Alpenresort Schwarz

Challenge

When you run a five star hotel that generates five star reviews across all the major review sites, how can you ensure that you’re constantly innovating and improving?

Ever since the Pirktl family opened their guesthouse more than fifty years ago, their ambition was clear – to provide a holiday resort that embraces the region’s nature and works for all ages.

Over the years, the resort outside Innsbruck has expanded considerably, with everything from a 92- metre water slide to a 27-hole golf course now available for guests. The Alpenresort boasts a world-class spa and 30 health and beauty therapists dedicated to their guests’ well-being, as well as gourmet restaurants and a dedicated children’s programme.

But the best resorts, hotels and restaurants want to constantly improve. To create even better memories for their guests, and even better experiences for their staff, suppliers and other stakeholders. And Alpenresort is no exception.

Solution

For almost 20 years, the Priktl family, who own and manage the Alpenresort Schwarz, have used the EFQM model to benchmark and improve the resort’s performance. The model was introduced at the first formal strategy session for the resort’s managers as a way to track and measure improvements. It has taken centre-stage in similar meetings every year since. Over the years, The EFQM Model has helped the family to define the resort’s mission, values, vision and find ways to involve all of their stakeholders in their quest for constant improvement.

Using the EFQM methodology, managers consistently noted long-term increases in key metrics, including employee satisfaction, recommendations, leadership, overall satisfaction with colleagues, and training, as well as increasing turnover and profit.

The family owners were so successful that in 2013 the Alpenresort Schwartz became the first Austrian company to win the EFQM Excellence Award – and only the second hotel ever to win the Award.

And ever since winning that award, the Alpenresort Schwartz has continued to use the EFQM model to identify and frame constant improvements.

It is now a five-star hotel with five-star reviews across the board. Even in challenging times, such as helping to re-open following the Covid-19 pandemic, The EFQM Model has provided a useful benchmark and practical guidance.

It is also helping the Pirtkl family to look forward as well.

EFQM has published recommendations on how to use the EFQM model to address the UN SDGs.