Sustainability - Our energy profile

SUSTAINABILITY: FIRMLY ESTABLISHED

Sustainability in all its facets has been the focus of the Hotel Hochschober since it was founded in 1929. In the family-run company in an exposed, alpine location, awareness of this has always been high. Because what one generation creates is the basis for the next generation.

The Hotel Hochschober was committed to the common good economy for several years and was the first hotel in Austria to draw up a common good balance sheet. It is one of the "Change Maker Hotels", a selection of hotels that develop mindful ideas for the travel of the future. In 2023, the Hotel Hochschober will develop its first Sustainable Development Index rating, a measuring instrument for sustainable management.

Environment and nature

• The hotel has been investing in increasing energy efficiency since 2022. The renewal of all heating and ventilation systems in 2022 reduces energy consumption by 20 percent per year and saves 380 tons of CO2. Photovoltaic systems provide additional electricity. Around 180 new windows and doors were installed in the parent company in 2023 for better insulation.
• The hotel has been getting its energy from the biomass heating plant on the Turracherhöhe since 1997.
• Current peak monitoring and main power switches in all rooms help to keep energy consumption low. An energy optimization system from EUDT, connected upstream of all devices, regulates and throttles power consumption (savings volume 10 percent).
• The cleaning products used on the floors and in the rooms are 95 percent biodegradable.
• Since 2015, the "Carinthian Alliance" entered into with the Hirter brewery and the logistics company Puik has saved around 250 truck trips to the Turracherhöhe every year. The logistics company supplies the Hotel Hochschober with almost all drinks and thus bundles the drinks deliveries.
• Waste avoidance and waste separation are regularly trained. Care is taken with the suppliers to use reusable instead of single-use containers. A garbage compactor compresses the residual waste.
• The breakfast buffet has done without disposable packaging for many years.
• The Hotel Hochschober purchases around 90 percent of its groceries from suppliers in the region or the immediate vicinity. About 40 percent of these are certified organic.
• For 10 years, the hotel has been offering vegan alternatives to the classic kitchen line. Behind this is a social mission (animal welfare, environment, health).
• The hotel obtains herbs and fruit from the garden that Barbara Leeb looks after in Millstatt.
• Under the motto #hochschobergoesgreen, an initiative to save plastic has been running for several years. For example, plastic drinking straws are no longer used. The hotel asks guests to bring their own slippers or to take the high-quality Hochschober slippers with them and use them again on the next visit.
• Lamps are gradually being switched to LEDs.
• The private property of the owner family secures green landscapes on the Turracherhöhe at the three lakes - and makes these natural areas accessible to the public.

Work & life

The basis of cooperation in the Hochschober is the "Golden Relationship Triangle", which defines successful relationships between guests, employees and the environment as the foundation of our actions. The option of a 4-day week or individual working time models, equality between men and women (generally and in terms of pay), intensive internal communication, comprehensive training and further education, transparency and co-determination ensure demonstrably excellent employee satisfaction. Internal transparency and grassroots democratic voting processes are central values ​​for the further development of the company and the employees.

• The Hotel Hochschober trains between 20 and 25 apprentices per year, making it the largest training company in the region.
• 58 percent of managers are female.
• People from 18 nations work in the Hochschober. Learning from each other and intercultural exchange play an important role.
• The cooperation of all employees defines a code of values ​​that everyone has worked out together.
• The Hochschober Employee Academy has been coordinating training and further education measures since 2003, and MAK 2.0 since its relaunch a few years ago. The program includes mandatory modules for all employees, subject-specific courses and individually tailored further training. Training and further education has been supported by the multilingual team app MAK 3.0 since 2023. In addition, the employees benefit from the training program of the Best Alpine Wellness Hotels.
• Since 2022, “bridging talks” with a social worker have been new for employees. She helps and advises when it is z. B. There are conflicts between colleagues when employees have problems with their families or with themselves. These supportive talks are free for employees.
• Another feel-good factor for the employees is the new and modernized accommodation that has been created in the last three years. All accommodations are within walking distance of the hotel, which in turn saves on car journeys.

Social

The Hotel Hochschober and the entrepreneurial family Leeb and Klein are closely connected to the region in many ways. This also includes regular support for non-profit organizations and local associations.

• For example, the SOS Children's Village Moosburg, the kindergarten, the elementary school and the local volunteer fire brigade are supported.
• As part of the cooperation with SOS Children's Villages, Diakonie Waiern and Caritas, integration apprentices from therapeutic residential units were taken on and trained several times. We also successfully cooperated with MAGDAS in Klagenfurt and an Afghan refugee did his apprenticeship with us.
• The owner family and employees have completed and are completing "bridging" assignments at various institutions.

Mobility

• Guests arriving by train travel to Predlitz-Turrach on the Styrian side or to Spittal/Drau on the Carinthian side. From there the hotel offers transfers in cooperation with a Carinthian taxi company (to be paid extra).
• There are also taxi transfers at special rates from Klagenfurt Airport to the Turracherhöhe.
• The hotel has 20 rental e-bikes available for guests (extra charge).
• There are 6 charging stations for e-cars.
• All employees who live in the hotel's own accommodation on the Turracherhöhe can reach the hotel on foot. This saves car journeys and parking space.
• The 40 percent of employees who commute from the valleys and cities every day carpool.