The former Salzburger Braugasthof
The storied past of the former “Höllbräu” - today’s Hotel Altstadt Radisson Blu - can be traced back to the year 1377, which makes it one of the most historic guest establishments in all of Salzburg. From early times, lords both secular and spiritual had maintained breweries - with their subjects required to render “malt and hops service” - and as beer production and consumption increased extensively during the 15th century, a highly profitable commercial enterprise came about. The archbishops of Salzburg maintained tight control over the business, enforcing stringent requirements for guild membership and other strict regulations, whilst arranged marriages were a relatively common practice in a bid to enhance the power of the brewing families. Incidentally, evidence of the guild system can still be seen in Salzburg’s Old City today, where countless guild signs continue to hang outside of local shops.
Over the years, of course, much began to change and, during the 19th century, the guild system began to dissolve. Liberal economic policies during the times of the Electors and Bavarians presented the brewers with new challenges. Beer prices were raised, Salzburg began to experience a slow but steady increase in tourism. So it was that, from those original inns, the precursors of today’s hotels began to develop. By and by, better-equipped and better-furnished establishments appeared, soon also able to boast electricity and running water.
Over the decades, numerous beer-brewing families have left their mark on the Salzburg brewing trade, including such famous families as Elixhauser, Brodmann, Schrems and Engländer - all of whom indulged the high art of brewing with overwhelming ambition, joy and painstaking care.
Then and now
In 1990, the architectural firm of Erio K. Hofmann was commissioned with the planning and construction management of the “Höllbräu Complex”. With a true love for detail, this listed historic site in the protected historic district of the Old City had been revitalised in 1966, so that the essence of this precious building, along with its many historically priceless features - such as the facades, old wood floors and wooden beam ceilings, as well as the striking roof forms - could be successfully preserved. All of the work was continually monitored by the Federal Monuments Office in Vienna.
In 1992, the hotel was officially opened, with numerous state guests in attendance. Because of the dignified interior and such valuable interior details, the opening festivities were a definite highlight of 1992, especially since this had now become the most exclusive 5-star hotel in all of Austria.
2007 to the Present
The hotel was completely renovated with painstaking care in 2007, always with an eye to highlighting its historical elements and unique stature. So it is that today’s guest discovers an establishment that is rich in tradition, yet accompanied by all the amenities of a modern 5-star hotel. Barely will you have stepped through the entrance archway, which dates back to 1550, than you will be greeted by rooms which radiate a distinctive “esprit” and offer an array of comforts including flat-screen TV, W-LAN, gilded fittings and Untersberg marble in the bathrooms. Other exquisite features, such as antiques, oil paintings, Persian carpets and Biedermeier mirrors, add the finishing touches to the overall appearance of the hotel.
