At Hotel Almhof Schneider, change is essential to keeping heritage alive
Alpine hotel Almhof Schneider is expanding to include restored lodgings and a new restaurant. Knowing what to change and what to retain is the key to success, says its owner Gerold Schneider.
“The word ‘tradition’ is often used to describe what we do but it’s a term that usually refers to keeping things the same,” says Austrian hotelier Gerold Schneider. “That’s something that we have resisted since my great-grandfather Wilhelm first converted the family’s farmhouse residence into the Almhof Schneider guesthouse [in 1929]. A more accurate term would be ‘heritage’.”
Wilhelm wasn’t the only Schneider with ideas. In 1940, Gerold’s grandfather Leopold constructed Lech am Arlberg’s first ski lift, sensing an early opportunity to develop the destination’s infrastructure for winter tourism. Today, Gerold represents the fourth generation of Schneiders to own the property in Lech in the Austrian Alps. Along with his wife, Katia, and two children, he runs the 48-key Almhof, which maintains the pleasing ratio of one staff member for every hotel guest.
In 2023, the family reopened Sonnenhof, a timber-clad former farmhouse that dates to the 14th-century, after a two-year renovation. The pared-back rental property sits on the slopes above the Almhof Schneider and features a fireplace by Italian sculptor Giuseppe Ducrot. At the end of 2025, Haus W followed, the latest to join the Almhof Schneider collection, with a custom oak spiral staircase at its centre. At the same time, the family’s Restaurant Klösterle was reopened after a two-year hiatus. The menu relies on produce from the local valleys: think sheep’s milk yogurt, lake fish and foraged herbs.
To ensure that guests have a chance to experience Lech’s mountainous bounty outside of the ski season, this year the couple have decided to open these heritage residences during the summer to allow for hiking or taking a dip in the region’s forest pools.
Beyond their properties, Gerold and Katia started an architectural office based between Vienna and Salzburg in 1995; they moved to Lech in 1997. The company specialises in vernacular buildings in the village – typically the centuries-old homes of local farmers. In 2000, the couple converted a disused barn in Lech into a cultural centre called Allmeinde Commongrounds, which hosts events.
At Almhof Schneider, Gerold has been busy tweaking the guest suites and refining the menu, while the wine cellar welcomes some of Austria’s best bottles. Fine-tuning its identity feels in keeping with the Schneider family’s forward-thinking approach to regional hospitality. “Heritage is a responsibility. We try to preserve the homes of our Lech settlement while adapting to today’s modern needs,” says Gerold.
almhof.at
Restaurant Klösterle
Gerold’s mother first ran a restaurant – a 17th-century building near Lech – in the 1980s. Now the Schneiders have updated a rustic stube with a light touch – expect the best from local farms and hunters, including roast duck with red cabbage and Spätzle (spinach dumplings).
restaurant-kloesterle.at
Sonnenhof
Meaning “Sunny inn”, Sonnenhof is a traditional Walser Haus, or wooden house, dating to 1393, with centuries-old beams made from native spruce. Today, it is a six-bedroom base camp for ski-in, ski-out sojourns thanks to its location beside the Hinterwies lift station.
sonnenhof.com
Haus W
The newest addition to the Almhof family is a former farmhouse built in the early 1600s. Timber dominates the four upstairs guest rooms, ground-floor dining room, full-service kitchen, pantry and wine cellar. The spa is by Japanese designer Shinichiro Ogata.
hausw.com
