60 years of Eder
In 2021, the Hotel Eder is celebrating a very special anniversary: exactly 60 years ago, the foundation stone for the success story of the host family was laid with the Gasthof Eder in Maria Alm.
In 1961, Josef Eder, now affectionately known as Grandpa Sepp, founded Gasthof Eder from a stable on the village square in Maria Alm. Sepp was a pioneer in the idyllic alpine village, daring to try something new. Today, Josef “Sepp” Schwaiger is the third generation to run the family business – in the spirit of his visionary grandfather – and has expanded it into the Eder Collection. The former inn is now the 4-star superior Hotel Eder, an exclusive design hotel was added in 2018 with the Hotel SEPP, Sepp’s brother has established the Tom Almhütte as a highlight on the mountain and other projects such as the Maria & Josef Consepp Store are already underway. There is no standing still in the Eder/Schwaiger family.
Sepp runs the family business with openness and foresight, with heart and soul and hospitality, full of joy and passion – just as his family has shown him in his role as host. “I am particularly proud that we can show our grandparents and parents today that their hard work has done so much good in us and that their work is continuing,” says the dedicated hotelier, describing his roots and wings.


Lived hospitality and tradition
In Maria Alm, the picturesque village at the foot of the Steinernes Meer and the Hochkönig massif, the name Eder has been associated with genuine hospitality and tradition in the heart of one of the most beautiful Alpine villages in Salzburger Land for 60 years. Authentic, honest and full of joy in their work, this Almer host family have made their profession their vocation from the very beginning and the satisfaction of their guests their top priority. Three generations have not only written their own history, but have also helped to shape that of the idyllic Pinzgau community.
At the beginning of the 1960s, the sleepy farming village quickly became a popular tourist destination for hikers and mountaineers, nature lovers and those seeking relaxation and, above all, winter sports enthusiasts. This not only meant an economic upturn, but above all required expansion at an infrastructural level as well as the will and commitment of local citizens and institutions.
The entrepreneurial spirit and innovative vision of the Eder family always helped, supported and sometimes even forced challenges of this kind. Despite everything, the success never lacked the sensitivity for preserving old values and traditions or the love of the homeland.
Pioneering spirit in the blood
Great-grandfather Rupert Eder from Leogang already had a certain instinct: Maria Alm was on the verge of a boom. In 1958, he bought the Pichlstall barn on the village square and built an inn in its place for his boy with a parlour for 40 people, a large regulars’ table, a terrace and 15 guest rooms with shared showers. After the completion of the inn, 19-year-old Sepp Eder came to Maria Alm in 1960 and took over the management.
The likeable nature of the trained butcher and his involvement in clubs such as the ice shooters, the fire brigade, the ski club, tourist club, tourism association, local council and the Kameradschaftsbund made it easy for the ambitious young man to settle in quickly.
The right woman at his side was also soon found: Franziska, née Hölzl, Klinglerbauer from Maria Alm – a landlady with heart and soul.
Central meeting point in the village
With the addition of a hall for around 240 people in 1969, Gasthof Eder became the focus of public interest and the event centre par excellence: from then on, large events such as local evenings, balls and, above all, weddings filled the calendar all year round and the hall finally provided an adequate home for the legendary theatre performances of the Almer Heimatbühne. After all, the Bauerntheater had been an institution in Maria Alm since 1899 and shaped the cultural diversity of the village. Despite a long absence from the stage, the theatre community spontaneously agreed to revive this venerable tradition. In the following years, up to 40 performances per year enjoyed great popularity with locals and guests alike.
Socialising at the regulars’ table and maintaining communication with guests was always one of senior boss Sepp’s greatest concerns. Whether it was the reverend priests and original alpine farmers such as da Hangei, local artist celebrities such as Willy Schwaiger, from the family of the popular opera singer Rosl Schwaiger, federal politicians such as Jörg Haider and Heinz Fischer, or ski star and slalom ace Sylvia Eder, an offspring of the family line in Leogang – everyone felt at home at the Eder and this made the inn a popular meeting place for guests from near and far.
The family was and still is particularly proud of the many regular guests who have grown up with the family and keep coming back because of the warmth and hospitality they have always shown.
Horse happiness, craftsmanship and hospitality
The days at the inn were busy, but senior boss Sepp still found time for his great passion: breeding the only horse breed originating from Austria, the Noriker. A hobby that has already been honoured with numerous prizes and accolades, culminating in the co-organisation of the 1st International Alpine Championships for cold-blooded horses.
