Sustainable Hotels Switzerland
Good Ideas from People for People
The STEINENSCHANZE Charming City & Garden Hotel is centrally located in Basel, an important advantage for all city visitors. What many do not know, however, is that the house at Steinengraben 69 also pursues – in addition to its function as a wellness address and individual three-star Swiss Boutique Hotel – many ideas that particularly represent sustainable hotels in Switzerland. Our non-profit approach can also inspire many sustainable hotels in Switzerland (and beyond its borders) and generally serve an individual and responsible coexistence.
"ibex fairstay" in the standard "gold"
ibex fairstay supports and certifies accommodation businesses on their path to sustainable management. The holistic support includes the five dimensions of management, ecology, regionality, social aspects, and finance. Based on a catalogue of measures as well as supported calculations and analyses, practical improvement opportunities are highlighted.
- Quality of Management
Sustainability must be consciously anchored in management. The internal structures and processes are adjusted accordingly: employee management, internal organisation, controlling, guest orientation, innovation. - Ecology – careful handling of resources
We care deeply about the careful handling of resources. Therefore, we pay attention to environmental compatibility and savings opportunities in energy, water, waste, purchasing, furnishings, and surroundings. - Regional Anchoring
The value creation should remain as much as possible in the region and strengthen it. This creates jobs, supports local customs, reduces transport distances, and fosters enthusiasm for regional specialties and uniqueness. - Social Balance
Guests and employees should feel comfortable. We ensure that the framework conditions are consistent for everyone: consideration of guest wishes, fair and supportive working conditions for employees, inclusion of suppliers, harmony with the local population, accessibility. - Finance and Performance
Only a financially healthy business can operate sustainably and secure jobs. Therefore, we place a strong emphasis on revenue, performance, cost control, investments, risk management, as well as guest and employee satisfaction.
Over 100 hotels, hostels, and clinics across Switzerland proudly carry the ibex fairstay label. They have been inspected by accredited auditors and evaluated by the independent certification committee. Depending on their sustainability performance, businesses are awarded ibex fairstay bronze, silver, gold, or platinum.
Social Engagement with History
Essentially, our Hotel Steinenschanze is a private hotel run on economic principles. It is owned by the association "COMPAGNA bewegt Menschen", section Basel – an association with a social commitment that was founded about 125 years ago, initially under the name "Freundinnen junger Mädchen", and is involved in various social and integrative projects in the city of Basel. In a long tradition, the hotel was previously operated as a girls' boarding house and was used solely by the association. Over the last 40 years, it has gradually been converted into a hotel and transformed into the modern and charming STEINENSCHANZE Charming City & Garden Hotel that we know today through extensive renovation work.
Our hotel operation is designed to ensure the work of this association and its social commitment. In addition to donations and membership fees, the hospitality sector secures the maintenance of the COMPAGNA projects, the associated expenses, as well as operating costs and salaries of the staff. The association currently maintains the social work in Basel:
- SOS Bahnhofshilfe at the train station
The association is organized and led by 8 board members, all of whom work exclusively on a voluntary basis.
Sustainable and ecological hotel with a view
What guides us
Our hospitality is characterised by the fact that we offer every guest, regardless of their nationality, a place where they can feel secure on their way to their destination. We achieve this by ensuring that all our employees agree with and act according to our mission of a sustainable hotel in Switzerland. The mission serves as the qualitative benchmark for everything we want to achieve together – and it is also the common denominator for everyone working for the hotel: from the temporary staff to the management.
Organic is important to us at the hotel in Basel
Regionality in Focus
The terms Bio Hotel Switzerland and Eco-Hotel Switzerland are, as a sustainably operating gastronomic business – in accordance with the quality standards prevailing here – naturally always a high benchmark. And that's a good thing! We do a lot to operate sustainably and pursue ecologically valuable ideas and approaches. What is essential to our daily activities includes:
- We support and maintain contact with our regional partners, such as craftsmen and suppliers. Regional thinking is also cross-border: In neighbouring Germany, we work trustfully with ecologically operating partners from the Markgräfler Land. Our linen and mattress supplies come from Bern.
- For food, we avoid long transport routes by trying to use predominantly Swiss products.
- In the area of cleaning, we use products that are environmentally friendly as far as possible.
- We adhere strictly to our waste separation.