Plateau Pionier Hotel Daschil’s Bergland Seefeld – Familie Daschil

However, the transition to a sustainable all-inclusive offer was not that simple. "Guests expect everything in abundance with all-inclusive", says the hotelier. But this contradicts resource conservation. Therefore, Daschil decided on the concept of "Top Quality all-inclusive", without a buffet and with table service. In 2018, he joined the association "United against Waste" and developed a sophisticated plan with his kitchen team on how to further reduce food waste. "We often received feedback from our guests saying 'it was good, but too much'", he recalls. "As a result, we reduced portion sizes and introduced a voucher system." Standard eaters received a white voucher, strong eaters a blue one, weak ones a red one, and allergy sufferers a green one. "This eliminated excuses, and waste reduced by 50 percent." The next step occurred at the breakfast buffet. "We only refill it a maximum of twice; afterwards, there is table service." Finally, the introduction of a bi-weekly menu rotation allowed for more targeted purchasing and utilization of products.

The entry into the topic of sustainability for the Daschil family did not start with waste reduction and all-inclusive cuisine, but goes back a long way to the water revitalization according to Johann Grander. The host brought the idea from his training period in international hotels and had the then new technology installed in the family business he took over in 1993. "We were the first hotel to switch the entire water supply in the house to this system." In the beginning, primarily reactions from plants and animals were observed, but over time, positive feedback came from sensitive guests. However, more relevant in terms of business management and environmental technology were the effects in the wellness area, in the laundry room, and in hotel cleaning: "We were able to significantly reduce the chemicals in the swimming pool, in the laundry room, and in hotel cleaning without compromising on water quality and hygiene." says Daschil, who had the initially subjective impressions confirmed multiple times through objective testing methods from chemical manufacturers. "Of course, this made them less happy due to our now reduced purchase quantities of their products. But for us, it was the entry into a new world, into sustainability."

Following the surprising success of Grander, many steps were taken towards environmentally conscious living and business practices. They have been and are being made one after another. "We cannot achieve everything at once,” admits Daschil candidly. "But the most important thing is that we never stop taking small steps." The hotel garden has been guaranteed chemical-free for years, and all necessary renovation work is carried out exclusively with local materials and service providers. "Our wooden elements are made from Tyrolean larch, and the tiles in the Nordic Spa are made from local stones." Renovation does not always mean significant new investments; often, it occurs in small ways: Recently, the older windows in the house were resealed; new ones will only be installed when a larger renovation is necessary. This is also resource conservation.

Two years ago, the focus was also on resource conservation during the transition to an environmentally friendly energy source. Daschil opted for local district heating and a photovoltaic system on the roof. But that's not all. "We also rearranged the distribution within the house to save energy,” explains the hotelier. Because crucial for a sustainable change is not only the cleanly generated energy, but especially a significantly lower consumption. Thus, while Daschil naturally has a hybrid car, he much prefers to use a bicycle for short distances, encourages his guests to arrive by public transport, and simply does not provide parking spaces for his employees, so that they too come to work on foot or by bicycle.

In all his decisions, Daschil relies on communication, both with his staff and with his guests. "We regularly hold discussions with our employees so they can support our decisions and convey them to our guests. A bottle of good Austrian wine must be clearly sold as such. The value of homemade jam, Grander water, a garden cultivated without chemicals using local plants, and many other things must be highlighted, and people need to be made aware of it." This is exactly what Daschil hopes for from the Plateau Pioneers. "We are a unique community where everyone can learn from each other. Therefore, we should openly communicate and share new ideas without fear that someone else might gain an advantage from it. If we achieve this, we will create a whole new sense of WE for the entire region." Daschil believes this has great potential: "Starting from reviving local agriculture, shifting our mindsets to genuine, lived sustainability in all its facets."