Upperud 9:9
We use many different methods to keep our environmental impact to a minimum at Upperud 9:9. Our offer is based around outdoor adventure tourism (walking, paddling, cycling) which has a low carbon footprint. When we make picnic food for our guests, we do it with the intention and invitation to enjoy nature and the small/simple things. Picnic lunches are therefore served in sustainable containers.
There are waste sorting bins close to the hotel, and information in the rooms on how we sort waste into paper, plastic, metal, returns/PET as well as compost and combustibles. Our cleaning products are environmentally friendly and refills in the accommodation area are stocked with Swedish produced organic sanitary products.
Although we are located in the countryside we encourage our guests to travel here on public transport. We have put together a “train package” with another hotel.
All our cut flowers and decorations are picked from the surrounding countryside. We grow herbs and a lot of our own shoots and sprouting seeds. In addition we harvest mushrooms, herbs and berries from the forests and land around us. We have also learnt a lot about fermentation so we can use up excess vegetables in season.
The buildings are heated geothermally by a lake water heat exchanger, and our company car is an electric vehicle.
To ensure that our business is good for both people in our local area and visitors we use local providers of bikes and canoes for our experiences. We buy ingredients (meat, vegetables and fish) from local suppliers and game direct from hunters. Instead of shopping at cash and carries or online we also buy most of the other things we need from neighbourhood food shops.
Upperud 9:9 is open all year for local residents, and we arrange music events aimed at that target group, among other things. Our function room is used frequently for local bookings and events.
We also think it’s important to find new opportunities to attract visitors outside high season, which is why we are working to make our venues more suitable for conferences and meetings all year round. Larger bookings like parties and weddings are preferably made after the peak season. We are also trying to create attractive activities after summer – we have for example plans to open a sauna for the winter season. In addition we package accommodation with local events, ours and others. Upperud 9:9 also functions as a setting for other operators, including the local Literature Association and Dalslands Konstmuseum. All these initiatives are done with the intention of creating more jobs. If we extend the season we also create more job opportunities.