Valsana Hotel Arosa

Situated in the heart of Arosa, this fabulous hotel perfectly combines Swiss Alpine and modern design. General Manager Claudio Laager provides insight into the hotel's unique services and sustainability initiatives in this exclusive interview.

Q: Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the architecture and interior design of the Valsana Hotel?
The architecture and interior design are an interpretation of the forest and the surrounding nature, while also using the latest technological innovations to minimise the hotel’s impact on the environment. The interior design is made by Carlo Rampazzi, a renow designer from Ascona, Ticino. It is a mountain chic interior, cosy muted tones with Alpine touches set a relaxed atmosphere. Natural materials pay homage to the rugged landscape.

Q: What distinguishes the Valsana from other hotels, in your opinion?

The Valsana is the most sustainable hotel of The Tschuggen Collection and was built in 2017 as one of the most sustainable hotel buildings in Switzerland.

With the construction of the Valsana, we have created a hotel for the future. A hotel that focuses on sustainability and produces virtually no CO2 emissions. We achieved this by using an ice battery that heats the entire building without any fossil fuels. Besides this sustainability aspect, the Valsana is the perfect place for explorers – be it while hiking around the Arosa mountains during summer or discovering the white slopes and snow-covered valleys in winter.

Q: The hotel's use of an "ice battery" is an innovative way of generating power. Can you explain how this technology works?
A central element of the sustainable processes at the Valsana Hotel is the hotel’s ice battery. This incredibly innovative temperature converter is used to power the hotel. Coupled with a sophisticated heat recovery system, the Valsana does not need oil or electric heating.

The three hotel buildings are heated using the hotel’s own heat recovery system and geothermal probes, which feed into a large latent heat storage unit (the ice battery). Heat pumps draw their energy directly from this unit, which looks a bit like a large water tank. The tank holds 860,000 litres of water. Four hundred metres of internal pipes 1.5 m high were installed in this large basin, with a water-glycol mixture flowing through the pipes. This is connected to the heat pump circuit. When the heat pumps extract a large amount of energy, the water in the pipes freezes to form an ice block. The waste heat from all heat recovery systems is fed back into the water tank to thaw the ice. If more waste heat is generated than energy withdrawn, the ice melts and the water heats up to 16°C. The water can then be cooled again and the heat used.

Q: The Valsana is Switzerland's first hotel to be heated using geothermal probes and an ice battery. Can you provide more details on the hotel's sustainability initiatives?

Together with our staff, we live and breathe sustainability and incorporate it on a daily basis in the Valsana Hotel. For us, ecologically sustainable business is a matter of course. In choosing the Green Globe standard, we have opted to participate in a globally recognised certification programme. The Green Globe is awarded to companies in the tourism and events industries whose corporate approach targets the respectful and economical use of resources.

At the restaurant Twist the main focus is on regional food with a contemporary touch and menus that include healthy alternatives. We offer creatively designed rooms that make the journey worthwhile and stays in fascinating natural settings, enriched by intentionally sustainable enjoyment. For example, every bed has a 100% natural Elky Natur mattress (www.elky-natuerlich.at). Also, besides the waste water recovery through our ice battery, our suppliers are from Switzerland where possible to avoid unnecessary transport distances, We serve pre-mium quality Arosa water in all the Valsana Hotel restaurants on request. We also fill this water into glass bottles for our guests, which means we do not have to purchase water separately. There are no plastic straws used anywhere in the hotel neither are ballpoint pens, instead we use pencils to reduce the use of plastic. To save energy, many of the lights in the hotel's corridors and vestibules react to motion sensors. All light fittings in the hotel are particularly energy-saving LED lights.

However, sustainability goes much further than this and is lived out and implemented by our employees at the Valsana every single day.

Q: The hotel offers a range of wellness and sports facilities. Can you tell us more about activities and programs available to guests?
At the Valsana Hotel is a lot to explore. Especially when joining the curated adventures and empowering expeditions named Moving Mountains, the holistic lifestyle program of all Tschuggen Collection hotels. PLAY means immersion in nature. But also, immersion in culture. Experiences, created to make our Arosa even more experiential. The activities are free of charge as part of our weekly program and can also be booked on an individual basis for an extra charge. These experiences include for example cooking classes, going ice bathing, kneipping in an icy river or going on the trail of the ibex and cham- ois and doing a torchlight hike. These activities are updated every season.

Q: What makes Arosa a unique resort to you?

Arosa enchants all who visit it with breathtaking mountains and unspoilt nature. As Arosa is the last village in the valley, it is like a terminus. You arrive up here and consciously stay in this beautiful place of peace and relaxation.

Q: Lastly, please tell us about your personal journey as the General Manager of Valsana Hotel.
I started my career in Chur with a Master's degree in Tourism & Hotel Management. Many stations, including Canada where I discovered my love of nature, have brought me via the renowned Badrutt's Palace in St. Moritz to the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa.

There, as vice general manager and F&B manager, I was involved in the creation of Moving Mountains and the PLAY activities, among other things as a passionate hunter and collector. In 2021, I was then able to take over the management of the beautiful Valsana Hotel here in Arosa.

The Valsana Hotel stands as a testament to the seamless integration of sustainable innovation and luxury hospitality. Whether you're passionate about sustainable living, seeking an immersive nature experience, or simply looking for a luxurious getaway, the Valsana Hotel in Arosa is an ideal choice. Book your stay today and become part of a movement that values both comfort and the planet.