Sustainability | Boutique Hotel Vienna
Sustainability is often reduced in hotels to a card about towels. That can be part of it, but it is not a strategy. For us, it is about concrete choices in our day-to-day operations: the energy we use, the food we buy, the products we choose and the suppliers we work with.
At The Guesthouse Vienna, this has been part of our thinking since we opened in 2013. We do not claim to be perfect. We continuously look at where we can use resources more consciously, reduce waste and work with products and suppliers whose standards we can trace and verify.
Energy – Electricity from 100% hydropower
Our hotel is heated with district heating, while our electricity is supplied by Wien Energie and comes from 100% hydropower. Our ventilation system also uses heat recovery: part of the waste heat is reused for heating in winter and cooling in summer.
Kitchen – from trusted sources
We aim to keep the journey from producer to plate as short as possible. We pay close attention to seasonality and the provenance of our ingredients and, wherever possible, work with products from organic farms and certified organic producers.
Our used cooking oil is collected by Münzer Bioindustrie and processed into biodiesel. Last year, we handed over more than 2,000 kg of used cooking oil – according to calculations by our partner, this corresponds to CO₂ savings of around 6,360 kg. You will not notice it at the table, but it counts.
Something we are particularly proud of is our own Guesthouse honey. Produced in collaboration with an Austrian beekeeper, it is served at breakfast and used in our kitchen. From the beehive to the plate, so to speak.
Packaging and products
Most products used in our kitchen and throughout the hotel are delivered in reusable packaging, helping us reduce single-use packaging in our day-to-day operations.
The toiletries in our rooms and public areas come from March, an Austrian manufacturer. The products we use are vegan, cruelty-free and made in Austria. We chose March for the quality of its products and its approach to production.
Bed linen, towels and laundry
We change bed linen and towels every two days. Daily changes are, of course, available on request. This helps reduce the use of water, energy and detergent without compromising on comfort. Our laundry partner is environmentally certified and operates in accordance with the requirements of its certification.
What sustainability means in a boutique hotel
With 39 rooms, we do not have a sustainability department. What we do have are short decision paths and the freedom to choose carefully: every supplier, every product, every investment.
We regularly review the products we use, the suppliers we work with and the way we operate. Where we see an opportunity to reduce waste, use fewer resources or work with clearly documented standards, we can act quickly – even when that choice comes at a higher cost.
We will not pretend that running a city hotel for international guests comes without an environmental impact. What we can do is keep questioning the way we operate and make concrete changes where they can reduce that impact. This approach has been part of The Guesthouse Vienna since we opened in 2013.
If you have questions or suggestions, we would genuinely be glad to hear from you at office@theguesthouse.at.
