How Black Forest Hospitality uses better.energy to reduce heating costs, delight guests and bring sustainability to life
At stuub, sustainability is not just a marketing term but a promise. The Black Forest Hospitality GmbH brand, based in the Black Forest, stands for modern hotel comfort, a connection to the region and a digital guest experience. Sustainability plays a central role in this.
Since stuub’s inception in 2019, sustainability has been an integral part of the company’s philosophy and is far more than just lip service. “The stuub brand is committed to sustainability,” explains Evert Schüle, Managing Director of Black Forest Hospitality. This commitment not only ensures a strong local presence but also results in a positive energy efficiency record.
But how do you integrate this philosophy into a portfolio of various existing properties? In this case study, Evert Schüle, Managing Director of Black Forest Hospitality, provides an insight into how he manages to combine energy efficiency and comfort in his properties. We spoke to him about better.energy by Betterspace, the smart radiator control system that works without major refurbishment and can be scaled perfectly.
About stuub and Black Forest Hospitality
The stuub brand stands for authentic hospitality with a digital twist. Black Forest Hospitality GmbH brings together several properties in the Black Forest, ranging from apartment hotels and holiday flats to business hotels. In 2025, another highlight was added with the traditional Hofgut Sternen in Breitnau: a historic complex of listed buildings, including the historic Goethe House. A charming yet technically challenging project.
A diverse range of buildings. One goal: efficiency.
The properties owned by Black Forest Hospitality (BFH) are spread throughout the Black Forest. Whether a modern apartment or a traditional hotel, each of the 18 buildings has its own energy story. “We work almost exclusively with existing properties. Energy efficiency is a key factor in our success,” emphasises Evert Schüle. Different energy sources, years of construction and insulation standards had previously made uniform temperature management impossible.
BFH’s technical and housekeeping teams had to invest a great deal of time and travel simply to manually check and adjust heating systems. The search was on for a solution that would significantly reduce CO₂ emissions and heating costs whilst at the same time centralising and automating operational tasks.
An overview of the key objectives:
- Reduce heating costs without compromising guest comfort
- Enhance sustainability in line with the brand philosophy
- Simplify operational processes to minimise the need for manual adjustments
better.energy – Control controls temperatures intelligently
In the search for energy-efficiency solutions, the decision ultimately fell on the smart IoT platform better.energy – or, more specifically, on better.energy – Control, the intelligent radiator control system from Betterspace. The solution connects smart radiator thermostats to an intuitive platform and automatically controls room temperatures.
Manually setting comfortable temperatures or checking on radiators that have been left on is now a thing of the past. The solution knows when a guest arrives or departs and automatically adjusts the temperature. This enhances comfort for guests and makes day-to-day work easier for staff.
Quickly implemented without interrupting operations
The wireless solution was a perfect fit for stuub: no structural modifications, easy installation, and immediately visible results. The technical team is also thrilled. “Despite the extra effort required to set up the technology, the installation went very, very smoothly, and the benefits you see right away make up for it in no time at all,” says Managing Director Evert Schüle, describing the first steps with the system. “My ‘aha’ moment was definitely looking at the dashboard and seeing which thermostats were working and which weren’t. That’s really the kind of overview every technician loves,” explains the managing director.
The team is particularly pleased that ideal temperatures can now be set and adjusted remotely and that everything is clearly displayed digitally. Thanks to this transparency and centralised management, the stuub teams have been able to shift their focus from manual heating control to more important tasks. A clear gain in efficiency.
A particularly positive aspect: The solution was scalable from the very beginning. This was a decisive factor for the growing corporate group. “The second ‘aha’ moment came when we realised: Yes, this makes perfect sense. We can easily scale the solution and apply it to other properties, even if they don’t match the stuub scenario. I can say unequivocally: Yes, this works.”
All locations can be managed centrally via the cloud-based IoT platform better.energy, and radiator controls can be configured across all buildings. The platform provides an overview of all locations, settings, temperature trends, and devices at any time.
40% lower heating costs and greater comfort
BFH’s holistic approach to the stuub Apartments—which combines building renovations with smart radiator controls—led to impressive results: Internal measurements by the technical team showed a reduction in heating costs of about 40 percent in the buildings. In addition to renovation work such as new insulation, the smart radiator control system better.energy also played a major role in achieving these savings.
“Our colleagues from the technical department have calculated a savings of approximately 40%,” confirms Evert Schüle. This means the investment in the better.energy energy efficiency solution pays for itself within just a few heating seasons.
The smart radiator control system also has a positive impact on central management. The number of trips made by the technical and housekeeping teams to locations scattered throughout the Black Forest is drastically reduced, which saves time and lowers the carbon footprint of operational processes.
In addition, the stuub brand also benefits from better.energy in terms of its public image. Sustainability and energy efficiency are important issues for guests and, according to Evert Schüle, could be among the deciding factors when choosing accommodations: “I believe that the energy efficiency provided by better.energy is also a reason why guests choose stuub and Hofgut Sternen.” Guests always enjoy a perfectly temperature-controlled stay, while the company actively practises sustainability and saves costs.
The combination of renovation and better.energy has yielded impressive results:
| Key Figure/Result | Value/Insight |
|---|---|
| Total Savings | Approximately 40% reduction in heating costs |
| ROI | Less than 2 years |
| CO₂ reduction | Approx. 40% |
| Operation | Significantly fewer manual interventions, less workload for the team |
| Guest Satisfaction | Greater comfort thanks to stable temperatures |
Why better.energy is ideal for hospitality businesses
It is particularly in accommodation providers – which are characterised by high staff turnover and varying occupancy rates – that occupancy-based control really comes into its own.
Adjusting heating times or regulating the temperature according to guests’ preferences ties up staff who are needed more urgently elsewhere. Centralised control via a dashboard relieves technical and housekeeping teams of this logistical burden, allowing them to focus on service.
The system also ensures that rooms are heated to a comfortable temperature in time for the guest’s arrival. At the same time, guests can manually adjust the temperature via thermostats if required. Comfort is therefore maintained whilst efficiency is maximised.
The combination of simple installation requiring no structural alterations, centralised management and direct cost savings makes better.energy the ideal solution for quickly and measurably improving energy efficiency in the hospitality industry.
In the stuub apartments, it is above all the simplicity of the smart control system that impresses. “It’s simply the best and easiest way to manage temperature control in an energy-efficient manner. That’s why I would always recommend Betterspace,” says Evert Schüle. The managing director of Black Forest Hospitality GmbH cites yet another reason in favour of better.energy: “You offer the best value for money.”
Sustainability meets digitalisation
The success story of stuub and Betterspace shows that energy efficiency in existing properties does not have to be complicated or costly. It is a logical step towards reconciling sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
The collaborative partnership was crucial to the success of scaling up across the decentralised portfolio. Evert Schüle clearly summarises the reasons for the long-term cooperation: “The objectives you have align with our corporate goals. This simplicity in working with you, as well as your reliability, are the aspects that make it worthwhile for us to work with you in the long term.”
The excellent value for money on the market, the ease of scalability and the fulfilment of sustainability targets make better.energy an integral part of stuub’s growth strategy.