Italian spa resort "energized" by 100% green power

With its own power plant, a mountain water source, and various other ‘green’ initiatives in place, Hotel & Spa Rosa Alpina, located in the picturesque Dolomite mountains of Italy, has embraced a powerful eco-mindset for the long-term sustainability of its property and the surrounding environment.

“The Dolomites play a vital role in our hotel identity, so it is of utmost importance for us to work with the environment and not against it,” said Hugo Pizzinini, the hotel’s third generation owner and general manager.

The cornerstones of the hotel’s environmental efforts are hydroelectric power plants that the Pizzinini family, who own Rosa Alpina, had built – the first one in 1927 with only 18 kw of power and the newest one constructed in 2007 harnessing 1600 kw. In this 80-year span, the Pizzinini family has worked tirelessly to ensure that an increased amount of power could be generated for both the hotel and San Cassiano.

In 1959, Engelbert Pizzinini (first generation owner of Hotel Rosa Alpina) built a power plant that increased electronic power for 18 kw to 100 kw. Twenty-one years later in 1980, the capacity of the power plants was increased to 420 kw. From that moment, San Cassiano was supplied with electricity nearly year-round. Then, in 2007, the newest and most powerful plant was introduced providing 1600 kw. The power plant, the largest in the Alta Badia region under private ownership, currently provides 100 percent green power to the hotel as well as more than half of the village of San Cassiano.

“What distinguishes us is not only our unwavering commitment to our village but our success in working in harmony with the environment,” Pizzinini commented.

Other highlights of Hotel Rosa Alpina’s eco-friendly mindset include:

• Rosa Alpina taps into its own water source under the mountains. This water is used throughout the entire hotel including the restaurants and spa.
• The new hotel wing (which opened in January 2009) was built completely out of wood because wood needs less heat to keep it warm – amounting to a huge monetary savings over time (along with being more eco-friendly than if other materials were used).
• The hotel’s owners and staff collect hay and mountain flowers for use in the kitchen (for dishes such as Filet of Beef Wrapped in Hay) and the spa (incorporated into the Wild Flowers Body Wrap and Essential Flowers Body Scrub). Hugo and Ursula Pizzinini personally pick healing flowers called Arnica, which are used for massage oils and in a special body wrap to soothe sore muscles.
• Hotel Rosa Alpina follows a comprehensive trash recycling program for glass, paper and plastic.

“We’re proud of our ‘green’ accomplishments so far and expect to build on them for the future preservation of Rosa Alpina and our village of San Cassiano,” Pizzinini added.

About Hotel & Spa Rosa Alpina
Located in the village of San Cassiano in the Alta Badia region of the Italian Dolomites, the elegant 52-room Hotel & Spa Rosa Alpina is a striking and historic mountain retreat designed in harmony with nature. Owned by three generations of the Pizzinini family, Hotel Rosa Alpina is a member of Relais & Châteaux, Virtuoso, JDB Fine Hotels & Resorts, and the Andrew Harper
Collection.

For more information, visit www.rosalpina.it.