012016
Urban chic in a mountain idyll
Raise a glass...
I
f you were a guest at your hotel what would be the first thing you’d do? ‘Enjoy the glass of sparkling wine offered at check-in – and switch off my phone!’
11 exclusive properties in Austria belong to the prestigious Relais & Châteaux hotel association, among them the Relais & Châteaux Rosengarten in Kirchberg. The hotel association is now 60 years old and has 530 members in 64 countries.
sparkling delights with your host, Sandra Kobald
Your favourite place at the Rosengarten is? ‘The lounge bar… a hub of communication where the most amazing conversations take place.’ Perfection: strength or burden? ‘Strength. Sometimes a burden. And joy. Wanting the best for our guests is what drives us. Let’s call it a ‘healthy perfectionism’, which helps us develop and perform at the high level required for a topflight restaurant and hotel.’ Outside, a magical mountain idyll with lush green meadows, the sound of cowbells. Yet inside the Rosengarten, we find clean lines, urban chic and understated design. Isn’t this a contradiction?
(Note: laughs) ‘And the rooms have names like Beluga and Alba. We don’t see it as a contradiction, on the contrary. Style is at home anywhere! We’ve designed the Rosengarten’s interiors to combine traditional with contemporary elements and offer the ultimate in luxury, while at the same time expressing a very traditional, typically Tyrolean atmosphere.’ Every detail seems deliberately chosen... ‘Simon and I left nothing to chance. Every accessory has a story and a place in the overall context. Enjoyment, indulgence and pleasure are the common themes that permeate the Rosengarten, including its architecture. The materials we
have selected bring it to life, make it palpable as well as visible. Beautiful yet unobtrusive. Most of all, our design aims to make our guests feel supremely comfortable.’ Corian surfaces, exclusive porcelain, and objects made by local master carpenters – where do you find these design pieces? ‘They seem to find us! We try to get away out of season when time permits, and find inspiration around the world.’