Christina Leotard is General Manager of Vienna House Easy Günzburg. Together with her family, she left the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) in March 2016 and moved to Günzburg to assume management of the hotel, which was redesigned in the new Easy look six months ago. Time for a reflection.
Vienna House Easy Günzburg was completely renovated six months ago. What is your opinion half a year later?
We have kept, if not surpassed, all our promises both to guests and staff. The hotel team and I receive positive feedback on the renovation from our guests and that motivates us on a daily basis. The new Easy design is really awesome and the hotel offers some pretty cool amenities in all areas – from the rooms to the bakery-style breakfast restaurant to the meeting areas. I can honestly say the hotel has been renovated inside and out.
What do you like the best about the new Easy design?
Definitely the children’s area in the lobby – even if it is the loudest place in the hotel (laughs). Because we’re so close to Legoland Germany, we have a lot of families among our guests – especially during the holidays. In the children’s area, the little ones can run, jump and play on the swings while the parents relax at the nearby bar.
Another highlight for me is the multifunction room with views of the Hofgarten park. This area can be reserved for meetings or – very practical – a group breakfast.
How do guests react when they come into the hotel?
We have a lot of regular guests from local companies who have known the hotel for years. Every last one of them loves the new design: the hotel is much more modern than before yet still very cosy. The renovations have attracted many new conference guests to the hotel – and that is truly an enormous success. The multifunctional meeting rooms with creative corner are a big hit.
Families with children are often surprised at just how family-friendly the hotel is. Examples include the step ladder at the reception desk, so that children can check-in too, as well as the special children’s buffet at breakfast or the little gifts for our little guests when they arrive in their room. And let’s be honest: when the children are happy, then the parents can enjoy their holiday that much more.
Besides families, the hotel also welcomes many event and business guests. Does the concept with these two very different target groups work?
Meeting guests, business travellers and families have a very different rhythm and routine, so they actually work quite well together. Most business guests leave the hotel by eight o’clock in the morning, while families tend to take their time because Legoland doesn’t open until 10. This means that everyone can have breakfast one after the other. In the evening, when the business guests and meeting participants head to the bar to top off the day, most of the kids are already in bed. Here, too, we can see how well the concept works for the different guests.
You’re relatively new in the region yourself. What is your personal tip for visitors? What is a must-see or must-do in Günzburg?
Visitors to Günzburg should definitely go to the market square. Here you’ll see what life in Günzburg is really like: people come here to meet friends or just people-watch. Twice a week there’s a market and on sunny days the whole town seems to fill the bars and cafés in order to enjoy the Günzburg way of life. Especially popular, and a hit at our hotel bar, is the local wheat beer. In short: Bavarian hospitality combined with some dolce vita to make the city a great place to be.
Thank you for your time!