In 2019, Lebenberg Schlosshotel was acquired by the Harisch Hotels Group, which already has a keen focus on sustainability. After the takeover, consideration was given to the direction in which the hotel should develop, and it was decided to embark directly on the certification process with the Austrian Eco-label for accommodation establishments.
Veronika Kuna, hotel director, and Milijana Trukulja, marketing manager, answered some questions about the process in February 2023 and allowed us a peek behind the scenes.
After an arduous year-long certification process, Lebenberg Schlosshotel Kitzbühel was awarded the Austrian Ecolabel in June 2022. The two women explain that before this could happen, adaptations had to be made in almost every area: service, reception, the kitchen and food supply of course, yet above all, in-house technology.
Challenges, adaptations and innovations
One of the biggest modifications to regulate and reduce electricity consumption at Lebenberg Schlosshotel, was the installation of energy-saving switches in all 150 rooms. This entails inserting the room card into the switch when entering, thus enabling power supply, thermostat regulation, etc. When leaving the room, the card is taken out again, which interrupts the power supply and any lights are automatically turned off after a few seconds.
Common areas also use energy-saving light bulbs, automatic dimming and timers, with a mix of electricity from renewable energy sources. Furthermore, cosmetic products in the rooms and wellness area were changed, waste separation was adapted and a new certified printing company was found.
“We aspire to play a pioneering role”
The hotel encountered challenges when it came to sourcing certified companies and suppliers. “This is not always easy in all sectors,” Veronika Kuna explains to us. With the hotel’s certification, new partner companies were also sought, such as a laundry, local wholesalers, etc., to accompany the hotel in the process and the future. Long-standing partnerships were also terminated if corresponding criteria for the products were not fulfilled, the hotel director tells us. What should also not be forgotten is the question of price for regional and local products, which are inevitably more expensive, although Lebenberg is happy to pay for high-quality goods.
With this conscious hotel concept, Lebenberg Schlosshotel aspires to play a pioneering role and thus also influence the immediate environment: igniting suppliers’ awareness that the need for sustainable products is both present and required.
