Reiters Reserve in Bad Tatzmannsdorf is far more than a hotel business. Two distinct hotels, agriculture, animal husbandry, culinary experiences, spa facilities and family activities all come together here. Alongside her husband, Karl J. Reiter, Nikola Reiter runs the extensive resort as a family business, consciously looking beyond the next financial report.
In our conversation, she explains why economic success and genuine hospitality are not mutually exclusive, why good decisions aren’t made by management alone and what young people need on their very first day at work. We talk about responsibility towards guests, employees and animals, long-term investments and a form of luxury that cannot be built or multiplied: time.
What emerges is a host who doesn’t see change as a break with tradition. Her goal is as simple as it is ambitious: guests should leave happier than when they arrived.
You don’t run a single hotel, but an entire operation comprising two hotels, agriculture, animal husbandry, a spa and leisure facilities. How do you maintain a focus on the individual guest?
I believe that’s exactly where our real responsibility lies. No guest comes here because of our organisational structure. People come to enjoy themselves. That’s why I always try to make decisions from the guest’s perspective rather than that of individual departments.
Whether it’s agriculture, the spa, cuisine or childcare, what ultimately matters isn’t how well each area functions on its own, but whether everything comes together to create a coherent overall experience.
Precisely because our resort is so diverse, we constantly have to ask ourselves: Does this decision make the guest’s stay better?
That’s why we actively seek conversations with our guests. The best ideas emerge over breakfast, in the spa or during a walk around our grounds. Our guests are our most honest advisers.
What does it mean in day-to-day operations when economic pressure increases, but you remain committed to the belief that you have to genuinely like people to succeed in hospitality?
“Anyone who genuinely likes people, both guests and employees, will be more economically successful in our industry in the long term than someone who only focuses on figures.”
For me, economic success and hospitality aren’t contradictory. They go hand in hand.
Of course, there are days when figures, costs and occupancy rates take centre stage. But we must never forget that our success is always the result of satisfied guests and committed employees.
That’s why, even under pressure, I try never to make decisions that save money in the short term but cost us trust in the long term.
How does your approach to decision-making change when an investment doesn’t have to pay off in the next quarter, but is considered across generations?
You become braver and more patient at the same time.
As a family business, we don’t have to evaluate every decision based on the next quarter. Much more often, we ask ourselves: Will this decision make our company stronger in the long term?
That way of thinking changes a great deal. You’re more willing to invest in people, quality and things that may not deliver returns until years later. Especially at a time when so much is becoming increasingly short-term, I see this as a major advantage.
Reiters Supreme has been recognised as an outstanding tourism business for apprentices and runs its own apprenticeship academy. What distinguishes genuinely good training in everyday hotel operations from an attractive promise made during recruitment?
We’re very pleased to have received the “Ausgezeichneter Tourismusbetrieb für Lehrlinge” award, which recognises outstanding tourism businesses for apprentices.
We can tell whether our approach really works by seeing whether apprentices enjoy coming to work and visibly develop throughout their training.
I believe one of the most important days of an apprenticeship is the very first day. That’s often when a young person decides whether they feel welcome or lost. That’s why we place great importance on giving our apprentices a good start right from the beginning.
A buddy system helps with this, along with dedicated department heads and colleagues who deliberately take the time to support apprentices and integrate them into the team.
For us, good training isn’t just about teaching professional skills. We’re working with young people at an important stage in their lives. They’re having their first experiences in the working world, developing confidence, learning to take responsibility and discovering their own strengths.
We accompany them on this journey. It’s important to us that they develop an enjoyment of working with people.
Of course, not every working day is wonderful. There are stressful days, mistakes and challenges. When that happens, it’s important to persevere, talk to one another and not give up immediately. Growth doesn’t happen on the easy days, but often precisely when things don’t go perfectly.
What is a form of luxury that cannot be bought or created through construction?
Time is the one thing we human beings cannot increase. That’s why I consider it a great privilege when people choose to spend their time with us.
For me, time is the greatest luxury. Time for conversations, for family and for yourself.
That’s why we created this place: somewhere people can spend their most precious resource, their holiday time.
Our goal is actually quite simple. We want people to have a really good time with us. If guests go home happier than when they arrived, then our day has been a success.
Is there something guests expect today that actually conflicts with genuine relaxation?
I think we live in a time when many people have forgotten how to do nothing.
Even on holiday, some people want to experience as much as possible, photograph everything and remain constantly available. Yet relaxation often happens precisely when nothing is going on all the time.
That’s why we try to create spaces where people can find peace again, without feeling that they’re constantly missing out on something.
Sometimes the greatest luxury today isn’t the next experience, but finally not having to experience anything at all.
What does luxury mean for a family, beyond entertainment programmes and room facilities?
“Luxury means that parents can relax, children are happy and everyone creates memories together that they’ll still remember years later.”
Families today often spend far too little real time together. That’s why, for me, luxury isn’t about having the biggest playroom or the longest slide.
If children ask when they can come back at the end of their holiday, and their parents have genuinely been able to relax at the same time, then we’ve done a lot of things right.
I’m particularly touched by the fact that we’re increasingly seeing three generations holidaying together. When grandparents, parents and children sit around a table, laughing, discussing things and simply spending time together, that’s exactly the kind of luxury we want to make possible.
Those moments can’t be bought.
Which products from your own farm have the greatest influence on the kitchen, and what does that mean for what ends up on the plate?
For us, our farm is much more than a supplier. It shapes our values.
That begins with the high-quality beef from our own herd of Angus cattle. Our Angus cattle grow slowly on our pastures and alpine meadows. They have time, are raised in conditions appropriate to their needs and are slaughtered directly on the farm without being transported elsewhere.
That’s respectful towards the animal and ultimately makes a noticeable difference to the flavour as well.
For me, agriculture therefore isn’t just about provenance, but responsibility. We also focus on seasonal and regional products. This creates a direct connection between nature, agriculture and the kitchen.
For our guests, that means not only freshness and quality, but also transparency. We know where our food comes from, and that’s exactly what builds trust.
When was the last time you changed a decision because an employee convinced you to?
To be honest, that happens regularly. I’d find it very concerning if it didn’t.
I’m convinced that good ideas aren’t tied to positions. People who work directly with guests every day often notice things that I simply can’t see.
That’s why it’s important to me to listen and take arguments seriously, regardless of who puts them forward.
The best decisions usually emerge when different perspectives come together.
Can you still be a guest in your own hotel, or do you mainly see things that could be improved?
Yes, I can. I genuinely enjoy being here.
I love the special atmosphere of our resort, the openness of the landscape, our horses and other animals, but above all the people who bring this place to life every day.
There are many moments when I simply enjoy myself and realise just how beautiful this place really is.
Of course, I also regularly notice things we could change or develop further. Not because what we already have is no longer good, but because change brings new energy.
I believe that’s precisely the secret of a family-run business: preserving what gives a place its character while continuing to develop it with great attention to detail.
That way, our hotel remains alive, both for our guests and for us.
This interview was originally conducted in German and translated into English.
