The former glory of the glamorous spa town of Bad Gastein is returning. After decades of decay, the town is experiencing an impressive renaissance thanks to visionary hotel projects such as the Grand Hotel Straubinger and the Hotel Badeschloss. Historic buildings and new design in the signature style of BWM Designers & Architects are giving the spa town new impetus – and attracting tourists and creative types alike. The next few years will now decide whether Bad Gastein can return to its former Belle Époque days – or not. […]
The former glory of the glamorous spa town of Bad Gastein is returning. After decades of decay, the town is experiencing an impressive renaissance thanks to visionary hotel projects such as the Grand Hotel Straubinger and the Hotel Badeschloss. Historic buildings and new design in the signature style of BWM Designers & Architects are giving the spa town new impetus – and attracting tourists and creative types alike. The next few years will now decide whether Bad Gastein can return to its former Belle Époque days – or not.
Bad Gastein, once known as the “Manhattan of the Alps”, is currently experiencing a renaissance that is reviving the former splendor of the sophisticated spa town. At the center of this development is the ambitious project of the hotel ensemble on Straubingerplatz, consisting of the Grand Hotel Straubinger, the Badeschloss and the Alte Post. BWM Designers & Architects worked closely with the local conservation authorities to carefully renovate the two hotels Grand Hotel Straubinger (opening September 3023) and Hotel Badeschloss (opening December 2023) and extend them with a 35-metre-high hotel tower. The project was commissioned by the Munich-based company Hirmer Immobilien. The company invested 100 million euros in the renovation project at Straubinger Platz.
The result is a sophisticated hotel concept that goes far beyond the mere renovation of the building and gives the location a much-needed boost. At the same time, The Cōmodo, another luxury hotel, opened its doors in January 2023. These developments mark a turning point for Bad Gastein, which has struggled with economic and tourism challenges – and of course the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic – in recent decades. The massive decline in tourism since the mid-1980s had led to numerous vacant hotel buildings that were increasingly falling into disrepair. The current investments and renovations are aimed at re-establishing Bad Gastein as a first-class destination and revitalizing the town center.
Bad Gastein’s historical significance goes back a long way and is closely linked to high-profile visitors. The spa town gained international fame thanks to its healing thermal springs and impressive Alpine landscape. A particularly significant event in the history of the town was the signing of the Gastein Convention on August 14, 1865. In this agreement between Prussia and Austria, which was negotiated at the Hotel Straubinger, the major German powers regulated their joint rule over the so-called “Elbe duchies” of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck, who acted as the Prussian negotiator, was one of Bad Gastein’s most prominent guests. The convention had far-reaching effects on European politics and contributed to the escalation of tensions between the two powers, which ultimately led to the German War of 1866. These historical events underline Bad Gastein’s former importance as a meeting place for the European elite and as a venue for important political decisions.
You have to explain Bad Gastein as a place, says Markus Kaplan in an interview with Baumeister. “There are people who come to Bad Gastein, who understand the place immediately and fall in love with it at the same time. And then there are the others: the people who arrive here and think: what’s this all about?”, continues BWM Partner Markus Kaplan . As a place, Bad Gastein divides opinion. Some fall in love immediately, others see the vacancy around the centrally located Haus Austria and the sad, modern congress center, and search in vain for shopping areas that might remind them of the sophisticated past. This has always been a balancing act in Bad Gastein, but the tipping point has been reached, says Markus Kaplan. The new presence of the Grand Hotel Straubinger alone has had a completely different impact on the town. However, the fact that the former upmarket resort ended up in this situation in the first place and increasingly fell into disrepair was due in particular to the communication challenges with a single person, the investor Philippe Duval, who obstructed the development of the resort for decades.