In terms of management, however, senior boss Franzi always kept a firm grip on the reins. A certain rigour in personnel management did not preclude her from interacting with employees in a friendly and cordial atmosphere. A hobby also became an indispensable leisure activity for senior boss Franzi: she enjoyed her role as a flag mother for the Catholic women’s organisation in traditional Almer costume. Above all, however, she enjoyed cooking and delighted her guests with her homemade juices, jams, loaves of bread and old farmhouse recipes. She had also become very fond of needlework and diligently distributed hand-knitted gloves to her five grandchildren, family and friends.
Maria Alm is blossoming
From the 1960s onwards, tourism became the number one economic mainstay in Maria Alm. Even initial sceptics were convinced of the positive development of the village thanks to the benefits of infrastructural measures such as the construction and expansion of lifts and the introduction of snow cannons. Sepp Eder also ensured this in his role as a municipal representative, in his involvement as one of ten company founders of the Aberg and Natrun lifts and as their interim managing director.
Family history
With their daughter Gertrude at their side, Sepp and Franziska Eder were assured of the continuation of the family business. After graduating from tourism college, she was indispensable as the right-hand woman for the business and was particularly responsible for new achievements such as the introduction of new booking systems, computerisation and bookkeeping. Today, Gertrude is a seasoned manager who knows everything there is to know and maintains control and an overview.
A big wedding was celebrated at Eder in 1981: Gertrude married Josef Schwaiger from Rohrmoosbauer, who was born in Almer and was a trained carpenter with a passion for catering. He had previously spent his travelling years as a waiter at Lake Chiemsee and in two neighbouring inns in the area. With his friendly nature, he not only won Gertrude’s heart, but soon also that of the guests.
The Eder and Schwaiger families took the next step towards expansion in 1984 by remodelling the existing building and extending the dining room. In this way, the number of guest rooms was doubled to 29, the ground floor was completely redesigned and the proverbial Pinzgau cosiness was further enhanced by sophisticated wooden constructions and large tiled stoves.
The children Josef, born in 1980, Thomas, born in 1985 and Theresia, born in 1986, completed the young family’s happiness. But it was only to last a few years. The unthinkable happened in 1989 when their beloved husband and father of three, Josef Schwaiger, died of leukaemia.
The family, but above all her children, helped the strong Gertrude to cope with the heavy blow of fate. Sepp, the eldest, graduated from the HTL for structural engineering and, after studying architecture, moved on to the Innsbruck University of Applied Sciences, where he completed a master’s degree in business management and management in the tourism and leisure industry.
Thomas and Theresia both graduated from the tourism school in St. Johann in Tirol and subsequently gained professional experience in service, reception and management. After years in the family business, Thomas has now successfully established his own impressive Tom Almhütte. Theresia now heads up the reception and sales team at the Eder Collection.
Between tourism boom and love of home
Despite constant modernisation and the determined expansion of the range of tourist offers, Maria Alm has managed to retain its picture-book image as an idyllic village throughout the 1990s and into the new millennium. This is documented by its advertising presence as a destination with authenticity, unspoilt nature and living tradition. Jokingly utopian visions of tourism from years gone by never became a fixed idea, thank goodness. On the other hand, the authenticity of Almer customs is still reflected today, especially in the major festivities throughout the year: at Bartholomä, for example, the oldest mountain pilgrimage in Europe with up to 3,000 participants who make a pilgrimage across the wild and romantic mountain landscape of the Steinernes Meer to Königssee, or in the variety of programmes at the unique farmers’ autumn – not to mention the homemade Eder’scher Bauernkrapfen, whose delicious reputation has already spread far beyond the borders of Maria Alm.
Over the years, boss Gertrude has been able to build up a considerable group business, which is now one of the strongest pillars of the company. During this time, she also found a new love. In 1998, Andreas Hofmann gave up his business in Germany and came to Maria Alm. With him and her children Fabian and Carola, Gertrude expanded her beloved family. The two offspring developed the same ambition as their mother at a young age.
The Eder-Schwaiger family was and is always aware of their great responsibility regarding the sensitive location in the centre of Alm. This is certainly one of the reasons why the balancing act between living in tune with the times and preserving old values and village character traits has been so masterfully achieved to this day.
