Interview: Hosts with a passion
DAS EDELWEISS Salzburg Mountain Resort: Where luxury has a soul
In Grossarl in Pongau, DAS EDELWEISS Salzburg Mountain Resort combines five-star superior comfort with genuine warmth - a family business that welcomes every guest personally.
A warm handshake, a smile that lasts. When you enter THE EDELWEISS Salzburg Mountain Resort in Grossarl, you will feel it after just a few steps: Here, hospitality is not a game, but a way of life. Between the majestic peaks of the Hohe Tauern rises a house that combines luxury with soul - not loud, not distant, but with a warmth that resonates. Where once a lumberjack laid the foundation stone with 14 rooms, today there is a five-star superior resort with almost 140 rooms and suites, a 7,000 m² mountain spa, the finest cuisine and offers ranging from a slide to fine dining. But despite its size, DAS EDELWEISS has remained one thing above all: a family business. Ten members of the Hettegger family work in the hotel and 200 employees are part of this great team. In conversation with Karin Hettegger, a true passionate hostess, it becomes clear that the EDELWEISS is not a hotel like any other - it is a temporary home where guests are pampered at the highest level.
Ms. Hettegger, DAS EDELWEISS has developed from a small guesthouse into a luxury resort. What are the guiding principles behind this?
It has always been important for us to preserve tradition, but at the same time to think boldly ahead. The major investments of recent years were consistent steps towards realizing our vision of hospitality at the highest level.
Could you elaborate on this vision?
At the heart of our vision is the personal relationship with our guests as well as our warmth and personal commitment. Despite the size of the hotel, we want to be familiar, present and approachable. The guest should feel: I am welcome here, I am seen here.
Ten family members work at the hotel.
It's a togetherness in which everyone has their own clear area, but at the same time we see ourselves as a unit. We also see the 200 or so employees as part of the family. This solidarity and cohesion is our greatest strength - and our guests notice this immediately and feel at home.
What do you attach particular importance to?
We are a five-star superior hotel - and yet it still feels like a home from home. Of course, the rooms and suites, the mountain spa and the cuisine have to be of the highest standard - that's the basis. But service and appreciation also play a major role, because for us it means being where the guest needs it. Many people today appreciate in-room dining because they want privacy - we have greatly expanded this. We also serve food and drinks by the pool. Regular guests receive a personalized cloth napkin embroidered with their name.
For whom is a vacation at DAS EDELWEISS ideal?
Families enjoy the slide park and the family area in the Mountain Spa, couples the adults-only zones and the relaxation rooms with a fantastic view of the mountains. Active holidaymakers can go on guided hikes in summer, attend yoga and health programs or experience new perspectives with the Mercedes Pleasure Drive. In winter, you will find a perfect landscape of pistes.
How are your guests spoiled with culinary delights?
Our mountain cuisine is very varied: we focus a lot on regional products and traditional dishes, but also on international inspiration. There are three menu lines in half board - regional, vegetarian, unlimited. Our two-toque Sirloin Grill & Dine steak restaurant and the Asian Sakura line, where fresh sushi is prepared daily, are also very popular.
Your natural cosmetics line "Edelweiss Natur - Die Kraft deines Lebens" is a project close to your heart. How did the idea come about?
It was important to me to develop cosmetics that reflect our philosophy: high-quality, honest, with soul. This has been achieved with the handmade cosmetics line "Edelweiss Natur - Die Kraft deines Lebens". For me, this is more than just cosmetics - it is a piece of THE EDELWEISS to take home with you.
Where do you see DAS EDELWEISS in ten years' time?
My goal is to keep our quality consistently high all year round. We would like to further strengthen the summer - with nature experiences, yoga and indulgence programs. And personally, I want my son to feel our enthusiasm for the hotel industry. If I manage to get our son as enthusiastic about the hotel industry as we are ourselves, then that will make me very happy.
www.edelweiss-grossarl.com
