Gisela Harrer is a globetrotter and herbalist.  She produces exquisite syrups

for mocktails – and shares her  in-depth knowledge with guests at the

Engelwirt Art Hotel  in Berching during a workshop – whilst top chef

Tommy Schäfer creates a wild herb menu to accompany them

Hamburg, 2 July 2026 – Her life story reads like that of a globetrotter: in California, she crocheted Bavarian cardigans for luxury boutiques; in Switzerland, she worked in top-class restaurants; and in Iran, she watched as the Shah of Persia flew away in a helicopter with Farah Diba right before her eyes. In Munich, she subsequently moved in circles of the aristocracy and the jet set. Then came a financial turning point: Gisela Harrer fell from her queen-size bed into the car seat, lived for months in her red VW Golf and, back in her home region of the Upper Palatinate, reconnected with her family roots: her mother had passed on her knowledge of herbs to her, so she gathered wild herbs in the meadows – and successfully sold them to Munich’s top chefs: stinging nettles to Hans Haas at Tantris, wild garlic to Alfons Schuhbeck. Today, for example, the 78-year-old woman from the Upper Palatinate creates herbal syrups for mocktails and shares her knowledge of wild herbs in a workshop (9–11 October 2026) with guests at the Engelwirt Hotel in Berching – top chef Tommy Schäfer is creating a special wild herb menu to accompany it.

During the workshop, Gisela Harrer will lead a walk through the meadows of the Altmühl Valley, where wild herbs will be gathered. Back at the hotel, the focus is on how to use the ingredients and the various ways of preparing them. Gisela Harrer says things like: “More bitter compounds, please!” or “I’m as fit as a fiddle”. And as the afternoon progresses, she hands over the reins to Tommy Schäfer, who trained with Heinz Winkler in Aschau and is now, amongst other things, the in-house chef at the Engelwirt for special occasions. Together with the guests, he prepares a menu featuring wild herbs and shares tips and tricks on how to use them in the kitchen. What exactly will the menu look like? The 59-year-old, likeable chef does not yet wish to comment on this. He says: ‘It all depends on what can be found in the meadows.’

As well as nature, guests at the hotel can also immerse themselves in the finest culture: the Engelwirt is an art hotel par excellence. The fully restored 17th-century provost’s estate, with its total of 15 rooms and suites, was opened in 2024 by Michael and Stephanie Zink. Here, guests live with and amongst art. In Room Five, for example, you are greeted by two dogs in green uniforms who are rescuing a diver on the moon, whose outfit is reminiscent of Neil Armstrong’s. ‘Diver on Moon’ is a work by the French artist Gregory Forstner. In front of the piece stand two small green stools with illustrated books to browse through. Wherever your gaze falls: paintings and sculptures blend harmoniously with carefully selected designer furniture by Eames, Moormann, Wegner, Prouvé and Moroso, and with historic elements such as stucco ceilings, opulently carved oak doors and rose-shaped pointed arches. The Engelwirt is truly a treat for all the senses.

Engelwirt Hotel & Apartments

Der Beitrag From the Queen-Size Bed to the Wild Meadow erschien zuerst auf TN Hotelconsulting.

With singing bowl meditation on the Chasté Peninsula

and forest bathing amidst the greenery of the larch trees,
the Waldhaus Sils offers its guests unforgettable days of relaxation

Hamburg/Sils Maria, 30 June 2026 – There is perhaps no hotel more suited than the Waldhaus Sils for escaping the little madness out there and finding one’s own inner peace. The writer Martin Mosebach wrote of the legendary hotel: “The world could come to an end, and you would only find out about it at the ‘Waldhaus’ a week later – through a matter-of-fact announcement from the porter.” From 22 to 25 August 2026, it is offering its guests a series of exceptional meditation days led by Ursina Dietrich Planta. The qualified sound therapist specialises in meditation and forest bathing and has selected special locations for these sessions: on the shores of the Chasté Peninsula, where Nietzsche experienced his epiphany and which he described as the most beautiful spot in the Engadin, Ursina Dietrich Planta will lead a meditation session with singing bowls, whose gentle sound resonates in the silence of nature on an early summer morning – the rhythmic vibrations have a direct and demonstrably positive effect on the autonomic nervous system, calming the heartbeat and slowing the breathing. These two activities form part of the Deep-Health programme, which the Waldhaus is continuing to develop in collaboration with the region.