Philippe Duval’s role in the revitalization of Bad Gastein is extremely controversial and has significantly influenced the development of the town over the years. In 1999, his father Franz Duval acquired five central buildings in Bad Gastein for around five million euros, including the Grandhotel Straubinger, the Badeschloss and the Alte Post. Contrary to the original expectations, however, the Duval family left these historic buildings empty and derelict for years, which led to an intensive impairment of the townscape and tourist attractiveness. After the death of Franz Duval, his son Philippe took over the properties. Despite repeated announcements, no concrete renovation measures were carried out. This situation led to growing resentment among the population and the local authorities. It was only when the state of Salzburg intervened in 2017 and bought back three of the central buildings for six million euros on the initiative of Salzburg Governor Dr. Wilfried Haslauer that things started to move. However, Philippe Duval retained ownership of two important properties in the town center: Haus Austria and the Kongresshaus from the 1970s. However, according to the Vienna STANDARD, there has been no communication with the municipality regarding his plans for these buildings, including a cable car from the Kongresshaus to the middle station of the Stubnerkogelbahn.
Despite all the communication challenges with Philippe Duval, the current approach to revitalizing Bad Gastein is focused on the development of new, high-class hotel projects that are intended to revive the former charm of the spa town. At the heart of these efforts is the Hotel Ensemble on Straubingerplatz, a project for which BWM Designers & Architects acted as general planner. The ambitious project includes not only the renovation and interior design of the existing historic buildings, but also a new building to complement the ensemble. With a total area of around 18,000 square meters, the project aims to create hotels at four-star superior and five-star level. Particularly noteworthy is the holistic approach of the concept, which goes beyond the mere buildings and redefines the entire Straubingerplatz as a lively town center. The aim was to create a space that is attractive to both guests and the local population and thus revitalize the social and economic dynamics of the place. The current downer: while the Grand Hotel Straubinger and the Hotel Badeschloss have been completely renovated as planned, the Alte Post building is still awaiting refurbishment. Due to financial bottlenecks, Hirmer Immobilien was no longer able to convert the building into a conference center as planned. In the meantime, the Munich-based company Hirmer Hospitality has sold the Travel Charme brand, which is responsible for hotel management, to DSR Hotel Holding. However, according to Travel Charme and BWM Designers & Architects to Baumeister, the plans to renovate the core of the Alte Post still exist.
The Grand Hotel Straubinger Bad Gastein, a jewel of the Belle Époque, shines in new splendor after extensive renovation. BWM Designers & Architects paid particular attention to preserving the historical substance while integrating modern elements. The exposed location directly by the waterfall and Straubingerplatz gives the hotel a unique atmosphere. Inside, an artistic flair has been created, with individually designed rooms and suites that combine the grandeur of bygone times with contemporary comfort. Highlights include the spacious dining area – in the spirit of the Belle Époque – and the Straubing Spa with infinity pool and sauna area, which transports guests back to the 18th century under bell-shaped white parasols. The first-class culinary delights in the style of classic French and Alpine cuisine underline the hotel’s ambition to build on its great tradition. The aim is even to train the next star chefs here.
The Badeschloss Bad Gastein hotel, the modern part of the revitalized ensemble on Straubingerplatz including a new 35-metre-high building, combines historical heritage with modern luxury. The architects at BWM took particular care when renovating this listed building to preserve the characteristic elements while integrating contemporary amenities. They carefully restored the façade while preserving the original elegance of the building. Inside the Badeschloss, there is a successful symbiosis of historical details and modern design. The rooms and suites are characterized by an individual design that gives the residents the feeling of residing under water. In the wellness area on the roof of the new building, the architects have created a spectacular view of the surrounding mountain landscape.
While Bad Gastein was characterized by structural stagnation for many decades, it was art and artistic interventions that really kept the town afloat. In the course of various pop-up galleries, studios and temporary exhibitions, numerous artists and creatives discovered the place for themselves. The “Rauschen & Lauschen” art fair has established itself as an annual highlight and now attracts art lovers from all over Europe. At the same time, innovative gastronomy projects and boutiques have revitalized the streets of Bad Gastein. Young entrepreneurs, often from urban centers such as Berlin or Vienna, continue to bring fresh ideas and a cosmopolitan flair to the town. This mixture of tradition and modernity, Alpine idyll and urban creativity gives Bad Gastein an atmosphere reminiscent of Berlin in the 1990s. The local population and the municipality actively support this development, leading to a fruitful symbiosis between locals and newcomers. Now the coming years and seasons will show whether this mix of architecture, art and health hype will bring Bad Gastein back to its former glory, which, despite an intense dry spell, can continue the glamorous times of the past.
