Hotel Schani Wien accepts bitcoins

Hotel Schani Wien is expanding its role as a pioneering hotel of the future and the first hotel in the German-speaking region to accept bitcoins as a payment method. Bitcoins have a number of advantages as an alternative to conventional cash and are being used increasingly by private individuals and companies as a result. The bitcoin information event at Hotel Schani in February this year shed some light on tax-related aspects of this payment option, among other facts.

Hotel Schani Wien has been accepting bitcoin payments for food and drinks at its bar and for shopping at its “Greissler” hotel shop, since April 2016. Guests will be able to make payments for our rooms using bitcoins via the website starting in the upcoming weeks. The introduction of bitcoins is another step towards the future, as bitcoins are the “cash of the internet” with the “potential to become an independent world currency”, as Max Tertinegg of Coinfinity has pointed out.

Bitcoins provide an alternative to traditional money and facilitate direct payments made by the sender to the recipient, using the Bitcoin App or appropriate equipment. This way, users can cut out the middleman -- in this case the bank -- when making transactions, simply transferring money across borders without paying additional fees. The only requirement is a bitcoin account, a so-called wallet, on a smartphone and an internet connection – and, voila, money can be transferred safely from one person to another around the globe within seconds!

The bitcoin information event held at Hotel Schani provided information on the theory, practical use and tax benefits of this cash-free currency. Max Tertinegg and his team at Coinfinity consider bitcoins and blockchain technologies as key factors in economic and societal change in the years ahead. Alexander Komarek, partner at LBG Vienna, talked about a recent, precedent-setting verdict by the European Court of Justice exempting bitcoin payments (and the exchange of bitcoins into euros) from VAT. This issue had been very controversial in several EU Member States up to that point and represented a great obstacle for potential bitcoin users. The main advantages of bitcoins are their global availability; independence from bank insolvency; current, stable appreciation in value and their safe and secure transfer directly to the end-user, according to Christian Halper, co-founder of Superfund and owner of Tian Restaurants.

People looking to acquire bitcoins can do this from various companies or private individuals, stated Max Tertinegg. In addition, they can be acquired from bitcoin ATMs or online at coinfinity.co, for instance.

Hotel Schani Wien

Hotel Schani Wien opened in 2015 and is the second hotel run by the Komarek family from Ottakring, Vienna. This hotel with Viennese charm is filled to the brim with innovations. Hotel Schani Wien was one of the first hotels worldwide to introduce individual room selection, the smartphone room key and possibility to check in within seconds. With its ideal location at the new Vienna Central Station, the hotel provides the perfect starting point for both business tourists and holiday makers alike. A total of 135 rooms, including 10 maisonettes, a multi-functional lobby and “Schani” restaurant garden with its “green oasis” in the middle of the city, await our visitors. Managing Director Benedikt Komarek has worked together with Frauenhofer IAO Institute and well-renowned architect Gabriel Kacerovsky from Archisphere Vienna to continue the successful hotel tradition of the Komarek family with his own future-oriented project and new ideas: www.schanihotels.com