Reinhard Wall

When Maria and Josef Falkensteiner opened a small guesthouse in the Pustertal Valley in South Tyrol in 1957, no one could have guessed that it would become one of the most successful holiday hotel chains in Central Europe in less than 60 years.“The decisive factor was that we always saw ourselves as a family enterprise and never forgot our South Tyrolean roots,” says Erich Falkensteiner.

The Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences Group is currently represented in 7 European countries by 27 four- and five-star hotels, 2 apartment complexes and Premium Camping. Each hotel is so individual that it tells its own story. One of these hotels is the Falkensteiner Spa Resort Marienbad in the Czech Republic. The hotel building, rich in tradition, was built 100 years ago in the Art Nouveau style. It has been able to capture and preserve the splendour of a bygone era, without losing any of its original charm. Guests from all over the world come to this distinctive hotel to relax and recharge their batteries. The excellent wellness programme and the modern medical centre, as well as Alexandra’s own healing spring, are a genuine fountain of youth for body and mind.

 What is your most memorable travel experience?

A journey to India, first meeting friends in Mumbai and then a sightseeing tour of Rajasthan was a fascinating and, at the same time, shocking experience for me. A country where you can see the latest technology and, just a few metres away, living conditions as in the Middle Ages, a country where one billion people live, as many as in Europe, North America and parts of South America together.

 What are your travel essentials – both for business 
and leisure?

For me, a journey means that I am either going to experience something already familiar again or to learn something new and gain new experiences. However, you must be open, curious, avoid routine and follow travel recommendations, as well as discovering something for yourself. Everywhere I  seek quality, authentic gastronomy and a comfortable and cosy room that allows rest and relaxation with a good night’s sleep. But the most important thing is the hospitality I receive, meeting people who enjoy working with guests, and tourists who draw energy from this.

 What do you value most in your company?

Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences is a remarkable company that has managed in two generations to build one of the leading, most innovative tourism companies in Central Europe from a small family business in South Tyrol. I have worked for the company for more than five years and today I enjoy the high degree of freedom of decision and trust that the company’s management has in its hotel directors. The quality and noticeable implementation of the “Welcome Home” slogan is still at the forefront and is the basis for the travel experience and joy that every guest in our hotels will enjoy, despite the diversity of our hotels in different destinations.

And in our hotel, the Falkensteiner Spa Resort Mariánské Lázně, we combine a centuries-old spa tradition in modern and elegant premises, with our own development of new medical therapies, with which our exhausted guests can recharge their batteries in these rapidly changing times. A particularly important aspect is the exceptional healthy “Balance-Vital” cuisine.

 Your company is successful because ...

of brave and visionary product development, which relies increasingly on first-class quality and a clear distinction between our hotels and the competition. The Ehrenbacher Hof in Bruneck, South Tyrol, will open in a few weeks’ time with a grand expansion into a family hotel, with specific offers and facilities for children of different ages and a ski slope on the roof of the hotel.

https://www.falkensteiner.com/en/spa-resort-marianske-lazne