Nowadays it is hard to survive for family run hotels. Therefore it is very nice for a change to be able to watch a small hotel to not only survive a couple of generations but to also grow and develop. Unfortunately it is more common to loose the connection to modern times.
The hotel Weinbergschlösschen is a praiseworthy exception. The younger generation took over a couple of years ago and changed some things immediately. Amongst them also the name. ‚Bergschlösschen‘ became ‚Weinbergschlösschen‘.
That was the beginning of a number of smaller and bigger changes: First the rooms were renovated in a very skillful way. Skillful means that the rooms are presented individually and fondly designed. If nothing else because of the self sketched and designed furnitures that even include clever details for the guests. Here you will find a plug at each bedside. Unfortunately this is still not common today even now that many people travel with their smartphone. Also the decoration varies from up to date styles and materials. Here you can feel the affinity to details and to handicraft in each and every room.
Also regarding the togetherness you can feel the affection. The conversation with the guests is cordially and towards the regular guests even amicable. Sometimes they even get a hug at a reunion. Also among the staff there is a nice atmosphere. As a guest you immediately can feel that all like to work together and have fun doing so. You can here much laughter.
Even now after the house has grown and gathered more employees. The originally 5 guest rooms have not only been equipped with an own bathroom and toilet but during the years the number of rooms has risen as well. The kitchen has been displaced and enlarged and some former achievements have been gone. Though one has been so proud of them, that they were announced on the hotel own matchboxes. Like the bowling alley. Or the sauna. Instead the guests enjoy the new lift and the fact that they don’t need to carry their luggage upstairs.
The restaurant became a meeting room and the old kitchen became another meeting room. Then the restaurant has been enlarged. The breakfast room as well. And in case we interpret the signs right there will be more changes soon. The creativity of the chefs of the house seems to be unbroken. Neither regarding the culinary arts nor the planning of reconstructions.
Talking about culinary arts. Also here the ambitious brothers introduced some new events. The cooking school that teaches you how to prepare a multi course meal; also in your team if you like. Or you visit one of the cookery courses dealing with different subjects. Or have a look at the travel around the world in seven courses. Here you can explore the globe with your roof of the mouth. Because the chefs have worked on cruise ships and thus learned much about exotic ingredients and flavours. Now they use this knowledge for their dishes. By the way they have both worked at the Traube Tonbach as well. So the culinary arts alone are worth a visit. Even without a hotel room.
One of the latest ideas was the kitchen party which nowadays is legendary. So it was no wonder that the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the house have been held in form of a huge kitchen party:
But first things first: The festivities for the big event started already Friday evening with the above mentioned wine tasting and a following five „Strammer Max“ which is normally fried egg with ham on bread. But now it was served as a modern variation. And also other dishes like ‚pork belly with cabbage and potatoes‘ was not old fashioned but a new creation. And like the wine tasting the evening was a mixture between young and old. With traditional courses and new creations. But everything was presented with the usual Weinbergschlösschen quality.
On the next evening even ten courses have been offered at as many stations that have been distributed over the building and in the outdoor area. There each dish has been prepared or arranged on the plate freshly in front of the guests. Additionally there have been six stands of wine growers with matching wines. The guests stroll from station to station, taste some of this and try some of that and get some advice from the wine growers about which wine to drink with the black feather chicken or which one goes with the saltimbocca from the deer.
Well known colleagues love to accept their invitation and enrich the courses with their own creations so that it will never get boring. Three of them contributed dishes for the anniversary and came up with something extraordinary. Or have you ever had apple-whisky-bacon-egg? It sounds weird but was delicious.
Different to the ‚normal‘ kitchen parties the anniversary took place in the summer so that guests could also celebrate on the terraces. Terraces in plural because there is also an innovation. The old pavilion had to go but was erected anew in front of one of the meeting rooms to form a nice place for the breaks. Of course not just like that but an new terrace has also been formed. The so called ‚stone‘ terrace. Exactly there the wine tasting of the anniversary party took place and was at the same time some inauguration. Ten wines could be tried. Old ones and young ones. Among them also the famous Bush-wine from 1989 and sadly nowadays a rare drop: Ice wine from 1983. You can hardly get anyone today.
There was even a huge marquee at the terrace according to the occasion where a band was playing and supported the party with their music. The wooden floor of this marquee later served as a dance floor.
But there was more to it than that. There have been more surprised for the numerous guests. Around midnight the name giving wine yards have not only been illuminated by an ample firework but there could also be seen a „60“ made out of lights.
No, that was not the end. There was a draw and the first prize has been a night in the legendary ‚Turmzimmer‘ – the tower room. Of course with the whole shebang.
The grand finale was a five tier cake. Also an innovation, that such a masterpiece is planned and made in house. Everyone held their breaths as the cake has been carried to the table. Five different cakes with different layers and creams like peach or vanilla, black forrest cake or chocolate. Lush decorated and with a „60“ made out of marzipan. Where do I know these two from? For the cake people were queuing because every one wanted a taste of it. In the end no single crumb was left over. Here also a new tradition could have been born.
Time Lapse „Cake – MakingOf“
So we all can be curious what the Lambrich brothers will come up with next. But one thing is for sure. It will be at least yummy and there will be the one or other surprise included. It will never be boring or monotonous. So it is worth to have a look once in a while during the next 60 years at the hotel Weinbergschlösschen to see what’s new! We wish the whole family Lambrich all the best for the future!
All Photos © DieMeurers
