidence of its sustainability efforts through annual independent audits by EarthCheck, the world’s leading scientific travel and tourism certification and advisory group. The Alpina Gstaad was awarded a silver certification from the organisation in 2017. In January 2022, The Alpina Gstaad was upgraded to a gold certification, the only company in Switzerland to receive this honour. This is an incredible achievement that spotlights the hotel’s ongoing 5-year commitment to a holistic sustainability approach, supported by rigorous assessments and external audits.
The hotel’s unwavering devotion to the health of people and Mother Earth has also seen it gain numerous laudations, including being named the no. 1 sustainable 5-star hotel in Switzerland by NZZ am Sonntag and the no. 1 holiday hotel nationwide by BILANZ in 2021.
FOUR sits down with the hotel’s General Manager Tim Weiland to find out more about The Alpina Gstaad’s stellar offerings and sustainable outlook.
What does luxury mean to you and your team, and how is this incorporated into guests’ experience at The Alpina Gstaad?
Luxury is the ability to take time: time to understand and enjoy the experience from start to finish, to stop and smell the roses, to understand the nature of things deeply and holistically. It also means to revel in the world’s beauty and cultivate personal contacts for the good of others.
What are the main aspects of the hotel that make it stand out against others in Gstaad?
The effortless amalgamation of art, nature, architecture and heartfelt hospitality coupled with environmental and social awareness
Tell us more about Gstaad through your eyes – what are the truly special aspects of the area that make it a must-visit destination?
The beauty of Gstaad is the pleasant pace of life. Time seems to have stopped here. While we seamlessly embrace technology and innovation, nature remains our source of motivation.
What do you think it is about the hotel that makes guests come back time after time?
It is home, it is discreet, and it is a sanctuary for many who seek to reconnect with themselves and reset for what lies ahead.
What emotions and memories do you hope guests will leave the hotel with, and how do you and the team foster this?
We hope they leave feeling refreshed, energized and inspired as they return to their place of residence. We weave in small but meaningful experiences and information that, together with our serene atmosphere, create a source of inspiration for them.
Sustainability is important to the hotel – can you share why this is important and give us details on some of the hotel’s sustainable practices?
We feel privileged to be able to call Gstaad, the Saanenland, home. At The Alpina Gstaad, we would like to share this unique platform that we have created with all travellers – both local and international, friends and family. We aim to plant a seed that will spark a call to action – each in their own way, according to what they feel compelled to do. All while being non-invasive.
Guests only see a small fraction of all of our sustainable practices. A lot is happening in the background. Ultimately, we strive to create awareness by educating our hosts (front and back of the house) about recycling and rearranging the kitchen procedures to ban vacuum plastic bags completely – this leads us to save over 1000kg of plastic waste per season. More evident are our complimentary local transfers by our Tesla fleet and our electric vehicle charging stations. In summer, our guests can experience the workshop around The Alpina Gstaad Bees, conducted by our local beekeeper. In the rooms, our guests may cuddle and warm up with one of our amenities, which has now become a best practice – we banished the common hotel slippers (largely made of plastic) and replaced them with plastic-free felt slippers. Not only are they more sustainable and comfortable – they are the perfect souvenir to take home while extending the product life cycle.
The hotel’s design incorporates local and recycled materials – tell us more about what materials are used and why?
We chose to go local to celebrate the abundance of the Saanenland and the local architecture while offering support to local businesses. The main materials used are Ringgenberg, a brown natural limestone that comes from a small quarry in the region, original firwood from Swiss farmhouses that are hundreds of years old (some over 300 years old) and quartz.
Tell us more about the EarthCheck certification and its significance to the hotel?
EarthCheck brings the knowledge and experience of sustainable progress and the world’s leading scientific benchmarking background in the travel and tourism industry for over 30 years to our table. They not only advise us and certify us but send us an independent auditor every year and encourage us to keep the path of improvements that are good for the planet. EarthCheck keeps us on track for a holistic sustainability approach to measure our status and act from different angles.
How do you see the future of the hospitality industry, and how does sustainability factor into this?
Sustainability has sometimes been misused as an expression, but we will continue to focus on awareness and mindfulness for people and the planet. This is, and will continue to be, an integral part of any business in the future. Travellers are now choosing where to travel and stay based on the environmental and social impact their trip has on a destination. On the other hand, travellers are looking for places that are filled with inspiration so they may go back home with a sense of calling to care for people and the planet within their own realities.
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To find out more, visit The Alpina Gstaad’s website. The hotel’s winter season runs from 10 December 2021 to 13 March 2022, click here to book. Not to be missed this season is the Tibetan Healing Retreat, find out more about this here.