LEGENDARY BURG STORIES

WE'VE ALREADY HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE EPIC BURG WINTER: WOULD YOU TELL US AN EPIC SUMMER STORY FOR A CHANCE?

Absolutely, I'd love to. For instance, there's this story that comes to mind about the gentleman from France.

SOUNDS MYSTERIÖS. YOU'VE GOT OUR EARS.

One day a French guest asked me if we had conference space for 70 people. During the conversation, I found out he worked for IBM and was looking for accommodation and workspaces for 70 programmers. They were supposed to work on new software for two months in a kind of summer camp. Strictly speaking, we should have said: “Monsieur, unfortunately we can’t help you. We only have a squash court — and we're closed in summer anyway.”

THIS AUDIENCE ALREADY KNOWS YOU DIDN'T SAY THAT!

Fridolin (laughs): Of course not! We wouldn’t be the Burg if we didn’t have a solution for everything. So I said: “We’d be happy to open up exclusively for you and renovate our sports room so you can work there. I also promise you one thing: if you return, I will build you a real conference room next summer.”

SWEET - AND, HOW DID IBM REACT?

Of course they told us that they needed to clarify this with their top executives. But when the team left in September, the mood was very good. So I immediately sat down with my architect and planned. At the same time, I rushed to get everything officially approved. Both successfully. By winter, the space was ready and we sent pictures to IBM.

SERIOUSLY ... A CONFERENCE ROOM READY IN TWO MONTHS?

Yes, indeed! (laughs). We got the go-ahead and the programmers returned the following summer. Even more than that … IBM originally intended the developers to hold their summer camp at different locations every year. But when they discovered us, they changed their minds. IBM returned every year for a decade.

A VERY HAPPY END.

Yes, I agree. We do everything we can to exceed guest expectations. By the way, the conference room in question still exists. Over time we’ve added additional meeting space. To keep up with the times, we are modernizing things again right now. This house never sleeps on the job.

AFTER LOOKING BACK, CAN YOU GIVE US A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE?

We can say with pride that we are well positioned with regard to sustainability and energy efficiency. My vision for the Burg currently leans in two directions. For starters, I am working diligently to keep Oberlech a car-free destination in summer too. We already have the infrastructure for this. You can imagine the kind of paradise our guests would experience without cars to remind them of their everyday lives. On the other hand, I want the word to spread that we are an all-season business. Given our history, we are naturally known as a winter destination. But I’m quite optimistic about the future. Bit by bit, visitors have been discovering the summer Burg – and now, hopefully, autumn. We already have some winter regulars who now choose to leave their yacht in Saint-Tropez in favor of enjoying our summer climate. Maybe soon they'll stay until the leaves turn golden.