At the family-run design hotel Wiesergut, guests have it all – authentic Austrian produce, modern facilities, captivating scenery and year-round adventure
Boutique hotel Wiesergut first opened in 2012, but for centuries the estate in the Austrian Alps has belonged to, and been farmed by, five generations of the Kröll family. “Farming is integral to our family and to the hotel,” says owner Sepp Kröll. “Not only do our guests get to enjoy the surroundings – on foot and bikes in summer, or skis and snowshoes in winter – they can also enjoy the bounty of this landscape. The Alps feed the appetite and spirit – a unique connection that is good for our guests’ wellbeing and for our sustainable future.”
While centuries of tradition are passionately preserved by the Krölls, the hotel itself exudes pared-back modern luxury. Each of the 24 suites allows the spectacular alpine views to take centre stage, as do the indoor and outdoor pools, and the Bathhouse spa, where guests can indulge in rejuvenating treatments or detox in the Finnish sauna and steam bath. However, “guests aren’t restricted to merely gazing at the view, we actively encourage them to engage with it,” says Sepp. In winter, that might mean skiing from the door – the hotel is in Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, one of Austria’s largest ski areas; or in summer, choosing from 400km of hiking and mountain-bike trails, or taking on the scenic golf course at Zell am See.
Sepp finds that his guests also like to engage with their chefs in the garden as they harvest the ingredients for the hotel restaurant’s ever-changing menu. “Guests love discovering our edible flowers or strolling around our raised beds, chatting with our expert chefs,” he says.
Most of the food is provided from the farm, continues Sepp. “The cows that guests see grazing are the source of our homemade dairy products, the Piazza [lounge area] is filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread, and the water is fresh from our spring. Anything we can’t provide, we try to source locally, such as our handcrafted wine from Austrian winemaker Clemens Strobl.”
There are few places where a wholesome “farm to table” philosophy is so capably practised, and where guests, while immersed in luxury, are at the same time directly connected with the source of the sustenance. At Wiesergut, they call this “happiness”.
www.wiesergut.com