MORE INFORMATION

Siting and design

Stone from the mountain, natural plastering. Rockwoll insulation. Wood (pine) from family owned sustainable forests, painted with beeswax or painted with organic colours. Location on the valley floor, height not intrusive, and extensions on family owned land.

The rooms

Multimedia

Towels not organic or fair trade - we have 90,000 bed nights says Maria - sometimes it is not practical. All natural treats - shampoo, soap etc., - from Pure Herbs (French company?). Not applicable to cleaning products.

Energy conservation

No solar - too risky - although will be integrated into latest extension. Intelligent lighting systems in lobbies by rooms and corridors. Low energy lighting systems in new part of the hotel.

Woodchip biomass boilers provide all heating of water - which is drawn from natural spring.

Over recent years, a energy management system used.

Heat pumps not used but in the new part of the hotel insulated pipes incorporated for using for heat pumps in the future.

Mains supplied power from renewable energy supplier - 50 of 150 rooms have in-room wood fires

Reducing waste

Waste compressed and taken away. On site composting and some taken away for pig feed by local farmer - more than 50 per cent recycling says hotel

Conserving water

No low flow taps or dual flush. Own bore, with water delivered by pressure, no pumps. Yes, rainwater harvesting used to cool rooms. Yes, grey water recycling

Conservation

No, no biodiversity. No conservation bar sustainable tree use. No interpretative facilites

Social responsibility

Ownership - in same family for 250 years, managed by father and mother who live on site. Local employment - 230 employees, all from the valley - we now how important it is, says Maria. Training - all staff trained on site

Economic benefit - huge! Also, €2 local village tax on each bed night goes to community facilities. Sourced locally - carpenter, engineer, electricians, gardener all employed. Wood cutting from private sawmill over the road

Food

Give the percentage of food sourceD from each category (note: `locally-produced' food is from within 50 miles of their property):

Locally-produced food from a small independent shop/supplier 16%

Certified organic food from a small independent shop/supplier 24%

Locally produced, certified organic food from a small independent shop / supplier 8%

Non-local/non-organic food from a small independent shop/supplier 15%

Locally-produced food from a supermarket chain/national supplier 18%

Certified organic food from a supermarket chain/national supplier NONE

Non-local/non-organic food from a supermarket chain/national supplier 12%

Home grown veg/home-reared meat/eggs 7%

Charitable giving - bore water sold for €1 a carafe in hotel - 10c goes to Karl Heinze Boehm Foundation which supports community projects in Ethiopa. Two charity events staged at hotel every year. Overall, €100,000 to charity every year.

Activities and transport

Yes, mountain bikes for hire for €15 a day. Yes, encourage guests to use bus to Kotzebue - but they don’t use it, says Maria. Concierge suggests but guests who come to a five-star don’t use a bus, she adds. Also provide free ski shuttles to the nearest lifts.

No alternative fuel vehicles - most bought a few years ago. But Dad, who has a 10 year old Mercedes is thinking of buying a hybrid.

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