Happy 10th Birthday MEININGER Salzburg

10 MEININGER Salzburg stories for the 10th birthday

FINALLY! MEININGER Salzburg is double-digit! So there is nothing left to say except “Happy 10th Birthday!”. For that moment we picked out for you ten stories for ten years of MEININGER Salzburg with drama, fun and a whole lot of entertainment. But no further spoilers, just have a look. 😉

#1 1st May 2011: IT’S A HOTEL!

On the day of the traditional Austrian “Maibaumfest” the MEININGER Salzburg was officially born. Combined with an old office plus a former disco, the city of Mozart got a 5000 square metres sized hotel with 101 rooms including a view of the mountain called “Kapuzinerberg” and the Oldtown of Salzburg.

#2 2013s flood

The flood of Salzburg in the summer of 2013 also caught the MEININGER Hotel. Two of our stuff bailed water out of the cellar for more than eight hours, which is like 600 litres per hour. After 24 hours the water came through the walls inside the cellar. GAME OVER! Although the battle against the flood was lost, we have been very proud of our team for the will they have put inside the situation!

#3 Corona strikes!

If Salzburg’s football team is playing in the Europa League, normally the hotel is on fire thanks to the fans. But this time only one guy was able to shut down the whole MEININGER. Fans of football club Eintracht Frankfurt stayed in Salzburg, one of them having COVID-19 without knowing it. Every stuff member, who was working during his stay, was put into a 14-day quarantine immediately. Only 8 out of 18 workers were left. Luckily, nobody got infected and we had enough help out of Munich and Vienna.

#4 How can I get out of Hallstatt?

Hallstatt is the most asked destination at our reception. The guests mostly want to know how to get there, how long it takes and how much the bus ticket costs. One special tourist had all these questions, but with one further: “Can I come back too?”. A few moments later he had quite a laugh about that. Even our receptionist couldn’t hold back a grin. Later that day, when he really came back from Hallstatt, he yelled at the reception “I did it! I’m back home!” and thanked the receptionist for his support. You’re welcome!

#5 Refugees are Receptionists

One of our stuff members moved to Salzburg because of the war in her home country and she joined our team immediately. She started with nothing and was able to establish herself at her young age with almost no skills of the German language. Today she finished her training and also became MEININGER Adventurer of the Year. Congratulations to perfectly executed integration!

#6 Constance Claus

The “Daddy” of MEININGER Salzburg has been here for ten years like the hotel itself. During his time as Operation Manager he employed 130 employees, took care of five Junior Operation Managers, four Senior Receptionists, some trainees too and most importantly, he always had a willing ear. Thank you, Claus and congratulations!

#7 Happy New Arm

At New Year’s Eve we always have two night workers in the hotel. But one night left a painful memory for two “nighties”. Although the New Year started with fun, loud music and dancing guests, one moment changed the entire night. One “nighty” challenged his co-worker to an arm-wrestling match thanks to a surplus of testosterone. The other accepted the challenge thanks to an even bigger surplus of testosterone despite a slight build. After a battle for the ages the challenger pushed his opponents arm down so strongly, that the arm broke completely. The New Year started with tears and one warrior went straight to the hospital. Happy New Year!

#8 ALL IN – CASH OUT

One stuff member, who is still in our team, participated in a poker tournament with his co-worker in the Casino Salzburg, which was organised by one of our partners. Although he had no idea about the game, which he played only twice in his life so far, he decided to peruse the rules before the tournament begins. In the first round the dealer made a mistake and didn´t realize the “Flush” of our poker beginner. His co-worker referred her on the mess, which forced a ten-minute break because the poker chips were already paid off. In the final session our stuff member qualified for the big final, where he became for while also the chip leader. In the end he finished second and won hotel coupon with a worth of 300€. Unfortunately, he lost it during a move to his new flat. Nevertheless, an unforgettable night.

#9 From emergency to international friendship

One of our stuff members had at the beginning of his MEININGER career an exhausting night shift completely alone because a virus was going around that time. He had to cope with lots of guests, party and alcohol. At 5am everything was finished and calm, so a young women came to a bar for a cup of tea. She was from Connecticut and started talking to our receptionist. The exact same thing happened one night later and both kept in touch. An international friendship was born, which caused visits in New York, Salzburg, Vienna and Connecticut. The friendship is still alive.

#10 The Sound of Music

For ten years now, every Wednesday and Sunday night MEININGER plays “The Sound of Music” movie at 8:30pm. Because of this film Salzburg became well-known as the city of “Sound of Music”. It got requested at the reception regularly. A touching movie based on a true story with melodies, which animate our guests to sing. After the film, a Sound of Music Tour is most wanted.