After a fire destroyed their hotel shortly before the re-opening, Marcel and Andrea Zirngast didn’t give up. They started again, adding a Scandinavian inspired boutique-hotel to the ski-destination Schladming, as well as an exceptional new culinary address focusing on regional cuisine. Stages of Taste talked to head chef Thomas Gruber and the hotel owners.
The year 2024 burned itself quite literally into the back of their minds. Just weeks before the scheduled reopening of their newly renovated Hotel Haus Zirngast, Marcel and Andrea Zirngast had to face the worst possible scenario. Caused by a technical defect, the roof truss caught fire, which eventually spread to a large part of the house. “After a catastrophe like that, everything stands still,” says the pair, who chose not to give up. The à la carte restaurant of Haus Zirngast had already been newly conceptualized by long-time friend and colleague Thomas Gruber, at the time well-known chef of the Falkensteiner Hotel at Velden Castle on Lake Wörthersee. “We had already dreamed of working together for many years,” says the renowned chef from southern Austria. “I had developed menus, conceptualized the kitchen, coached the staff, and during this process it felt more and more like planning my own restaurant. Then, in 2024, everything stopped.” The owners took the opportunity and rebuilt the hotel, added another floor, and expanded the design concept to the entire house. “Everything speaks one language now, which is ‘Styrian Hygge’,” says Gruber. Hygge is a Danish word and concept describing a feeling of comfort and contentment, which has become widely popular in other cultures as well. That said, the trend of Hygge is not only “comfy and chill” but also comes with a certain design expectation. “This means we use a lot of natural materials like light wood, arranged in a clean design with clear lines. At the same time, it is combined with darker colours like navy blue, creating the typical Scandinavian feeling. This is reflected in the design. In the kitchen, we also try to put this concept of comfort into action, while combining it with our biggest priority and passion: the use of regional products and traditional cuisine in a new approach.”
Passion for Regional Identity
After more than seven years as the executive chef of a five-star hotel, Thomas Gruber, who started in December as head chef of Haus Zirngast, was looking forward to applying his regional and down-to-earth style of cuisine to his new position. “I have always stayed true to my beliefs and my approaches when it comes to regional identity and local cuisine, but in a hotel, not everything is possible. You have to work with large and constantly changing teams, and you have an obligation to guests to always offer a wide variety of food. At Haus Zirngast, the circumstances allow me to work much more freely and experimentally. And it is absolutely terrific. And the guests love it. Regulars from Graz to Salzburg come to eat with us.” In his kitchen, Gruber has an ace up his sleeve: sous chef Michelle Kohlweiss, with whom he worked for six years, has joined him on his journey into a new culinary chapter. “It is a game changer to enter a new kitchen with someone who already knows the dynamics and the way we work.” Together, they are already planning culinary events in the new Schladming hotspot, aiming to refresh the reputation of traditional Austrian cuisine and shed new light on the creative potential hidden beneath it. For a new gastronomic start, the timing could not be better. The popular tourist destination Schladming, which is especially popular in winter, is currently undergoing significant change, says Gruber. “In terms of regional avant-garde, a lot is happening at the moment. And in March, Schladming will host the Austrian Michelin Awards Ceremony.” The chef also adds that it is the house, the people, and the philosophy, more than the place itself, that inspired him to make the change. “If Haus Zirngast were anywhere else, I would be there too.”
Hygge in the Hotel and on the Plate
On the plate, the idea of comfort and regional identity, combined with the feeling of “Styrian Hygge”, can look like this: Cacio e Pepe, the Italian pasta classic, reimagined with traditional Austrian potato-based pasta. Or Szegediner cabbage stew, traditionally made with beef, but prepared with local fish, making it smoother and adding subtle elegance while remaining rooted in regional cuisine. The boutique concept of the hotel itself follows a clean, soothing, Scandinavian-inspired look, combined with a subtle urban touch. The hotel offers breakfast, and the restaurant is open to everyone. For the owners Marcel and Andrea Zirngast, the philosophy of their hotel lies close to their hearts. “Styrian Hygge” is not intended to follow any trend. It is about arriving consciously, about places where you can unwind, reconnect with yourself, and experience genuine closeness to nature, to other people, and to yourself. Inspired by Scandinavian life philosophies such as Hygge and Lagom, a Swedish concept of balance and contentment, we translate these values into our own language: honest, down-to-earth, and deeply rooted in Styria. For us, coziness is not a matter of decoration, but of feeling. Of taking time. Of simplicity that feels good. Of quality over excess. Whether in our hotel, at our campsite, or in the restaurant, our goal is to create spaces and moments that slow you down and allow resonance.
