Where sustainability is a tradition in life
Sustainability has always played an important role at the Alpin Hotel Masl, just as it does today.
The small grain mill on the Rio di Valles was part of the Masl farm and owned by the Messner family as far back as 1941. Electricity was not widely available in those days, so the mill was repurposed to use the energy from the ever-turning waterwheel to produce electricity. At the time, it gave enough power to supply half of all the households in Valles and was considered a valuable source of energy for the picturesque valley. Josef Messner (senior) modernised the hydropower plant in the grain mill in 1981. Today, exactly 80 years after it was founded, the power plant has yet again been adapted to keep pace with the state of the art. It now generates Co2-free electricity for the Alpin Hotel Masl – clean and ecological. The Alpin Hotel Masl also has other areas where sustainability is practised in addition to the hydropower plant.
In autumn 2022, a photovoltaic roof system with an output of 180 kWh was installed at the hotel and the adjacent Masl farm, which supplies the hotel and the associated charging stations for e-cars with sustainable electricity.
Dating back to 1997, the rooms of the Alpin Hotel Masl have been heated by the ‘Valles district heating plant’, one of the first district heating plants in South Tyrol. The energy supplied is obtained from wood, a natural raw material that comes from the region. Local wood was also one of the materials that was used during the various renovations and upgrades at the 4-star superior hotel. Fine timbers skilfully fashioned by South Tyrolean craftsmen who epitomise the highest standards of quality.
Fresh, crystal-clear mountain spring water flows from every tap in the hotel. This precious natural resource comes from our own spring. All guests of the Alpin Hotel Masl can drink the pure Valles spring water free of charge at the dining table (service charge), as well as in the rooms and the wellness area.
Once a week, we invite you to join us on ‘Masl’s journey through time’. Your hosts, the Messner family, take you on a tour of their farm, to the old grain mill and the hydropower plant.