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Swinging with the changes at Kempinski Berchtesgaden

“Being in charge of what seems like a family-run hotel means there are no weekends off, but I have no complaints,” says Werner Müller, general manager of the 138-room Kempinski Berchtesgaden Resort, set 3,281 feet above sea level in Germany’s only national park, Berchtesgaden, in the Bavarian mountains.

In 2019 the 15-year-old property averaged 70% occupancy year-round, upping to 95% every weekend. “It is a drive market the whole time. At weekends, the catchment is up to three hours’ drive, arriving Friday evening about 6 p.m. and leaving Sunday after a late lunch,” he said.

Normally, the business mix includes 50% German and 7% from USA, plus around 14% Chinese, who combine this fresh-air alpine stay with a “Sound of Music” bus tour around Salzburg, only 20 minutes away. Overall age range is 35 to 60.

One 75-year-old doctor returns several times a year, and she is out all day long from 7 a.m. Müller actually expects most guests to be away from the hotel from about midday to 4 p.m. Two activity concierges are on hand to help plan activities. Year-round, a big draw is the hotel’s own 12-room spa, complemented by a 45-foot indoor pool, and 24/7 fitness center. In winter there are snow sports galore.

When snows are gone, the hotel, which looks across to Germany’s second-highest mountain, the Watzmann, offers hiking and biking, say down to Berchtesgaden, a town of some 105,000.

Werner Müller swings high outside Kempinski Berchtesgaden Resort.
Werner Müller swings high outside Kempinski Berchtesgaden Resort.

“Roughly 35% of our 155-strong staff come from Berchtesgaden,” said Müller, adding that 2020 has had considerable knock-on effects all round. The hotel was closed because of COVID-19 from 18th March to 31st May.

“We quickly built back up to 70%, average stay 3.5 nights, and I was thrilled when we finished August at 79%, and September was our best ever. Sadly there was one event in town which attracted about 245 people and infection figures soared. On Friday, 23rd October, I feared the worst. The following Monday I shared my thoughts at the morning meeting and we all started to be prepared. That evening, at 6 p.m., I was told by the local police that we had to close the following day, Tuesday 27th October, at 2 p.m.”

There were 85 rooms occupied. Müller prepared a personalized letter, delivered to each party, and at breakfast he went round each table to talk individually to everyone, after which he stood in the lobby.  “Guests were so understanding. Some decided to drive home early, a few went to our sister hotel, Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski, in Munich, two hours’ drive away.”

Immediate attention had to be given to prevent food waste. “We contacted fresh-goods suppliers, to stop future orders, and anything that was already in stock went to employees or to the local food bank.”

Staff knew they would quickly be put on the government’s furlough scheme, taking their income down to 60% of norm – but, said Müller with understandable pride, thanks to understanding of the owners, Bayerischen Landesbank, and Kempinski, that has been made up to 90%.

“Although we may not be allowed to re-open until mid-January, we must stay positive, and I keep on reminding myself of the motto Enjoy Your Time,” he said.

As a schoolkid in Munich he had no idea what he wanted to do. Typically, the German government pays for all students in their last year of high school to spend a couple of weeks trying various professions. He tried landscaping gardening but then immediately warmed to hospitality, and he started a three-year apprenticeship, moving from one hotel department to another.

He joined Kempinski in 2004 but later took three years out to do a bachelor’s of hospitality management at Heidelberg, and, later, another four years were spent minding a collection of villas.

“Despite everything, I do literally feel on top of the mountain, with an ideal location and fresh-air product. Kempinski is such a well-known global brand but at the same time we do feel like a family-run hotel.”

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