Challenges & changes
The biggest challenge in the certification process for Hotel & Wirtshaus Post was time management. Many figures, data and facts on the individual requirements were already available due to the conversion, but much technical data, e.g. electricity and water consumption, thermal insulation, had to be established. Something that proved to be more complicated than expected.
A significant change was made in the hotel’s cosmetic products. The hotel has a unique and traditional Tyrolean partner in the form of Walde Seife, one of the oldest soap manufacturers in Austria.
An important adjustment, which always happens in the background and is a significant cost factor (around 20-30 % additional costs), is the matter of cleaning agents. Here, they switched to an eco-product line and set new standards for cleaning management together with the staff.
Furthermore, waste separation systems in the hotel rooms were taken into consideration. The decision was finally made in favour of waste separation stations on the separate floors, which simplify separation for everyone involved and are well received by the guests. Likewise, the gas-powered radiator heaters in the outdoor area were replaced by electric heating pads with rechargeable batteries.
“So, we can’t profess to being sacrosanct. We are always going to emit CO₂ somewhere, but we certainly are better than average, I do believe that, and this also needs to be demonstrated and communicated,” says Maximilian Blumschein.
Seafood is completely avoided in the kitchen, an in-house creation of surf and turf is available using regional char filet, 100 % free-range eggs are used and a cooperation has been fostered with Brunnhof in St. Johann, which runs its own cattle farm. Fine cuts are sold in their own “Postmarkt” delicatessen, which mainly stocks products from the region, Tirol and Italy, and second cuts are processed in the restaurant. Unavoidable imports are kept to a minimum, as coffee and cocoa, for example, are unfortunately not yet grown in Europe.