I am responsible for maintenance, repairs, planning, and security at The Alpina Gstaad. One of the most important aspects of my job is being able to efficiently interconnect these different areas to align with the hotel’s standards of excellence. I always say: as a technical director, you can do everything — but nothing perfectly. 

We are a team of five employees who keep the hotel running all year round with a 24-hour on-call service. We work very closely with all departments, like with Food & Beverage to repair kitchen appliances or with Housekeeping who notify us if anything is out of order like scratched walls. 

One guest requested a four-metre-high Christmas tree in his suite. The tree could only be flown in by helicopter. It felt unsustainable to book a flight just for this, so I asked a helicopter company if they had any test flights scheduled. They did, so the pilot was able to transport the tree directly to the guest’s balcony - and got paid for it.  

Although the hotel’s technical side is not visible to our guests, that does not diminish its importance. It is essential that all the installations – like air conditioning, heating, and water filtration systems – operate flawlessly so that our guests enjoy a seamless stay.

We have been EarthCheck certified for many years. Sustainability in five-star hospitality is not easy, but we owe it to our environment to find the best possible solutions. For example, we have a large power generator in case there is a power outage. I am required to run it once a month, but this felt wasteful to me. So, I negotiated an agreement with our electricity provider to perform this test run. This is more efficient and eco-friendly, plus we receive compensation in return.