Free mind. Kind heart.

I’m almost a real Kapruner.  From the age of three, I grew up  and into the role of host here. My stepfather built a small house with a Kramerladen, a traditional grocer's shop, and simple guest rooms on the site where our hotel in Kaprun stands today. Even in my childhood days, I was fascinated by all the new faces in our home. The increasing number of guests from all over the world led to the pension being rebuilt and expanded several times in the 1960s and 1970s. After the sudden death of my stepfather at the end of the 70s, my mother Gisi took over the B & B and the shop, which was by then a small supermarket. My mum was a tough cookie and always managed to get things done. And so, she ran the business with great diligence and perseverance until her retirement at the end of 2006.

My mum was and still is an open-minded woman who taught me to face life with an open mind. From her I have the roots that ground me, but also the courage to think outside the box. My professional path after leaving school did not lead me directly to the family business, but to a well-known sports goods manufacturer. After working in sales came the step into self-employment. As a franchise partner of the world's largest quick service restaurant chain, I earned my bread and butter with my two restaurant locations in Tyrol. That was also the time when I opened a new chapter in my life: I met Sabine.

I was born and raised in Zillertal, and anyone familiar with Austria knows that when it comes to the countries’ best cuisine, Zillertal is where it’s at. After my school days, however, I first worked as an apprentice in a pharmacy. I enjoyed training as a pharmaceutical commercial assistant before my daughter from my first marriage was born. I always loved dealing with people and I felt my true passion slowly awakening in me: being a host.

After my childcare period, first jobs in gastronomy were the logical consequence. As is so often in my life, chance played a big role. I applied for a job as a restaurant manager in one of Andreas' restaurants. The rest of the story is quite obvious. We got involved not only professionally, but also romantically. The most beautiful (love) stories come from life itself, if you truly commit to them. And that's what we do – with all our hearts.

It was our hearts, and our gut feeling, that let us know that something new and exciting was waiting for us. The two franchise restaurants were a financial success, but something was missing: a sense of purpose in our daily actions, something we could put our personal stamp on. And so, we made a decision, followed our intuition, sold our restaurants, and moved to Kaprun, where we took over the hotel at the start of 2007. What we had in mind was more than a simple bed and breakfast. We planned and tinkered and came up with a new hotel concept, which not only does justice to new trends in tourism, but also to our open-hearted way of encountering life and people.