Meditation with singing bowls has a long tradition. The same is true of forest bathing, which involves the conscious perception of nature with all the senses and, like singing bowl meditation, has positive effects on the immune system and stress regulation. Here, too, the charismatic sound therapist takes you out into nature in the morning; the Waldhaus towers over the village of Sils Maria like a castle and is surrounded by fairytale-like green larch forests. Ursina Dietrich Planta says: “It moves me every time to see how, after just 20 to 30 minutes, guests relax, breathe more deeply and let their thoughts come to rest. For me personally, forest bathing has opened up a new perspective on things and on life – not having to do anything, but simply being.’ Another special feature of these meditation days is the shoulder, neck and head massage in the hotel’s modern spa. Anyone who treats themselves to this experience lets go of everything after just a few minutes and, just as in meditation, enters a state of total relaxation – like being in a state between waking and sleeping. Nietzsche would probably have said: “Treat yourself to a moment of peace and you’ll realise just how foolishly you’ve been rushing about.”

Hotel Waldhaus Sils

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The Schgaguler Hotel is celebrating the 20th anniversary

of the Sella Ronda Bike Day – featuring classic and modern road bikes

and accompanied by an Italian professional road cyclist

Hamburg/Kastelruth, 23 June 2026 – Road bikes have become just as common a sight in big cities as portafilter coffee machines and moustaches. Whether young or old, whether an ambitious weekend cyclist or a die-hard enthusiast: road cycling is a national sport. A fad? Perhaps. Yet this sport has a long tradition. Particularly in South Tyrol, where the Sella Ronda Bike Day is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year – 53 kilometres, four Dolomite passes, up to 20,000 enthusiasts –and all without timekeeping or rankings. This is all about people, bikes and one of the world’s most spectacular mountain landscapes. No exhaust fumes, no noise. Just the wind and the quiet ticking of the gears.

The multi-award-winning Hotel Schgaguler in Kastelruth has put together a special offer for all road cycling enthusiasts to mark this exciting anniversary from 10 to 13 September 2026: participants wishing to take part in all or part of the race will be accompanied by local road cycling veteran Claudio Camin and will have the chance to experience the technical evolution of road bikes for themselves – by riding vintage bikes (before the race) and modern road bikes. Claudio Camin, the 55-year-old from Bolzano, epitomises the technical evolution of road bikes and has some unforgettable stories to tell on the subject. He himself secured his first victories at the age of 11 on his blue-green Bianchi bike and took part in numerous World Cup races across Europe, including the 1996 Tour de France. Today, the 55-year-old from Bolzano builds bespoke racing bikes – feather-light, minimalist in design, and co-developed by an engineer with a background in Formula 1. Just how big is the difference between these modern racing machines and the classics? This weekend offers the perfect opportunity to find out.

There’s something for every level and every ambition. And for those who’d rather watch the Sella Ronda Bike Day from the sidelines, the views are certainly not to be missed either. After returning from their active morning, participants can enjoy a magnificent spa, excellent regional cuisine and a good night’s sleep in rooms that couldn’t be more beautifully designed. And all with a view of the Dolomites.

The Schgaguler Hotel has won numerous awards for its design. Its wonderful cuisine combines South Tyrolean and Italian specialities, and the spa – complete with a pool and saunas – is the perfect place to unwind after hikes, bike rides and wine tastings – just like in the elegant rooms with their clean lines and floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the mighty Schlern, one of the kings of the Dolomites.

Design Hotel Schgaguler

Der Beitrag A celebration on two wheels erschien zuerst auf TN Hotelconsulting.

The exhibition ‘Traumreisen’ by the Hamburg-based exhibition concept THE SPACE // explores an approach to globalisation and globality

Hamburg, 22 August 2024 – How is the self shaped by society, technology and our relationship with nature? How does it change, and how does our self-perception change, in a world of confusing turbulence and turbulent confusion? And how can it break free from prejudices and stereotypes and maintain optimism in order to actively change perspectives? These questions are explored in the works of 15 contemporary artists in the new exhibition “Traumreisen”, presented by the Hamburg-based exhibition concept THE SPACE // from 7 September to 26 October 2024.

“Traumreisen” aims to highlight the optimism of GLOBALITY. The exhibition approaches the theme on various levels – inspired by the Surrealist movement, Nicolas Bourriaud’s “Planet B – ‘Climate Change and the New Sublime’ and the ‘Poetics of Relation’ by the French writer and philosopher Édouard Glissant, in which identity is defined by a diversity of relationships rather than by ethnic descent – Glissant distinguishes between globalisation (capitalism and multinational corporations) and its flip side, which he calls globality, referring to the creative interactions between cultures.

