The 4-star Superior hotel in Saalbach Hinterglemm
There is a story behind every long-standing family business. The story of today's 4-star Superior hotel, originally referred to as the Zwölferhaus, later as the Hotel Zwölfer, goes hand in hand with the story of the village of Hinterglemm in the Salzburger Land, Austria. In 1949, lumberjack Ernst Bachmann and his wife Lisl built a small home for their family. Due to its location at the foot of the Zwölferkogel, they called it "Zwölferhaus". They mostly built the house themselves - even the bricks were made from materials from the nearby creek.
First, there was an inn...
In 1950, camp beds were set up in the unused rooms where small groups of students could stay on school trips. In the immediate vicinity of the hotel, a ski lift was opened in 1951, which opened up a third of the Zwölferkogel for development. This meant that more and more skiers came, looking for a place to stay and something to eat.
Soon, the house couldn't cope with the influx of guests. In 1952, a dining room and more beds were added to the Zwölferhaus. In 1957, Ernst and Lisl Bachmann finally received their guest house licence and opened the second guest house in Hinterglemm.
....and then it became a 4-star hotel
More and more skiers flocked to the Zwölferhaus in Hinterglemm for their winter holidays and became faithful regulars. Evenings at the Zwölferhaus were known to be convivial, with Ernst playing the zither and Lisl playing guitar and singing. To house larger events, an extension was added to the building in 1957.
Some years later, in 1960, a second building was added and connected to the existing one. The number of summer guests also increased steadily. The guest house and inn was now open for guests and also for locals, who loved coming to the Zwölferhaus, all year round.
Large-scale refurbishments and renovations
In 1972, Ernst Bachmann junior and his wife Jenny took over the hotel. Several years of construction activity followed: Existing structures were refurbished and enlarged and additional rooms with more amenities were added. The guest rooms were also given a modern makeover, In 1998, all rooms were once again renovated, furnished with even greater comfort and enlarged. Just a few years later, a state-of-the-art wellness facility was added. In 2006, the entrance and reception area was refurbished and the restaurant was given a new, charming look.
In this way, the lumberjack's house became a 4-star hotel over the years.
Das Zwölferhaus
The hotel is named after the Zwölferkogel mountain in Hinterglemm. As the original house was built at the foot of the Zwölferkogel in 1949, where the valley station of the "12er KOGEL" is located today, it was given the name "Zwölferhaus" from the very start. The mountain itself always had the reference to the number twelve ("zwölf") in its name. This is because, seen from the village, the sun appears directly above the peak of the mountain at 12 o'clock noon. Some years later, the hotel's name was changed to "Hotel Zwölfer". The "Hotel Zwölfer" era lasted many years, before this charming, family-run 4-star hotel at the foot of the Zwölferkogel once more adopted its original name, which the locals had never abandoned. In 2017, the Hotel Zwölfer once again became Das Zwölferhaus.
Large-scale refurbishment to mark the 70-year anniversary
In April 2019, the starting shot was given for a large-scale refurbishment project that had been in the making for several years and that coincided with the construction of the new 12er KOGEL cable car line, finished just in time for the winter season.
The building project was extensive and included new rooms and suites, a new rooftop wellness area and the extension and refurbishment of the restaurant and bar.
An overview of brand new holiday dreams
- 37 new rooms and suites
- SKY wellness area with fitness lounge on the top floor
- Roof terrace as the feel-good zone
- Lounge area with personalised, Alpine atmosphere
- Enlarged restaurant
- New buffet area
- Behind the scenes: Large, state-of-the-art kitchen
In 2019, no stone was left unturned in the Zwölferhaus. However, even after our refurbishment, we have not lost sight of the philosophy around which the Zwölferhaus was built all those years ago. And no matter how far you have travelled, you can be sure of finding a home from home in our newly designed four walls. Your holiday home, embedded in the mountains of Salzburg and ready to provide you with an unforgettable time. We and our team are at the heart of it all and are looking forward to taking care of you around the clock.
Superior-distinction for the Zwölferhaus
In mid-March 2021, there was great joy and surprise in Zwölferhaus: The 4-Star hotel in Hinterglemm was awarded the distinction “Superior”. This distinction is further confirmation of how far we have come in achieving the quality for which the Zwölferhaus stands. And it also spurs as on further to continue our efforts and offer guests a premium holiday experience in Saalbach Hinterglemm in the future, too.
In addition to the 4 Stars, the distinction “Superior” now adorns our Zwölferhaus since mid-March 2021. This distinction makes us delighted and full of pride, because it validates the effort we have put in and spurs as on to continue working full of drive and passion in order to offer our guests a premium-quality holiday experience in Hinterglemm.
Martina and Alois Hasenauer with David, Simon and Luis
& the Zwölferhaus team
