No. 19 - 10 Jahres Ausgabe, Lech & Zürs

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Rustic charm, sturdy building materials, and a warm and welcoming
atmosphere – when describing Schneggarei one might just as well
be speaking about the host, Andreas Schneider. The second-oldest child of
Hannelore and Gebhardt Schneider was born into a family of long-standing tradition
where every guest is at the centre of attention and basically another family member.
He and his siblings Christian, Angelika, and Gerold spent their childhood at the
internationally renowned Hotel Almhof Schneider until Andreas decided to head out
into the world after his studies of commercial sciences. No matter where he ended up
– whether it was Montreal, the South of France or Kuwait – he always knew he would
return to his starting point Lech Zürs where he ran his parents’ hotel for ten years
before suffering a stroke. Over the course of five years, he fought his way back to life
and in building up Schneggarei realised a long-standing dream. Along the way his
family provided the support necessary to make it happen. Today Schneggarei is
“Austria’s most modern ski hut” and as much a part of Lech Zürs as Almhof Schneider
ever was – which is now run by his brother, Gerold. And Andreas’ son, Leopold
Schneider, is there to make sure it stays that way. Having studied Hospitality
Management, he not only keeps up the Schneider family’s legendary culture of
hospitality, but with projects like the Summer Coworking Space he also lays down the
tracks for a successful future.
L.L. The Schneider family are pioneers of tourism and
have always been campaigning for Lech Zürs. What path
should tourism in Lech Zürs take in the next ten years?
A.S. If you ask me Lech Zürs needs a major overhaul.
During the summer it offers the guests too little. The young
generations simply don’t find what they’re looking for and
what they need to be comfortable and enjoy beautiful
times. Lech Zürs definitely has some catching up to do.
L.S. It’s hard to put that in one sentence. During my years
abroad I’ve learned so much and experienced things I feel I
am still processing today. Of course, I think a lot about how
things I’ve seen elsewhere might be implemented here,
especially in the food & beverage area. There are great,
processoriented solutions we could definitely apply here.
To make things easier not just for the guests but for the
hosts, too. A win-win situation for both. And what I’m
missing in Lech Zürs is collaboration – whether it’s within
the community, between businesses or between businesses
© Foto: Skihütte Schneggarei