This week interview is about the boutique hotel Stadthalle in Vienna. This hotel has recently won several awards and we are really proud to count it as a part of our selection, thanks to its ecologic engagement.
What is your name and what is your role in the hotel?
Michaela Reitterer – Owner
When did the hotel open? Tell us more about it’s history please!
The building is a historical Viennese apartment house from 1890. Step by step it was converted to a hotel. In 2001 I bought it and changed it into the Boutiquehotel Stadthalle.
All rooms were completely renovated at the beginning of 2009. We created a beautiful garden and our famous lavender roof on a new garden building.
When is the refurbishment planned to be finished?
The refurbishment will be finished at the end of this month – November 2009, when we are planning a soft opening. The press conference will take place on November 26th. The big opening party is being organised for January 2010.
Did you work together with a specific designer for the hotel?
No, we preferred to furnish and decorate the hotel ourselves. We had an excellent co-operation with our architect, Heinrich Trimmel, who specialises in colours and light.
What makes your hotel unique and special? Please tell us more about the “green attitude” that you have?
It is a cosy Boutique hotel with an annex that is the world’s first zero-energy-balance hotel. Energy from water-heat pumps, photovoltaic solar power plant, solar panel and 3 wind turbines ensure a comfortable atmosphere while leaving no CO2 foot print. We are the leading sustainable city hotel in Europe.
An interview about the hotel and the environmental aspect (In German).
One other outstanding feature is the beautiful serene green garden which gives the Boutique hotel a unique hideaway admidst a cosmopolitan city.
Did you receive any environmental awards for your work?
- 2008 the Austrian Eco Label for the 4th time
- 2008 the European Eco Label for the 1st time
- the Environment Award by the City of Vienna in 2009
- awarded with the Sustainability Award of the European Union
- en route to the 1st “zero energy balance” hotel
- We applied for the Austrian State Price for Tourism (topic: sustainability and responsibility for the environment)
What is the most unusual thing that happened in your hotel related to your green attitude?
In the lavender roof you can enjoy the sounds of the crickets and grasshoppers singing during the warm summer evenings. It is really unusual to find this in the city centre - nobody expects it at all!
The crickets and grasshoppers return every year, and even we do not why or where they come from – they are only in our garden, nowhere else in the area. We assume they feel happy in the lavender roof. Sometimes they can be quite noisy and so some guests call the front desk at night and ask us to turn down the CD player with the singing of the grasshoppers!
If I were to stay in your hotel, what would be the most memorable part of my day? Why are your customers satisfied and returning to your property again?
In summer you would start your day with a delicious breakfast in the garden. In the afternoon, you would enjoy espresso, tea or a refreshing drink in our green oasis. I think our guests are happy because they feel very welcome here and enjoy the friendly atmosphere in the hotel.
Could you tell us about the area around the hotel? What is there to visit?
Our family run hideaway is a perfect place to stay in Vienna as it is close to the largest shopping boulevard Mariahilferstrasse, to Schönbrunn Castle and to the main train station. It is also within walking distance to the “Spittelberg” with its typical Viennese restaurants and the underground U3 with direct connection to the city centre (5 stops).
Thanks for your time Michaela and all the best with the new launch!
If you want to follow the adventures of the Stadhalle Wien, have a look at their blog. (In German)
