Sustainability

How do you know if a hotel is sustainable?

Who does not know the little signs in hotels with notes like “We are a sustainable hotel. Therefore, for the sake of the environment, we ask you to use towels several times. ”Or the breakfast corner with 10% organic content and the promise that you have bought regional products for guests - without clearly showing where the food actually comes from and which route it takes have behind you. 

Is that enough to qualify as a sustainable hotel? In our opinion not. Because only those who think outside the box and constantly strive for higher can offer their guests a holistic, sustainable experience in the hotel.

We don't just want to talk, we also want to live this philosophy.

We are firmly convinced of the feasibility of our project, as it primarily makes a contribution to the environment (in the broader sense).

With the programs Cause we care, Swisstainable and ibex fairstay, the Hotel Continental Lausanne is committed to the continuous optimization of measures relating to sustainability. Read on to find out what we are already doing.

Our social commitment:

  • Equal wages for women and men for comparable work
  • We refrain from interim and on-call work that endanger employees or who do not respect the LGAV
  • Responsibility: Flat hierarchies to motivate employees to take on more responsibility. We believe that both guests and employees are happier when everyone is given maximum self-determination
  • Regional partnerships with regional activities (museums, public transport, ..), restaurants or producers
  • Continental Lausanne: Barrier-free access to our meeting rooms and hotel rooms

Our commitment to the environment:

  • Our hotels are always close to public transport to encourage guests to take advantage of them
  • We cooperate with the SBB and have the opportunity to issue tickets ourselves and make them available to our guests
  • CO2 reduction: Commitment with HotellerieSuisse to save fossil fuels and electricity, with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions for the period from 2013 to 2020 according to an agreement with the Swiss Confederation
  • If possible, we prefer large packs instead of individual pieces to dismantle packaging (soap, cleaning agents, breakfast products, ..)
  • Whenever possible, we work with large glass surfaces in our conversions to reduce the amount of electrical lighting
  • We use LED lamps in our hotels because they are currently the most environmentally friendly light sources
  • Our cleaning company "Enzler pro SA" is ISO 14001 certified
  • Cleaning of towels only at the guest's request, during the stay
  • Possibility for guests to cancel the cleaning and thus benefit from a price reduction
  • Separation of waste (compost, paper, aluminum, plastic, glass ...) wherever possible
  • Insulation of the facade to improve the heat and noise insulation and generally generous insulation of all structural elements
  • UV protective film on all windows and in all hotels of the group
  • Euler Basel / City Inn Basel: free charging for electric cars
  • Rooms do not need any energy when there are no guests
  • Promotion of tap water quality and use of water carafes instead of PET bottles
  • Processing of correspondence only electronically if possible

ibex fairstay: Certificate ibex fairstay - we obtained the Silver level

In collaboration with the hotel management school Vatel, several measures were taken and various sustainability certificates were analysed. We have chosen the Ibex Fairstay certificate and we are proud to have obtained the ibex fairstay Silver level.

ibex fairstay accompanies lodging companies on their way to a sustainable company management. Hotels and other forms of accommodation which surpass their responsibility for sustainable action will be rewarded. The integral support contains the five areas such as management, ecology, regionalism, social awareness and economic efficiency. With the help of a measure catalogue as well as supported calculations and analyses practical improvement possibilities are indicated. Depending on their sustainability performance, the companies are awarded different rating levels. The unique branch solution is recognised for the "Swisstainable Level III – leading" by the competence centre for sustainability (KONA) of the Swiss tourism federation (STV_FST).

Energy city of Lausanne

The "Cités de l'énergie" (energy cities) were launched in 2001 by the SuisseEnergie program with a view to creating a "platform for an intelligent energy policy". They promote the use of renewable energies, environmentally compatible mobility and sustainable use of resources. Lausanne is one of 313 energy cities in Switzerland.

European Energy Award Gold

The City of Lausanne was awarded the European Energy Award®Gold label for its commitment to a sustainable energy future. This label is awarded to the best "students" of the Swiss label "Cités de l'Energie". These cities have implemented at least 75% of the plan to which they have committed.