magazin nummer22 sommer_v2

Eienwäldli AG Wasserfallstrasse 108 6390 Engelberg Tel. +41 41 637 19 49 www.eienwaeldli.ch

Das Felsenbad ist bei Ein- heimischen genauso beliebt wie bei Feriengästen.

Das attraktive Wellness- Angebot ist öffentlich.

Sepp Bünter und seine Partnerin Trudy Herzog haben ihr Lebens- werk in neue Hände gegeben. Neu führen Bernadette Odermatt und Martin Zumbühl das Eienwäldli. Sepp Bünter and his partner Trudy Herzog have passed on their life’s work to Bernadette Odermatt and Martin Zumbühl.

The attractive spa area is open to the public.

The fun pool with its rocky landscape is just as popular with locals as with holidaymakers.

The Eienwäldli can’t be described in a single word. “It’s a village in itself,” smiles Sepp Bünter. Over 30 years, Sepp and his partner Trudy Herzog have made this extraordinary place what it is today. The Eienwä ld li star ted out as the simple farmstead where Sepp and his siblings grew up. “It was hard work for Mum out here with us eight kids and a ll the cows, chickens and pigs. Dad worked as a cook in hotels in Engelberg in order to earn enough to feed his big family.” In the summer months, the Bünters a lso ran

be together a long time, or was it just a f ling? In the meantime, they have proved they were in it for the long hau l. “A ll these years we’ve worked side by side. Thank f u lly we divv ied up the responsibilities f rom the star t, and that ’s why it worked out so well.” A lthough they worked a longside each other ever y day, they barely spent any time together because their focus was a lways on the guests and employees. Now that has changed: this April Sepp and Trudi passed on their life’s work to new managers Mar tin Zumbüh l and Bernadet te

the Eienwä ld li guesthouse, which belonged to the farm. In the 1960s, a campsite was added, and in 1969 Engel- berg’s f irst indoor swim- ming pool was built here. Sepp took over the

Odermat t, whose experience equips them per fec tly to take on the cha llenge. Bernadet te has a great dea l of tourism experience thanks to many years working for Engelberg- Titlis Tourismus and cable-

Sepp Bünter and Trudy Her- zog have placed their life’s work in new, capable hands.

family business in 1972, and in 1985 Trudi Herzog entered his life. It was pure chance that brought the native of Lucerne to Engel- berg. One winter season she was working in a luxur y hotel in the Engadine, and the snow- fa ll had been disappointing. On the radio, she heard that lots of snow had fa llen in Engel- berg. “I thought: I won’ t put up with this – I’m of f to Engelberg!” says Trudi. But as soon as she got here, the snow stopped and there was none over Christmas and New Year. And yet, she stayed – by then, she had met Sepp! When the Eienwä ld li was redesigned as a “Spor t Hotel ” in 1990, Trudi ’s specia list knowledge was decisive. Campers gave her the idea for the hotel. They wanted indoor ac- commodation close by for their parents and f riends. Before initiating the projec t, Sepp and Trudi had to present their idea to poten- tia l f inancia l backers, who studied the plans rigorously. The fac t the couple weren’ t married was regarded critica lly. Were they going to

way company Brunni-Bahnen. Mar tin has the necessar y technica l knowhow and many years’ experience as a manager. As a loca l councillor he a lso has many excellent contac ts. Berna- det te and Mar tin a lready know they work well together f rom their many years on the Brunni Carniva l organising commit tee. “We know each other’s streng ths and weaknesses, and have seen that we complement one another per fec tly,” says Bernadet te. She aims to contin- ue the success stor y of the Eienwä ld li. Constant investments have been made, and ef for ts are suppor ted by a bat ta lion of longstanding staf f. As well as the Spor t Hotel and f ive-star campsite, the Eienwä ld li has a spa area, f un pool, café and restaurant that are open to the public. The restaurant, managed by Roger Summermat ter, ser ves f resh, seasona l A lpine cuisine. Of course this “v illage within a v il- lage” a lso has its own shop: Hanny’s Lädä li sells ever y thing guests need, f rom f resh bread in the morning to gif ts for the folks back home.

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hotellerie | thehotel industry

hotellerie | thehotel industry