All the artworks in this exhibition stand on their own yet engage in a dialogue with one another. They defy stereotypes and simplistic interpretations, challenging the viewer to take a stance. “In a sense, every work is always accompanied by a question mark rather than definitive statements, and encourages viewers to find their own answers,” says the artist Sarice Brudet, who initiated the exhibition concept THE SPACE // and developed it together with the artist Temorscha Zoltani in 2022. In the exhibition “Dream Journeys”, she presents new works from her series “Context of Time” alongside pieces by 14 other artists. To achieve this, she combines raw, untreated linen to symbolise a kind of dichotomy between the man-made and the natural world.
All artists featured in the exhibition “Traumreisen”: Birte Bosse, Sarice Brudet, Zhivago Duncan, Janine Eggert, Nicolas Fischer, Paris Giachoustidis, Gregor Hildebrandt, Jigoo Hong, Henning Kles, Daniel Lannes, Kai Lietzke, Ana Saraiva, Gemme Solà Sotos, Temorscha Zoltani, Martha Zonouzi.

About THE SPACE //

THE SPACE // in Hamburg’s Springer Quartier was initiated by the artist Sarice Brudet and developed in collaboration with the artist Temorscha Zoltani. THE SPACE // is a curated exhibition concept. Its aim is to create, alongside the exhibitions, a space for reflection, dialogue and interdisciplinary exchange. The current OFF-Location is part of the Frei_Fläche programme: Space for creative temporary use run by Kreativgesellschaft Hamburg and funded by the Fund for Creative Temporary Use. Address: THE SPACE, Springer Quartier, Fuhlentwiete 3, 20355 Hamburg.

The Space //

@thespace.city

Der Beitrag On works and the questions they raise erschien zuerst auf TN Hotelconsulting.

On St Lawrence’s Night, 9 August 2024, the Schgaguler Hotel is taking its guests to a
mountain meadow to marvel at
hundreds of shooting stars in the sky

Hamburg/Castelrotto – It is St Lawrence’s Day, when shooting stars fall from the sky in South Tyrol. Not one, not ten, but hundreds. These are wonderful, indeed romantic, moments to lie in a summer meadow with a loved one, gaze up at the sky and make a wish. Anyone spending their holiday at the Hotel Schgaguler in Castelrotto at this time has something to look forward to: the evening of 9 August begins with an exquisite dinner in the hotel restaurant, where guests can already admire the special light of the blue hour through the large panoramic windows. Afterwards, it’s a 15-minute walk to the Kastelruth hilltop, the Schererplatzl, a mountain meadow where the hotel has laid out rugs and cushions on which guests can sit comfortably and relax whilst watching the shooting stars pass by – perhaps enjoying a drink at the same time. Up to 100 of these shooting stars fall to Earth every hour around the anniversary of Saint Lawrence’s death (10 August).

Thanks to the low levels of light pollution, the starry sky above South Tyrol is spectacular in any case and attracts visitors from all over the world throughout the year. But the night of the shooting stars is one of the highlights of the summer: tiny dust particles then strike the atmosphere at high speed, causing air molecules to glow. And then it’s time to make a wish!

We would be happy to organise a personalised research visit for you.

schgaguler.com

Der Beitrag Make a wish erschien zuerst auf TN Hotelconsulting.

He is being trained by a tenor at La Scala in Milan. And he occasionally belts out an aria while working as restaurant manager at the Hotel Giardino Ascona. He breeds parrots and drives the same motorbike as Tom Cruise. And because Mauro Pacchioli is a pilot as well he likes to invite guests to a little sightseeing flight over Lago Maggiore.

text: Tomas Niederberghaus, photos: Cyrus Saedi

„Let´s start with the most important thing“, says Mauro. „If the engine cuts out, please don´t panic. This aircraft can be landed like a glider.“ What an intro! Actually, Mauro Pacchioli has to smile himself after making it. He knows only too well that we are in Switzerland, where the precision of airplane maintenance is taken even more seriously than that of clockwork.

Moreover, the 44-year-old Italian is an experienced pilot. He has started his little white Piper Warrior, which is waiting for us at the sports and military airport Locarno, well over 500 times.

