Feel Green🌱 at Chalet Pinocchio
Welcome to Chalet Pinocchio, a place where you Feel At Home and Feel Green!
We truly want our guests to engage with each other, with us and with their surroundings so that they return home refreshed, revived and with perhaps more appreciation for the beautiful place in which we live and the need to keep it just as wonderful as it is.
When back in 2016 we decided to give life to Chalet Pinocchio, we had no doubt about constructing a green and energetically self sufficient wooden building, architecturally in harmony with the sorrounding nature.
In 2018 our dream became reality: we created our innovative wooden Chalet and chose RUBNERHAUS – leader in the wooden building sector and in the creation of healthy indoor climate – to achieve our goal!
In 2020 we decided to become part of GREEN TOURISM and join their sustainable tourism program.
And now more than ever, we want our guests to experience how wonderful it feels to actively contribute to respecting and enhancing the enviroment!
Below are our commitments to each principle and plans to further improve. We are custodians of our land. It is ours to enjoy for a short time and we fervently believe that it is our responsibility to do all we can to protect and improve it so that we pass it on in even better condition than we found it!
1. FEEL EFFICIENT
Zero Carbon – Efficient energy and renewable technologies
We are practically self sufficient in our energy production at Chalet Pinocchio: Our Solar PV array generates enough electricity to meet the electrical requirements of our low level LED lighting and single socket in each Suite, in all our common areas plus the fridges and freezers in the main kitchen and all appliances in our laundry room.
We use locally sourced electricity and gas from DOLOMITI ENERGIA, a local company that has been using a 100% renewable energy fuel mix since 2017.
The inside and outside lights at the Chalet have sensors so that they switch off automatically when there is no one inside and after certain hours, depending on the time of dawning and sunset.
The freezers and all main fridges and minibars are switched off when out of season.
Inroom Kitchenettes, wifi and all electrical devices (eg TV) are automatically switched off when keycard is not inserted in its reading slot.
We are planning to install more Solar Panels in a near future.
2. FEEL RRR
Zero Waste – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
To reduce packaging waste, we bulk buy cleaning materials and food.
We recycle all cardboard, plastic, tin, glass and paper and our garden waste makes compost for our kitchen garden.
We cook and bake most of the products we serve at breakfast, from slow raw material.
Most of the fruit, vegetables and the eggs that we serve are produced on site in our estate.
The drinks in each minibar are only glass bottled.
There are no plastic bottles nor cups in the Chalet.
Each room has a glass water bottle and glass and ceramic cups.
The only water we use is the tap water: a flow of precious drinkable water from Monte Baldo.
We try to make good use of everything we can: all wooden parques in the Chalet were made with the wood of our family wallnut arboretum.
The main automatic gate at the Chalet, was at first a banister of a private home terrace that underwent some restoration work.
3. FEEL ACTIVE
Sustainable Transport – Reducing carbon modes of transport and emissions
As Chalet Pinocchio is sited in a rural location, travel by car or bus is essential. To reduce the overall amount of car travel once guests are onsite we encourage guests to leave their car in the car park and walk to the nearest town passing by the beautiful path we specially created for our guest, through our estate, to minimise pollution and noise levels.
All our guests can benefit free intraregional transport (bus, train, ferry), thanks to the TGC, which is freely given and explained to each, during or prior checkin.
There is an onsite car charger in our car park, ready for our guests to use it, to support the use and spread of electric vehicles (cars and bikes).
The grass of our estate is cut with electric lawnmowers.
We also have a new Vespa, which allows guests to discover the beauties of our territory, consuming only little.
Last but not least, completely all our provisions are bought locally, thereby reducing the transport footprint of goods and services.
4.FEEL NATURAL
Sustainable Materials – sustainable and healthy products, locally sourced, made from renewable or waste resources
Chalet Pinocchio is committed to using local and upcycled materials. All tea and coffee is sourced from ethical suppliers, and beers and juices in minibars are locally brewed.
We use a range of natural cleaning products for all our cleaning and purchase in bulk from APE REGINA and ALMACABIO, all locally produced.
Chalet Pinocchio itself was all locally built and furnished within the Trentino South Tyrol beautiful region by local companies such as RUBNERHAUS, TONOLLI SOLUZIONI D’ARREDO and GOBBI SRL and local craftsmen.
All materials used for linen and furniture are natural (mainly wood, glass, wool, cotton and iron) and aren’t chemically treated.
5. FEEL TASTY
Local and Sustainable Food – Supporting sustainable and humane farming, promoting access to healthy, low impact, local, seasonal and organic diets and reducing food waste
We have a seasonal and local food menu, from which we choose for breakfast buffet and from which guests can choose for dinner.
We have developed a robust ethical food purchasing policy using local suppliers. We are totally committed to supporting the local economy. Here are some examples:
· All our cheeses are produced by local farmers in huts located in the Monte Baldo area.
