Hotel Herisau in the SGBA among first in Europe to offer bitcoin ATM

Given the increased popularity of digital payments in everyday life, the Herisau Hotel in the St.GallenBodenseeArea (SGBA) has decided to install a bitcoin ATM. In addition to being one of Europe’s first hotels with a bitcoin ATM, the Herisau will also offer the option to actually pay for your hotel bill with bitcoins starting this summer 2017.

 The region Appenzellerland and the Herisau Hotel clearly are ahead of the curve when it comes to digitalization: Hotel manager René Wohnlich has installed a bitcoin ATM in the lobby where Hotel guests can withdraw or deposit Swiss Francs – provided they do have a bitcoin account. Starting this summer, the hotel will also accept payments with bitcoins as a currency.

Swiss Franc withdrawals for tourists 
With the option of withdrawing or depositing the Swiss currency at the ATM in the Herisau Hotel, owners of a virtual wallet don’t need to bother about foreign currency exchange anymore, says Jakob Gülünay, CEO of Jawin Swiss AG in Urnäsch, in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden (which is part of the SGBA). Tourists benefit from bitcoins, because they can get Swiss Francs right on the hotel premises. "We simply believe in the future of the bitcoin currency ", says Wohnlich, who asserts that the ATM is already frequently used by his customers. And the hotel manager doesn’t only want to be a pioneer in the hospitality industry, but all over the entire SGBA region. 

Internet currency Bitcoin
Originally developed in 2009, the internet currency Bitcoin has established itself as the lead currency among a valuta group called cryptocurrencies. The actual bitcoin exchange rate can fluctuate just like other currencies’. Bitcoins are not only used as everyday payment method, but are already used as a reference currency in the banking sector. Approximately 150 million people are already using this digital means of payment worldwide.