Mauro Pacchioli is a man of many talents and passions. He breeds plants and parrots and is training to become a classical singer at the Helvetic Music Institue Blinzona, where he is taught by a tenor from the Scala Milan. At his Giardino restaurant, Aphrodite, the maître d’ occasionally breaks into an aria at dinner time. His hotel guests only know him in formal suit. Now he is wearing a bomber jacket, Ray Bans and baseball cap. He climbs into the aircraft and starts the engine. Last security check. Mauro glances at the instruments, presses a few buttons, makes contact with the tower – then we´re rolling towards the runway. On the right hand side, a gas station, a bit further on a massive military helicopter. We come to a halt. The pilot test revs the engine in neutral: „Works beautifully“. Were the engine a singer, it would be a baritone.

„You have to fly a vecchia signora (an elderly lady) like this with style and sensitivity“.

Flight control gives its ok. Mauro moves the gas lever forwards. The plane starts rolling, gathering more and more speed. The lights on the left and right of the runway become solid lines. Take off! Incredible!

Heading south from Locarno over the green Brissago islands. Then we´re flying over Ascona at 120 miles an hour. It´s easy to make out the boats in the harbour and the promenade. Even the free spirits on Monte Veritá would still be visible, were they still looking for their happiness, dancing around in dresses of light.

A few seconds later the Hotel Giardino is below us, where Mauro has been working for the last 20 years. We are wearing head phones and communicate via microphones: „ How did you become a pilot?“, I ask. „ As a kid I loved remote control aeroplanes“, says Mauro. „A few years ago a friend of mine came from Vienna to Locarno. He called on the way to tell me he had just landed. That he flew the plane himself only dawned on me at dinnertime. When I took him to the airport on Sunday, I saw him enter his plane and take off – a mere 24 years old. I thought: „Cool – I would enjoy that too.“

Mauro immediately asked to have Saturdays off at the Giardino. Three years later he held his pilot´s licence in hands. His final test was a solo flight to Sion in Switzerland. His longest flight so far took him to Genua.

We´re also just flying over the border to Italy – at roughly 120 miles an hour. Visibility is perfect, we can make out the Alps on the horizon. Grandly we float high above the countryside. Verbania comes in sight, pretty historical buildings. In one of them lives Eros Buratti, the world famous cheese merchant. To the right the botanical gardens of Villa Taranto emerge, where the first camellias are blossoming already. Konrad Adenauer once donated a fir tree to the estate.

„Do you want to take over?“, Mauro asks. „Well, rather not, or perhaps…what do I have to do?“ I follow Mauro´s instructions, get hold of the steering in front of me and keep it steady. „As a pilot you need courage, discipline, concentration and respect for man and machine. Such a Vecchia Signora / an elderly lady needs to be treated with style and sensitivity.“ says Mauro. I push the steering column forward, the elderly lady drops down, we are now heading directly towards the Borromaic islands. To be more precise, towards the biggest of the islands, Isola Bella. Another elderly lady. Her summer palace and terraced park greet us from below. Napoleon stayed here. Carefully I pull the joystick towards me and we gain altitude again. Who’d want to drive a car after this adventure?

„Flying for me is like singing. I enter a different dimension.“

Somewhere above Centovalli – I have in the meantime handed the job back to the pilot again – Mauro makes contact with the tower and announces our return. Whoever called this patch of land Centovalli, must have been drunk. It´s only a single valley but it looks magnificent. Ragged cliffs, dense jungle, waterways, mountain ranges. And the Maggiatal, incredibly green as well. Somewhere down there lives Dimitri, the famous clown. Is he juggling balls right now? Or having his lunch time nap? „Look“, says Mauro and points towards a gigantic wall. 660 feet high. That is the dam wall James Bond jumped off in Goldeneye. These days bungee jumpers throw themselves off it. „Have you tried that too, Mauro?“, I ask. „No“, says the pilot, prepares for landing and, after an hour of flight time, brings the Piper Warrior safely to the ground.

In a few hours’ time he will be at his restaurant, Aphrodite, and maybe surprise his guests with some Caruso. Before we say our good byes he gets philosophical: „Flying for me is like singing. I enter a different dimension. High in the sky – or deeply immersed in an aria.“

Then he mounts his Kawasaki and disappears. By the way, he´s got the same motorbike as Tom Cruise in Top Gun.

Der Beitrag Quick Take off! erschien zuerst auf TN Hotelconsulting.

