2023-08-26 22:00:00
Running a family business means freedom, but it also demands a lot. A look at the Römerhof in Obertauern.
What is the appeal of running a family business? Peter Mayer thinks for a moment. “I can get involved, change a lot more than would be the case with a hotel chain – but I also have to hold my head if a decision wasn’t quite so wise.” The 35-year-old is the third generation to manage the Römerhof in Obertauern, a house at 1,800 meters above sea level, with 72 rooms and 51 employees. It was not always clear to Mayer that he would one day take over the family business. Although he graduated from the tourism school in Klessheim, after five years he had had enough and studied law. “But the hospitality industry never completely let go of me,” he says. During his studies, he almost automatically worked in restaurants in Salzburg, as he says. Finally he returned to his homeland in Pongau.
Cross-generational cooperation in the hotel industry: Insights into the challenges and successes at the Römerhof in Obertauern
“It’s not always easy when two generations work together,” says Mayer. Apart from the usual little quarrels that occur in every father-son relationship, the senior and the junior are separated by almost 50 years – and with them occasionally fundamental opinions. The father ran the Römerhof, which was built in 1958, at a time when ski tourism was booming and the whole place was practically being built from scratch, employees were still a bit easier to find and a 60-hour week was the norm.
“Strategically we were always of the same opinion, but when it came to things like sustainability or leadership, it wasn’t always easy to find the right words to convince him,” recalls Peter Mayer. In the meantime, the parents’ generation has withdrawn. Mayer has been running the house together with his wife Laura since 2016. His goal is to “create a refuge, a place in the mountains that exudes tranquility where you can retreat”.
From the beginning of November to mid-April, the hotelier works nine to ten hours a day, makes his rounds through the house in the morning, asks employees from reception to the kitchen what challenges they face that day, greets guests, takes care of them daily to-dos at home and in the office. “It’s important for me to be present. I seek personal contact with everyone, both employees and guests.”
Sustainable philosophy in the hotel industry: energy efficiency and conscious use of resources
Mayer’s philosophy for his house is one of sustainability. He tries to be careful with resources. “Especially last season, the insane energy costs were a big issue for us. That’s why we took a close look at what temperature is needed in the indoor pool, for example, so that the guest feels comfortable, but at the same time we can save a few degrees.” Little things like this make a huge difference, because not only do the energy costs drop with the temperatures, germs also spread less, which subsequently saves chemicals.
Mayer also questions whether kiwis have to be available all year round at the breakfast buffet in a luxury hotel. “The nice thing for me is that when I explain to my guests why I’m doing this, they understand it too. I can talk to them, convey my philosophy, values and ideas to them. One or the other discussion that arises from this is valuable , in order to be able to develop as a person and also to bring the company forward. I am convinced of certain basic views and have to accept one or two criticisms.”
Family ambience in the Römerhof for guests and employees
The family atmosphere is also very typical of the Römerhof: “We take care of the guest just as much as we take care of our employees.” However, finding staff also presents the Römerhof with “extreme challenges”, as the hotel owner says. He observes that skilled workers often change industries after just a few years and are becoming fewer and fewer. “Fortunately, half of our employees are regulars, chambermaids who have been with us for 30 or 40 years. I try to use them to motivate younger people.” The fact that the Römerhof was closed for the summer makes it more difficult to train apprentices yourself.
What is the biggest challenge when running a family business?
For Mayer it’s quite clear: “To reconcile the company and the family. The merger is very stressful, because you constantly share all your work worries with your family.” As nice as it is to have loved ones around all the time, it is difficult to free up time that you seriously only spend together as a family. Laura and Peter Mayer share an apartment in the Römerhof with their two children, a six-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy. Nevertheless, it is important to Mayer that his children can grow up with enough distance to the company and can simply be children.
The oldest family business in Austria is the Hotel Gmachl in Elixhausen
According to the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce, there is no concrete definition of what a family business is. How many of the 2879 hotels, inns, refuges and Co. in the state are family-run cannot be determined without further ado. What is certain, however, is that the oldest family business in Austria is also a hotel – and is located in the province of Salzburg.
Michaela Gmachl is the 23rd generation to run the 4-star superior hotel in Elixhausen near Salzburg. Today’s Hotel Gmachl was first mentioned in a document in 1334. This means that the oldest Austrian family company is 689 years old. The entrepreneurial family was originally mainly active in agriculture. She ran a cattle trade, a butcher’s shop that still exists today, and a tavern. This resulted in a hotel with 79 rooms in different categories, a 1500 square meter wellness area and a gourmet restaurant.
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