DeepSummary
In this episode, Rosie Fletcher interviews Daniel Lauber, the founder of Cervo Mountain Resort in Zermatt, Switzerland. Daniel shares the journey of Cervo, starting with just 16 rooms in 2009 and evolving over the years to incorporate a sustainable and mindful approach. He emphasizes the importance of creating a space for people to gather, recharge, and have a great experience.
Daniel discusses Cervo's efforts to be environmentally conscious and reduce their carbon footprint, including using geothermal energy for heating and warm water and implementing a system to reuse the heat from wastewater. He also highlights the importance of involving the local community and sourcing locally as much as possible.
The conversation touches on the challenges faced by the hospitality industry, such as finding motivated staff and rising costs. Daniel shares his vision for the future, which includes continuing to be more mindful and sustainable, aiming for zero waste, and creating a community-like space for staff and others to live and work.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Cervo Mountain Resort has adopted a mindful and sustainable approach to hospitality, focusing on reducing its environmental impact and involving the local community.
- The resort has implemented innovative solutions to reduce energy consumption and reuse resources, such as geothermal heating and recycling wastewater heat.
- Creating a space for guests and staff to recharge, explore, and have memorable experiences is a core philosophy at Cervo.
- Sourcing locally and supporting the local community is an essential part of Cervo's approach.
- The hospitality industry faces challenges, such as finding motivated staff and rising costs, which can make it difficult to prioritize sustainability efforts.
- Daniel Lauber envisions a future for hospitality that is more mindful, sustainable, and focused on creating holistic experiences for people to simply "be" and explore themselves.
- Involving staff in sustainable practices and initiatives is crucial for creating a cohesive and motivated team.
- Sustainability and mindfulness should be integrated into the core operations of hospitality businesses, rather than being treated as a marketing gimmick.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I think when it comes to mindfulness, or also say with being somehow conscious what you do, I think that's very important.“ by Daniel Lauber
- “I think generally a lot of hotels are facing the challenge of finding qualified and motivated staff. I think that has a big change. The last couple years, probably since the pandemic, a lot of people left the industry, which maybe also should reflect why they did that.“ by Daniel Lauber
- “I definitely think it goes more and more into a mindful, sustainable journey that it's maybe not. As I said before, maybe not upfront. It's really crucial. And I think it goes even more into creating spaces where really people just can be, maybe, you know, having a really memorable time.“ by Daniel Lauber
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Episode Information
Conduit Conversations
Soho.Live Studios
4/25/23
As part of our series The Conduit has teamed up with the brilliant Design Hotels on a series spotlighting some amazing individuals who have created incredible, responsible places to stay around the world. For 30 years Design Hotels has been at the forefront of a movement in travel, by curating a global collection of independent, design-driven hotels that function as social hubs and spaces for purposeful experiences, connection and curiosity.
In this episode we are joined by Daniel Lauber, the creator of Cervo Mountain Resort in Zermatt, Switzerland. In a recent renovation, the hotel made adjustments to drastically lower its carbon footprint. Thanks to these efforts, a commitment to the local, and a dedication to “a mindful awareness of life,” the hotel was recently awarded Ibex Fairstay platinum certification.