A new hotel set to open in Arosa, Switzerland next week will be the first in Switzerland to be heated by geothermal probes and an ultra-modern ice-battery.
Owned by the Tschuggen Hotel Group, which also operates famous hotels including the Tschuggen Grand with its private funicular link to Arosa’s ski slopes, and the Carlton in St Moritz, the Valsana Hotel will open on 7th December, 2017.
According to the company, the ice battery is an autonomous energy recovery system which draws waste heat energy from everyday devices such as kitchen appliances and air conditioning units into an 850m3 water tank which contains a 400m register of pipes.
The network of pipes contains a water-glycol solution which flow through the building, absorbing excess energy through an extraction heat exchanger. This heat energy is then channelled into the water tank. The energy leaves the system through heat pumps. As heat energy leaves the system, the water temperature in the tank drops allowing an ice block to form around the tank’s pipes. The combined effect of freezing and thawing recovers high amounts of latent energy and produces zero emissions.
The Valsana is located just steps from the main cable car at an altitude of 1800 metres and has easy ski in access to the 225km of piste in the Arosa – Lenzerheide ski region.
The hotel is spread across three new buildings with 40 spacious double rooms and suites, nine serviced apartments and open plan public areas.
“Interiors by the vibrant Swiss designer Carlo Rampazzi create a subtle blend of styles that reflect the alpine landscape and a relaxed atmosphere with vintage record players in the rooms, hammocks on the balconies and weekly film nights,” a company spokesperson said.
The hotel also has two indoor tennis courts, a high-tech fitness studio, extensive spa facilities and a bike and ski shop.
