As a guest of 4-star Hotel Liebe Sonne, you notice one thing right away – once here, you are part of one big family. Caroline and Michael Gurschler, your hosts, are hoteliers out of pure passion, while the Gurschler family has been an important part of tourism in Ötztal for almost a century. For generations now, this family has taken it upon itself to be the living embodiment of that proverbial Tyrolean hospitality, and to be a constant source of enthusiasm for holiday-making guests in Sölden and Hochsölden. Which also explains why it is so important to Caroline and Michael that they personally attend to their guests every single day.
In addition to tourism, Michael has a second great passion - his Haflinger stud farm. In fact, he is now proud to count himself among the world's top Haflinger breeders. In summer, his beloved horses have become popular highlights for visitors to the region.
Your hosts: Caroline and Michael Gurschler
Proud of their heritage and hoteliers out of passion
The Gurschler family - tourism pioneers in Ötztal valley
The Gurschler family is deeply rooted in the Ötztal valley. Barely another family has left such an indelible stamp on the top tourism destination of Sölden - Hochsölden. In the 1920s, the Gurschler family took over Gasthaus zur Sonne. Building began in 1928 for "Gasthof Berghotel Hochsölden" in Hochsölden - the first building in the area with real masonry work. In order to transport the building materials and food they needed, the family of Serafin Gurschler constructed the very first freight lift from Sölden to Hochsölden.
With his less-than-gentle landing in a stratosphere balloon on the Gurgler Ferner, famous Swiss professor Auguste Piccard made big headlines in May 1931. His crash landing brought immediate fame to Ötztal valley. The founder of the Sonnenhotel and tourism pioneer, Serafin Gurschler, participated in the rescue mission and transported the pressurized cabin on his truck. In the same year, the Gurschlers began building the first hotel in Hochsölden - Hotel Hochsölden. Construction work went on until 1934. Back in those days, guests were only able to reach the hotel by means of a steep hay- and cart-path.
At the beginning of World War Two, guests still were coming to Hochsölden, but then the hotels were turned into convalescence and recuperation centers for the German Wehrmacht. After the war, tourism only slowly began to pick up speed. Nevertheless, the first lift began operation in 1948: Sölden - Hochsölden, at that time the longest lift in Austria.
Sölden's mountain lifts and the Gurschler family
What the tourism pioneers in Sölden sowed over 60 years ago, is bringing us a bountiful harvest today. One of the most significant trailblazers of this unforeseen success was Hermann Gurschler, an uncle of your host family (then owner of Hotel Sonne). In his shadow, the father of the Gurschler siblings – Caroline, Christiane, Michael and Herbert – Gotthard Gurschler, owner of Hotel Hochsölden, also where the siblings were born and grew up.
When, in 1948, the forerunner of the Sölden lift company was threatened by bankruptcy, Hans Falkner, Hermann Gurschler and Martin Riml bought out the shares. In so doing, they brought with them the financial opportunities and, above all, those entrepreneurial abilities which the business so badly needed. At the beginning of Tyrol’s tourism boom, the improvisational gifts of Sölden’s pioneers proved to be a decisive competitive advantage. For example, coal from their own business was exchanged for the cement they needed in order to build a lift. The engine of a scrapped tank served as the drive motor for the lift.
Sölden, once such a poor hill-farming village, now quickly earned a name for itself in the world of established ski resorts. When the lifts of the Gaislachkogel and Hochsölden joined forces in 1972, yet another milestone was set. On a November day, Hans Falkner came to visit the newly opened Kaprun glacier ski area, but he couldn’t find a single vacant room. For the Ötztal lift man, this proved to be the spark for him to develop his own glacier ski area, including a road, on the Rettenbachferner. When, in 1975, Bayrischer Rundfunk broadcast a program about autumn training of the German national ski team, Falkner’s vision was fulfilled: Lightning fast, the resort was sold out by All Saints. The flood of guests after the TV show surprised the tourism community on Sölden so much, they didn’t even have enough bread or meat to serve their guests. This successful development led to Sölden eventually becoming the winter sports destination with the most overnights in all of Austria.
At the beginning of the 1990s, the success story of the Ski World Cup began. In 1998, the winter ski area of Hochsölden teamed up with the glacier ski area, and this will likely not be the last such merger. Creating a link with the Pitztal glacier is the next vision for the future. (Source: Report from the Sölden lift company)
Hotel Liebe Sonne
Once the epitome of a brave little country inn, the Sonne was one of the first hospitality establishments in Ötztal. From the very beginnings of skiing in Sölden, it was a popular home-away-from-home for teams, racers and their support staff.
In 1993, Gasthaus Sonne was torn down and building of Hotel Liebe Sonne began. 4-star Hotel Liebe Sonne was opened in 1994. In that same year, the father of Caroline and Michael, Gotthard Gurschler, passed away.
Since the opening of 4-star Hotel Liebe Sonne, this hotel has always adapted to every-changing demands and expectations, constantly undergoing remodeling and renovations. Nowadays, the Liebe Sonne with its partner businesses is the embodiment of traditional and reputable hospitality, skillfully able to adapt to changing conditions and requirements.
In 1995, Michael Gurschler turned his passion into a profession – creating the Liebe Sonne Haflinger stud farm. Michael is now regarded as one of the world’s top Haflinger breeders.