Sceptre handover & Looking ahead
Sepp Schwaiger is now at the helm of the family business, a man who has taken the step into the next dimension of tourism challenges with young, dynamic freshness, calculated determination and creative visions: from a traditional inn to the Eder Collection.
Sepp’s first official act after the generational change was to remodel and expand the Hotel Eder. The aim was to preserve the familiar and warm atmosphere while creating a new identity in order to increase the interest of existing target groups and inspire new customer and guest groups.
The project began with the remodelling of the top floor to create a new home for the host family. A model suite was also created to test new tourist offers, the success of which encouraged the planning of further variants, and it quickly became clear that the integration of neighbouring buildings was also necessary for the expansion. After the purchase of the Friedhofkramerhaus, talks began with the bank as the owner of the second neighbouring building and the tourism association as a subtenant.
A renovation and redesign was the appropriate solution, coupled with the creation of 15 new guest rooms on the first floor. When construction work began on the hotel project, the summer scene in the centre of Alm was characterised by cheerful construction workers and hard-working craftsmen. Observing the construction progress quickly turned out to be an attraction and became a popular daily programme for many holiday guests.
After the end of the second construction phase, another important chapter in the company’s history began: the conversion into the 4-star Hotel Eder with 48 completely redesigned rooms and designer pine suites, 15 renovated and improved rooms in the main building, an exclusive feel-good spa oasis and a relaxing pleasure garden in the courtyard.
The new concept is not only based on the unspoilt nature that surrounds Maria Alm, it also relies on well thought-out design elements, which give nature a fascinating new look and feel in the interior design. The extraordinary combination of design and rustic cosiness, the flair of the good old days mixed with the latest high-tech and state-of-the-art equipment surprises Eder guests time and time again.
The extravagant look – created with great attention to detail by host and visionary Sepp Schwaiger – combined with regional materials allows for a modern interpretation of traditions and customs. Following the completion of four renovation stages in 2016, Hotel Eder now offers state-of-the-art interior and technical refinements as well as the good old regulars’ table.
The four-star hotel now has 72 rooms and suites, a sophisticated culinary offering, an exclusive wellness and spa area, a varied range of sporting activities and an extravagant conference area for up to 120 people.
Stillness is not an option
The conversion and extension of the Hotel Eder had barely been completed in 2016 when Sepp, a creative man with an affinity for design and architecture, was itching to get going again. And so the idea of Hotel SEPP was born in 2017, which promptly opened in September 2018.
And 2018 was also a truly memorable year in terms of family: son Sepp was born in January 2018 and Sepp finally married his beloved Tanja in October 2018.
Kick-off for the Eder Collection
The foundation stone for the Eder Collection was laid with the opening of the Hotel SEPP.
Extraordinary. Unique. Remarkable. Simply “exSEPPtional”. That is SEPP’s claim. Under the motto “together in the centre of it all”, guests celebrate life here in a stylish, casual ambience and unconventional feel-good atmosphere. The adults-only concept for guests aged 21 and over, design refinements, favourite places and extravagant details give the hotel a unique touch for a special kind of lifestyle.
The attic with live cooking station and the now legendary brunch until 1 pm, the rooftop lounge, the thermal infinity pool and the Airstream, which has been converted into a sauna for the hotel, offer spectacular views of the mountains from the roof. A leather lounge specially designed by the traditional Meindl brand, trendy Hutschn swings on the balconies and the stylish atrium with a hundred-year-old tree emphasise the extravagant yet playful touch of this extraordinary hotel.
40 casually cosy rooms surprise with various ingenious details such as an integrated cinema screen, separate storage space for bikes in summer and skis and snowboards in winter, cosy beds, rustic old wood walls that could tell stories, a solid, heated wooden floor that invites you to walk barefoot, record players and design highlights with attention to detail.
Once again, the pioneering spirit of the family has had a hand in it…
But Sepp would not be Sepp if that were to end now. Even after 60 years as hosts of the Eder/Schwaiger family, standing still is by no means an option.
In 2019, the conservatory in the Hotel Eder was converted into a stylish lounge and the façade was renovated. In 2020, the Roof Top at Hotel SEPP will be extended with a sauna and relaxation area. At the same time, additional sunbathing areas and a roof over the pool will be created at Hotel Eder. And the crowning glory at the end of the year is the opening of the new Maria & Josef shop on the village square.
The Eder Collection continues to grow and we can’t wait to see what Sepp and his Tanja, mum Gertrude and the family come up with for the anniversary year 2021