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.
Falkensteiner Hotels & Resorts has in almost 65 years grown from a single site to become one of the most successful family-run holiday hotel groups in Central Europe. Launched by Maria and Josef Falkensteiner, their two children Erich and Andreas Falkensteiner took over the reins in 1978, and they were joined by Otmar Michaeler in 1995 and together they founded the Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group (FMTG).
The company is currently active in seven European countries. The FMTG includes Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences, which comprises of 27 four- and five-star hotels, three apartment complexes and a premium campsite, FMTG Development and the tourism consultant Michaeler & Partner. The hotels are situated across Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovakia.
Their position in the premium leisure sector was defined long before the Covid-19 pandemic, but the outbreak offered them the opportunity to position the brand more clearly and to develop new projects.
“In 65 years of Falkensteiner, we have already experienced a few crises. Maybe that’s why we approach such situations a little differently,” says Erich Falkensteiner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group. “We recognised from the very beginning of the pandemic that people and the product were the top priority. Our employees are always the most important element and it was essential for us to communicate openly with them and to secure their jobs, and this is exactly what we have achieved.”
Discussing the FMTG portfolio, the Chairman explains that they are currently building the first five-star family hotel in Montafon together with Vorarlberger Illwerke which will be dedicated to the important topic of sustainability and renewable energies. This upcoming hotel in Austria is set to be the lighthouse project for the FMTG group. This site will also offer younger guests special edutainment, as they learn how electricity is generated from water, go on excursions through the power plant and the reservoirs and learn about the forest, species protection and regional food.
Recently completed schemes include the reopening of the four-star superior Falkensteiner Family Resort Lido in South Tyrol at the end of November last year. This small hotel, where the history of Falkensteiner began, is now one of the most avant-garde projects in Europe and welcomes guests as a premium family-only experience hotel. “The highlight of the hotel is the roof, where both adults and children will be greeted by a unique Sky Adventure Park – year-round ski slope, Valo Jump area and much more,” explains Erich.
A project separate from the family hotels that opened last year is the five-star adults only Falkensteiner Hotel Kronplatz, which is designed for the active guest with its position directly at the base of the Kronplatz – the most famous mountain of the Pustertal.
To assist with its expansion pipeline, FMTG has been successfully using crowd investing as a financing strategy in recent years. In its seven campaigns to date, they have raised over 26 million euros in capital. This year they want to implement innovative projects with the power of the crowd and there will be a lot of activity in the Premium Living sector. Together with their investors, they are planning some very
interesting developments.
“In 2022, we want to dive even deeper into the topic of camping/glamping. Due to the coronavirus, many people want to get closer to nature again. We have recognised that a new market is emerging here on a qualitatively high level. With our Premium Camping concept, we have developed our own forward-looking vision of camping holidays. We already run a successful premium campsite in Croatia and will further expand this concept in 2022,” Erich comments.
An integral part of their corporate strategy is social media. This avenue of communication with customers, almost in real time, allows the group to build a bond with guests that could not be achieved through traditional marketing. They are constantly educating themselves and adapting their content to the current media platforms in order to guarantee their users the best journey.
The topic of sustainability is one that has been ongoing at FMTG for a long time, and has already been implemented into its individual hotels and residences. For their prestigious project, the Falkensteiner Hotel Montafon, they have a best-practice example of sustainability. Here, everything will revolve around eco, from regional products to a diverse range of vegan dishes. The company is also working on a sound sustainability concept for the entire FMTG portfolio, which will be implemented throughout the year.
The philosophy behind Falkensteiner is ‘Welcome Home!’ Much more than a slogan, it is an ethos that runs through the entire organisation that means guests will experience hospitality, warmth and the full commitment of the on-site team.
“At the same time, we feel that guests’ holidays should be accompanied by innovative hotel concepts and modern architecture. This combination of original values and modernity makes our group something special,” Erich says.
The business has always been courageous, recognised trends early on and never feared taking new paths. “Despite this, we have always remained down-to-Earth and never lost sight of our roots. We have a long history and therefore a wealth of experience from which we can benefit. It is always important to us to test existing structures for effectiveness, and to develop new concepts for our corporate culture,” explains Falkensteiner.
“Our strength lies above all with our team, which always sticks together, and of course also with our partners with whom we co-operate.”
