The new 5-star Falkensteiner Hotel Montafon

The new resort by the Austrian Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group (FMTG) - operating under its Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences brand - is built on four levels, taking advantage of the natural slope of the mountains, and comprises two structures branching off from a central nucleus containing the communal areas.

The reception, clad in spruce wood, the Wellness area with a 1,400 sq m spa and the ski room are accessed from ground level, while the 123 rooms and suites, all with balconies and panoramic views, are on the upper floors.

The large central staircase leads down to the lobby, bar, restaurant and swimming pool. It also provides access to the outdoor terrace, offering views of the forests and the mountains. As a family-friendly hotel, it naturally includes plenty of spectacular space for children.

In their interpretation of this design project, Claudio Saverino and Tiziano Vudafieri studied the rural alpine landscape and traditional local elements, reimagining them through a contemporary lens. Here in the unspoilt nature of the Montafon, where the largest mountain ranges meet to form the “Heart of the Alps”, forests, meadows, mountain huts and haylofts narrate the seasonal movements of shepherds and their animals over centuries of history.

The architects, respectful of the spirit and essence of the place, make use of references from the local area: the fences of woven branches and wooden slats typical of local barns are referenced as decorative elements and as screens in the restaurant, while local handmade rugs are reproduced on custom-made wallpaper used as headboards in all the rooms.

Vernacular materials such as stone, spruce and larch wood, and white plaster are used to pay homage to the traditional building style of the area, and in particular to the Montafoner Häus, a spruce and stone construction which for centuries has been the local architectural archetype, characterising the valley’s cultural and residential landscape. The wooden shingles used on these buildings are featured as a decorative motif in the wellness area and spa.

In terms of colour, Vudafieri-Saverino Partners focused on the selection of a colour palette which draws inspiration from the unique features of the alpine landscape, and particularly from three-phase farming, an agricultural method that has shaped the lives of the rural population of this area for centuries.

“Based on the traditions of this ancestral technique which alternates winter, autumnal and spring sowing, we focused on the various shades of natural colours, placing them at the centre of our interior design,”, explain the architects.

While in the communal areas - such as the reception, the lobby, the wellness area and the spa - the shades are evocative of summer and spring, mixing bright meadow green, the delicate blue tones of the water and shades of larch and spruce, the palette in the rooms is more autumn and winter based, featuring warm reds, oranges and yellows, again combined with larch wood.

“To reflect the beauty of the Montafon, in the rooms of the hotel we opted for a colour palette that recalls a unique phenomenon: the Montafoner Indian Summer, which usually only occurs in the north-east United States. This is a brief period in the autumn when the climate is as mild as the summer, and the trees are ablaze with shades of yellow, red and orange: a truly enchanting landscape”, say the architects.

The Montafon valley, 39 km long, extends from the Bielerhöhe to Bludenz and is crossed by the Ill river. Located at the midway station of the Golm mountain and near Lake Latschau, the hotel offers spectacular scenery and views. Guests at the 5-star Falkensteiner Hotel Montafon can enjoy all the opportunities the area has to offer in every season, owing to a hotel concept that successfully captures the special nature of its location to create stunning and unique spaces. In symbiosis with nature, Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group places great importance on the sustainability of the hotel. The energy for the hotel comes from the nearby Lünerseewerk, a hydroelectric power plant owned by Illwerke VKW, a best practice for sustainable energy supply and the owner of the hotel.