Ottmanngut
Ottmanngut is a charming small boutique hotel that lies nestled in an enchanting Mediterranean garden with beautiful views of the Alpine mountain tops.
What is the story behind Pension Leuchtenburg, what was your inspiration to create it?
My parents rented the house for over 40 years and I grew up in this house. About four years ago, my parents decided to stop working in tourism/hospitality and I led a tour of other potential operators who could rent the place. I could see how much work it would involve and it wasn’t something I wanted to take on myself. But in the process of doing the tour, telling everyone how beautiful the place was and what they could do with the house, I convinced myself that we should keep it and do it ourselves.
Around the same time I met my boyfriend, who had just finished his master's degree and he agreed to do the project with me. While I have the hospitality experience, he is better with numbers. We started out slowly and as Covid happened, we had a lot of time to think about how we wanted everything to be.
Our idea was to create a place where guests don’t have the distance between them and the staff, as you do at a regular hotel. For me, the most important thing was to break the ice with guests and make it feel more like staying at a friend’s house. I also didn’t want it to be too sophisticated, where you’re afraid of touching anything because it’s so high-end.
Initially, we rented the property for a year and then the opportunity to buy it came up. It felt like doors were opening for us, so we walked in. Then, of course, we wanted to renovate it as most of the rooms were around 20 years old and there was the added pressure of having a lot of amazing hotels in our area. The renovation lasted from October 2022 to April 2023, after which we opened to guests.
How would you describe the atmosphere and the interior design of Pension Leuchtenburg?
We worked with an architect on the interior design, Christina Biasi-von Berg of Biquadra. She’s based in Merano, although originally from Germany. She’s renowned for her sustainable designs and is really good with old houses — the property is listed so we couldn’t just do anything we wanted. It was a mix of our ideas and her interpretation.
I would say it definitely has a female touch — it is very colourful (there’s nothing black), warm and cosy. Guests always comment on the energy in the rooms. While the windows aren’t that big because it’s an old house, there are nice views of the lake and the walls are very thick, which I think adds to the atmosphere.
To you personally, what is so special about Pension Leuchtenburg?
I think it’s the energy of the space and the people who work here. We didn’t choose our employees based on their skills but more on their values and that they aligned with ours. The people who come here understand that it’s a human experience. Our employees are very attentive and they connect with people immediately.
Guests feel at home as soon as they arrive and they have everything they need - but not more. The luxury is to have enough. With only 24 people, we can offer a really personalised experience and create moments where guests can connect. For example, on Sundays, we have a long table dinner and it’s a great opportunity to socialise.
Guests often tell us that they find it easy to recharge their batteries at Pension Leuchtenburg, perhaps more quickly than at other places. They also comment on our team being outstanding and the quality of our food and wine service, with our specialty being natural, sustainable wine.
