Page 22 - March #170

Building Hotels,

Creating Homes

Visual of the new Falkensteiner Hotel Montafon
Architects: Snohetta
Snøhetta, Norway

Founded in South Tyrol in 1957, Falkensteiner Hotels &
Residences began as a small, seven-room guesthouse in the
Pustertal and today is an international hotel group and
360-degree tourism company. Here, RLI speaks with Erich
Falkentsteiner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of
Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group about the evolution
of the company and its plans moving forward.
alkensteiner Hotels & Resorts has in almost 65 years grown Recently completed schemes include the reopening of the four-star
from a single site to become one of the most successful superior Falkensteiner Family Resort Lido in South Tyrol at the end of
Ffamily-run holiday hotel groups in Central Europe. Launched November last year. This small hotel, where the history of Falkensteiner
by Maria and Josef Falkensteiner, their two children Erich and Andreas began, is now one of the most avant-garde projects in Europe and
Falkensteiner took over the reins in 1978, and they were joined by welcomes guests as a premium family-only experience hotel. “The
Otmar Michaeler in 1995 and together they founded the Falkensteiner highlight of the hotel is the roof, where both adults and children will be
Michaeler Tourism Group (FMTG). greeted by a unique Sky Adventure Park – year-round ski slope, Valo
The company is currently active in seven European countries. The Jump area and much more,” explains Erich.
FMTG includes Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences, which comprises A project separate from the family hotels that opened last year is the
of 27 four- and five-star hotels, three apartment complexes and a five-star adults only Falkensteiner Hotel Kronplatz, which is designed for
premium campsite, FMTG Development and the tourism consultant the active guest with its position directly at the base of the Kronplatz –
Michaeler & Partner. The hotels are situated across Austria, Croatia, the most famous mountain of the Pustertal.
Czech Republic, Italy, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovakia. To assist with its expansion pipeline, FMTG has been successfully
Their position in the premium leisure sector was defined long before using crowd investing as a financing strategy in recent years. In its seven
the Covid-19 pandemic, but the outbreak o ered them the opportunity campaigns to date, they have raised over 26 million euros in capital.
to position the brand more clearly and to develop new projects. This year they want to implement innovative projects with the power
“In 65 years of Falkensteiner, we have already experienced a few of the crowd and there will be a lot of activity in the Premium Living
crises. Maybe that’s why we approach such situations a little di erently,” sector. Together with their investors, they are planning some very
says Erich Falkensteiner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of interesting developments.
Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group. “We recognised from the very “In 2022, we want to dive even deeper into the topic of camping/
beginning of the pandemic that people and the product were the top glamping. Due to the coronavirus, many people want to get closer to
priority. Our employees are always the most important element and it nature again. We have recognised that a new market is emerging here
was essential for us to communicate openly with them and to secure on a qualitatively high level. With our Premium Camping concept, we
their jobs, and this is exactly what we have achieved.” have developed our own forward-looking vision of camping holidays.
Discussing the FMTG portfolio, the Chairman explains that they are We already run a successful premium campsite in Croatia and will
currently building the first five-star family hotel in Montafon together further expand this concept in 2022,” Erich comments.
with Vorarlberger Illwerke which will be dedicated to the important An integral part of their corporate strategy is social media. This
topic of sustainability and renewable energies. This upcoming hotel in avenue of communication with customers, almost in real time, allows
Austria is set to be the lighthouse project for the FMTG group. This the group to build a bond with guests that could not be achieved
site will also o er younger guests special edutainment, as they learn through traditional marketing. They are constantly educating themselves
how electricity is generated from water, go on excursions through and adapting their content to the current media platforms in order to
the power plant and the reservoirs and learn about the forest, species guarantee their users the best journey.
protection and regional food. The topic of sustainability is one that has been ongoing at FMTG
20 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL MARCH 2022