Florian Weitzer Interview

Extraordinary
concepts

“I want to inspire people to dream, and that’s how I go about thinking about things …”

… on my work as a fourth generation hotelier

I am the fourth generation to manage our hotels. Successful entrepreneurs see opportunities and take them. It’s true now and it was true then. That’s what I do, and I’m passionate about it. My father tried to align his hotels with international standards, but my approach is to develop unique and versatile hotel concepts that set themselves apart from everything else that’s out there.

… on my take on tradition

For starters, I love re-interpreting old buildings that have a great atmosphere in a contemporary way, which is why I’m careful about how I deal with history as it essentially bookends all of our projects. To give you a visual example of what I mean, I have no problem with showcasing a family heirloom Biedermeier couch as a casual swing at one of our restaurants.

… on the distinctiveness of my hotels and restaurants

I realised relatively quickly that you have to be unique to survive in the hotel business and that we don’t need more of the same. That’s why I’ve developed a separate identity for each of our locations. A great location and nice atmosphere alone aren’t enough to make a hotel or restaurant stand out. We aim to surprise guests with unique details, and we will continue to do so.

… on Austrian hospitality

Austria has always aimed for perfection and beauty – in music, literature, theatre and many other areas. It’s this same beauty that we want to celebrate at our hotels and restaurants. At the end of the day, you have to appreciate that our guests choose to spend their time with us. Our job is to make sure that each and every one of them has the best time when they’re with us.

… on our future projects

Our biggest project at the moment is still in the permission stage and it will be at least another three years until we open the Grand Semmering. The monumental former spa hotel, which was built in 1909, was considered one of the most stylish Central European hotels of its time. I’m looking forward to setting the stage at this magical place and inspiring my guests to dream.