Hotel Habicher Hof

For 60 years, the Haslwanter family’s mission has been to “leave nothing to be desired.” Generations later, this determination has transformed their two-room inn into Austria’s first four-star hotel.

In 1959, when Habicher Hof was just a two-room country inn, the shower and toilet were located down the hall from the bedrooms. Constant hot water was a highly sought-after amenity, but owners Hanni and Hans Haslwanter knew their inn had room to grow.

The Haslwanter’s became managers in 1962, and began to make the inn their own. A series of renovations introduced many “firsts” in Austrian hospitality: the first hotel in Oetz to have en suite bathrooms, an important step to gaining hotel status, and a guesthouse with an indoor pool and sauna.

The pool is the highlight of the hotel. Through floor to ceiling windows, guests can enjoy panoramic views of the Ötztal Alps. When the Alps’ mountain lake is too cold for swimming, the Habicher Hof pool maintains a constant 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), harkening back to the inn’s first great amenity of constant hot water.

By the 1990’s, the Hotel had reached four-star status. The first in its area, the Hotel was distinguished for its upgrades but also the surrounding Hochoetz ski area. Today, the Hotel is managed by a third generation of the Haslwanter family and continues to expand. With another recent refurbishment, the Hotel is now striving to gain year-round operation.