· Our pies and pasties are ALWAYS HOMEMADE and daily fresh (so we try avoiding storing non essential in freezer) with MERANER flours
· Jams and chutneys are mainly homemade or LE DELIZIE DEL MONTE BALDO (produced by Azienda Agricola Passerini based in Brentonico).
· Milk and butter we serve are LATTE TRENTO or VIPITENO-STERZIG
· Coffee comes from PELLINI
· Soft drinks are all organic made by LE DELIZIE DEL MONTE BALDO, PFANNER and ZUEGG
· Beer is from South Tyrolean FORST brewery or other minor Trentino regional breweries
· Nuts, berries, wild apples, grapes, plums, pears, cherries, tomatoes, cucumbers…are all grown and picked in our estate, without the use of pesticides.
· The house Champagne along with the cellar range is supplied by GRIGOLETTI, DE TARCZAL, CADALORA, SPAGNOLLI, BONGIOVANNI and SONDELAITE.
· Our unique pralines are created only for us by EXQUISITA.
We encourage guests to buy from local farm shops or local Agriturismi and to eat in local pizzerias and restaurants rather than shop at big supermarket chains. We provide details upon checkin and during each stay, about nearest small authentic town shops in the area.
6. FEEL FRESH. QUENCH YOUR THIRST AND EARTH’S THIRST
Sustainable Water – Using water efficiently to avoid local issues.
To reduce water usage our loos have a half flush system and we offer showers rather than baths.
All our taps and shower heads are aerated, to minimize water consumptions.
Our gardens and kitchengarden, chestnut plants and our vineyard are watered by our irrigation system which draws water directly from our rainwater tanks.
Sewerage is dealt by our Municipal Environment Agency to minimize pollution.
7. FEEL NURTURED
Chalet Pinocchio and Wildlife – Protecting and restoring biodiversity and creating new natural habitats.
We take care of our 3 acres of land with natural water source, woods and meadows, vineyard and olive grove.
Before we built our Chalet, and as part of our planning application, we undertook an ecological assessment to ensure we were not going to negatively impact any endangered species.
We have vineyard walks and nature trails for guests to enjoy.
We sow wildflowers and bulbs around the Chalet and plant indigenous trees and shrubs.
We have a bug hotel, which has been gifted to us by one of our frequent guest (as well as a dear friend Marta, from Germany), for all children and adults to enjoy.
We have plans to extend the nature trail and provide more information about the wildlife surrounding Chalet Pinocchio and we will be planting many more grape and olive trees, as we are aiming to self produce our own organic oil and wine.
8. FEEL LOCAL
Equity & Local Economy – Supporting equity and diverse local employment and international fair trade.
We are part of an interdependent community. We buy local and support local businesses.
Every member of the Chalet Pinocchio team is local and we value them as both colleagues and friends.
We encourage our guests to see the local area, use local businesses for their adventures, buy their food locally, ideally from small independent shops and enjoy the culinary creations of our local bars, pizzerias and restaurants.
9. FEEL AUTHENTIC
Culture & Community – Respecting and reviving local identity, wisdom and culture.
We support a number of local charities and make annual donations to organisations that help protect the local environment including MATOGROSSO – MALGA PIAGU’.
We are always happy to make suggestions for local trips, such as to PARCO LOCALE DEL MONTE BALDO, considered the Garden of Europe for its florar variety, natural heritage (it will shortly become part of UNESCO heritage) and botanical Interest; with its enchanting views over Lake Garda and the Brenta Dolomites. Or to visiting the nearby towns of Rovereto and Torbole or the Island of Sant’Andrea located in the BIOTOPE OF LOPPIO, a zone of Special Scientific Interest.
10. FEEL HAPPY
Health & Happiness – promoting good health and well being.
The essence of Chalet Pinocchio is to provide a restorative and relaxing stay, coupled with the opportunity for outdoor adventures. To highlight this philosophy guests are given all they need to make their stay as comfortable as possible.
From a comfort perspective, the bathrooms house natural aromatherapy APEREGINA products while the beds have GALLIZIOLI Cotton bed linen, hypoallergenic duvets, pillows and mattress toppers, to ensure guests have the best night’s sleep possible. Guests can also choose one of our organic wool and cotton or lavander, or Arolla-pine pillows to make their night sleep the most comfortable experience ever.
Outdoor activities that promote health include mountain hiking, paragliding, windsurfing, kitesurfing and swimming at nearby Lake Garda, and MTB and E-Bike routes. We have a safe play area located in our garden to encourage children to spend more time outdoors. And Infinity Pool Area, Picnic areas, BBQ spot and garden loungers surely invite adults to enjoy staying outdoors as well, both in summer and winter time.
