Eventually we did hit the slopes and two days of fabulous skiing later we switched to another hotel, a very different and charming retreat: the Hotel Kristiania.

When talking about the Kristiania one name is synonymous with this little boutique hotel: Othmar Schneider.  Do not worry if you don’t immediately recognise this name, to be honest I needed a little help too but to be fair, Othmar and I are two different generations.

Back in 1952, when my parents hadn’t even met yet, Othmar brought fame to the sleepy village of Lech by becoming Austria’s first winter Olympic ski event winner, bringing home a Slalom gold medal as well as an Alpine Skiing silver medal at the Olympic Winter Games in Oslo. Later that year he was awarded “Austrian Sportsman of the Year”!  Following his Olympic triumph he then went on to pursue an international career as a ski school director in Boyne-Mountain, Michigan and in Portillio, Chile. Chances are that if you learnt to ski in the US in the 1960’s, your technique has been influenced by Othmar and his crew of instructors.

If you’re from the Alps, especially from a lovely village like Lech, there is no question that you will be haunted by “Heimweh”, the painful longing for your home and in the end this eventually brought Othmar back to the mountains in 1968.  On his return, he started building his own hotel, the Kristiania, which he subsequently turned into one of the leading addresses in Lech. With his life dedicated to skiing until then, Othmar christened his hotel after the graceful parallel ski turn with the same name (the turn was – by the way – first introduced in Oslo in 1868, when the Norwegian capital still went by the name Christiania, hence the name).

At about the same time Othmar switched his focus to a second sport: pistol shooting. A 34-fold Austrian champion, he owns 17 individual titles and won team bronze at the 1974 World Championships and the European Championships in 1975. But that’s another story.

How do I know all this? Well, for one, Othmar is a fabulous host and while we were having some excellent Martinis in the bar before dinner, Othmar joined us and shared some anecdotes from his exciting biography. Secondly, while walking around the hotel you cannot help but notice his vast and impressive collection of trophies, medals and awards prominently showcased in various corners of the hotel.

But the hotel has far more to offer than just awards and medals. As generations progressed, Othmar handed over the operational part of the 29-room hotel to his daughter Gertrud. Her unique style, creative spirit and warm personality have combined to develop the Kristiania into what it is today. Gertrud tastefully transformed the property into a fresh potpourri of vibrant colours, high quality materials and fabrics, different styles and creative designs. A carefully curated collection of contemporary artwork and antiques enhance the public areas, while the bedrooms and suites have their own distinctive identity: Luis Trenker, Chenghis Khan and Marie Antoinette are just some of the rooms’ themes (and names – rather than numbers) and as a result it is difficult to choose your favourite room, all of them are lovely. There are charming details in every room such as a little wooden box containing all hotel information. Depending on the theme of the suite you might find incense sticks in your bathrooms or other surprising touches.

After drinks in the bar we move to the Kristiania’s á la carte restaurant, which, with its canopied cooking range makes the ideal setting for classical fine dining. An alternative is the Kaminzimmer with its open fireplace, designed for casual dining and relaxed get togethers. Either way you’ll enjoy the atmosphere, oozing the region’s traditional Alpine heritage.

The restaurant’s menu reads like a journey through Austrian gourmet cuisine, side tracking into modern interpretations of international dishes. The Austrian Evergreen section, however, is my favorite and so I go for the traditional “Tafelspitz”, super tender boiled prime of beef with roast potatoes, spinach and delicious apple horseradish.
The desserts are all worth trying and no need to worry about the calories – you’ll be working those off on the slopes the next day!

From the extensive wine list with over 300 labels I choose the exceptional 2001 Ornellaia over my Austrian “usual suspects” and we take a second bottle as we settle fireside back in the cozy bar for a night cap.

Over breakfast that morning Gertrud had explained her desire was to make the Kristiania a comfortable home to her guests, one with individuality, lifestyle and privacy. I couldn’t agree more: her personal style and unique charm set the distinctive, convivial atmosphere at the Kristiania and while sipping away on our fabulous wine with the log fire cracking in front of us, the snow falling outside, my eyes scanning the numerous trophies, memorabilia and fine art I know one other thing for sure: I am not going skiing tomorrow, I’m staying ‘home’!