How do you define good press work and what is the difference between TN Hotel Media Consulting´s approach and other agencies? Hans Amrein, editor-in-chief of HOTELIER magazine asked Tomas Niederberghaus

Public Relations work for hotels requires original ideas, journalistic sensitivity and often the courage to do things a little bit differently, says Tomas Niederberghaus, until three years ago author and hotel critic at DIE ZEIT, Germany´s prestigious weekly newspaper. An interview about hotel stories, emotions and a phenomenon called „The Art of Storytelling“.

Hotelier: Tomas Niederberghaus, your agency name doesn´t include the expression PR but media consulting. Is that supposed to signal a wider range of services than a classic PR-agency would offer?

Tomas Niederberghaus: As a journalist working for DIE ZEIT, I was often surprised when it came to dealing with PR agencies and their level of involvement with their clients. Some didn´t even know the hotels personally that they represented. The press releases were often just a collection of hollow phrases. That´s why I tend to avoid the expression PR. When I do presswork for hotels these days, I still see them through the eyes of a journalist. I look there for themes, that the media could be interested in. If the customer wants us to, we also do folders or in-house magazines. Then all the texts and pictures come from one source only.

You work with journalistic principles. What´s the advantage for your hotel clients?

If you run a hotel for years, you might not be able to see it´s potential anymore – it´s like an old marriage. Hotel owners are hosts, Yield Managers and F&B experts. They are not experienced in copywriting and they are not media professionals. When I do research on a hotel, I try to understand the DNA of the place, I talk to the staff, I experience the building and finally I develop some themes/subjects. But not only the content of a message is important. The timing of it´s release also matters and which subject suits which media.

Can you give us some examples of successful PR concepts?

When I did research for our client Kärntnerhof in Vienna I found some archive material, stating that the house used to be a brothel in the 1950s. When the hotel reopened after some renovation works, I called it „the smallest Grand Hotel of Vienna“ and sent out a press release with the headline „From Brothel to Grand Hotel“. The owner was slightly anxious initially. But newspapers and magazines made his place famous in no time. Even some TV programmes picked up on the story.

The concept of „Storytelling“ is very popular right now. What´s the hype about?

Storytelling is simply the art of telling a good story. That involves a statement, which has to be true of course. It also involves an element of surprise and emotions. A story like that will be remembered and told again to others. Storytelling has always been the job of journalists. PR and social media have recently hijacked the idea and tend to overstretch it a bit, in my opinion.

How important is the language you use?

Very important! The language used for the media must not look like advertising. A headline containing just one word that smells of selling can make an editor press the delete button on your message.

How will PR work for hotels change over the next few years?

There are new hotels opening every day. The market is being virtually flooded right now. In addition there is the competition from Airbnb. And everyone wants attention and media coverage. It will become increasingly important for hotel PR to underline the unique characteristics of the house and create content for storytelling. That requires quirky ideas and continuous work. On top of that PR and marketing will interlock even more in the future.

How important are the social media when it comes to spreading contents? And how important are bloggers these days?

Social media is a relatively new discipline for us, but they are gaining importance and will be an inherent part of corporate communication. A lot of representatives /players in the social media are not trained in storytelling though. That can be a big disadvantage. If 30 hotels tweet about their new drink at the same time, that´s 30 too many. The same is true for bloggers. Travel blogging in particular is still lacking professionals.

Editors today constantly receive information via all sorts of channel. That can create an overload. How do you manage to stand out from the crowd and get journalists exited?

With a good story, which doesn`t necessarily have to please everyone. It´s sometimes a good idea to polarize. One of our hotel clients recently hired a flying butler to take his guests on sightseeing flights around the area – an idea that we came up with.

Most PR is done swiftly, cheaply and comfortably via e-mail these days. Is it still worth it to send out an expensively created press kit via mail?

Whoever receives a handwritten letter on beautiful paper in this age of digital information flood is sure to appreciate it. It´s the same with press kits. It makes total sense for an outstanding hotel to send out this kind of special message. We all like to be surprised sometimes.

How important is personal contact?

It is absolutely vital to stay in touch with journalists to see what issues are important to them or where their focus lies right now. Quite often a hotel article starts off at the lunch table.

Can you measure the success of good media work at all?

Definitely! After a while you have to draw the balance. You look at clippings and analyze what articles were published in which media and what quality they were. Good media work doesn´t mean shooting from the hip.

Der Beitrag To Experience Stories erschien zuerst auf TN Hotelconsulting.