Maria and Josef Falkensteiner

Welcome home!

Falkensteiner is a story of family success, a blend of traditional and modern, unique architecture and a place for enjoyment, which everyone can call their home.

The renowned Austrian hotel chain Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group (FMTG) started operating more than half a century ago in a small family-run hotel in South Tyrol. The married couple Maria and Josef Falkensteiner worked with much diligence and devotion to make their dreams come true and provide the best service to all the guests of the region.

After the death of Josef Falkensteiner, the business was inherited by their sons – Erich and Andreas. The Falkensteiner brothers soon expanded the family business and opened hotels in other European countries.

Forty years later, Falkensteiner began cooperating with a consulting company in the field of tourism - Michaeler & Partner. The FMTG Group, which has its head office in Vienna, today has 31 hotels in six European countries.

When Maria and Josef Falkensteiner opened their first family-run hotel in South Tyrol in 1957, they probably never imagined that a renowned Austrian hotel chain would today proudly bear their family name some half a century later.

The first family hotel named Falkensteiner Hotel Lido Ehrenburgerhof had seven beds and was the first hotel in South Tyrol to have en-suite bathrooms. Today, the large, four-star Falkensteiner Family Hotel Lido Ehrenburgerhof occupies the place of the first small hotel.

Erich and Andreas Falkensteiner continued the family tradition and opened new hotels in South Tyrol. After opening a hotel in Vienna and a large holiday club in Carinthia (Austria), Falkensteiner expanded into the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Croatia, and Serbia.

In addition to the number of hotels it possessed and managed, the company also gradually expanded its activities in other areas of tourism. The founding of the consulting company Michaeler & Partner and the central investment company GES, were of particular importance for today’s overall business operations of the FMTG Group.

The Austrian group began expanding into Eastern European countries in 2001. The first hotel was opened in Croatia, followed by the opening of modern hotels in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and as of 2012, with two new Falkensteiner hotels, Serbia has also made it onto the rich list of the renowned group.

“Our success is the result of numerous details and fruitful cooperation between various business fields”, says Otmar Michaeler, CEO of the Austrian Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group. “Interdisciplinary experience of our consulting and development department and the project management department creates synergy between the four categories of our hotels, which pleases our guests and the investors alike”.

Over half a century of success

From a family-run hotel with seven beds, FMTG today has more than 4,485 hotel rooms and 251 luxurious suites in six European countries. Throughout the year Falkensteiner records more than 1.5 million stays, meaning several hundreds of thousands of guests from all over the world are enjoying the unique offer the Falkensteiner hotels have to give. The Austrian group today employs over 1,700 people from 31 countries.

On the site where the first Falkensteiner family hotel opened in 1957, the Falkensteiner Family Hotel Lido Ehrenburgerhof stands today.

Four categories of the Falkensteiner Hotel so every guest gets their ideal rest

As the number of hotels owned by the Falkensteiner brothers increased, the variety of their offer and what clients required as regards unique hotel amenities also changed. FMTG recognised the specific needs of its guests and strategically classified its hotels into four separate categories. So, today the hotel chain has Family, Wellness, City and Premium Collection hotels.

Premium Collection is a new Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences line of hotels with five stars. This prestigious status is only given to the best hotels owned by the group. The quality criteria were defined in compliance with the highest standards of the international luxurious hotel industry which made the “Premium Collection Hotel” a class in itself.

All guests to the five-star Falkensteiner hotels have a unique opportunity to enjoy first-class service, high-quality equipment and a rich gastronomic offer which is adapted to the specific region in which the hotel is located, and all this in accordance with the highest of Falkensteiner standards.Aesthetics are one of the most important factors in the Premium Collection, and thus all the hotels belonging to the most luxurious category have unique architecture and interior design.

One of these hotels is the Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Iadera, located in the Punta Skala resort in Zadar. The luxurious hotel is a member of the renowned hotel association “The Leading Hotels of the World” and is the only Croatian member of the “The Leading Spas of the World”. Unsurpassable design, first-class equipment and the spirit of the Mediterranean are combined with the best service one an offer, thus providing an exclusive oasis for relaxation which sets new standards. Credit for the first-class architecture and interior design go to two globally recognised architects – Boris Podrecca and Matteo Thun, who demonstrated their skills particularly well in the unique wellness centre which covers an area of 6,000 m².

Family Hotels are a separate line of Falkensteiner family hotels specially tailored to the needs of families as regards infrastructure, interior design, services and offer. As part of their rich offer, family hotels provide parents with childcare services throughout the day in the Falky Land creative space for children.

One hotel which always keeps the youngest guests entertained with its special children’s programmes is the Falkensteiner Hotel Diadora, the Austrian chain’s second hotel in the Punta Skala resort. As part of the hotel on the Dalmatian coast there is the Falky Zoo with domestic animals that never fails to exhilarate the young ones. There is also the "ECO Station" tour, where children and parents can learn more about the sustainable, closed ecological system of the Punta Skala peninsula, as well as the Falky Swimming Academy which helps both children and adults learn to swim or improve their swimming technique.

Falkensteiner Hotel Stara Planina – sun, nature and relaxation at an altitude of 1,400 m

The family-oriented Falkensteiner Hotel Stara Planina is one of the two hotels in Serbia managed by FMTG. Throughout the winter season children can learn how to ski and enjoy winter games, while in the summer, all guests can really relax amid the nature. Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoor swimming pool and try mountain biking, but above all – to enjoy the natural environment.

Wellness Hotels of the Falkensteiner Group are meant for relaxation and rest, but they are also committed to healthy living. At the Acquapura Spa Centre, guests can make use of swimming pools, a steam and Turkish steam bath and massage and yoga services, and the doors to the Falkensteiner Wellness hotels are currently open in South Tyrol, Austria, the Czech Republic and Croatia.

City Hotels – an outstanding way to get under the skin of Europe’s metropolises. The Falkensteiner line of city hotels has a specific philosophy: a city hotel with a character. In their choice of locations, the Falkensteiner brothers always managed to find the most attractive locations in Europe’s cities, where they then built and opened their unique city hotels. FMTG’s goal was that everyone should feel the city in a unique way, no matter whether they visit the hotel as a tourist or on business. For this reason, what the hotels offer each season is very appealing and varied.

Falkensteiner Hotel Belgrade – Outstanding architecture in the business heart of the capital

Falkensteiner Group opened a business hotel in New Belgrade in late 2012. The hotel belongs to the City Hotels category, and so far it has been visited by many business guests and tourists from all over Europe and Serbia. As for additional amenities, the hotel has a City Spa Centre, Finnish sauna, steam bath, relaxation room, and two massage rooms. A fitness zone is also available to all guests, equipped with the modern exercise equipment.

As the philosophy of the Falkensteiner hotels is “Welcome Home”, the New Belgrade hotel focuses on the comfort of guests by paying special attention to detail.