The history of the Hotel Gasthof in Salzburg

From the Gallows Inn to the four-star Hotel Gasthof of today

Today's four-star Hotel Gasthof in Salzburg has a long history. The first mention was made of welcoming guests to the newly established inn in 1809 – then known as the "Galgenwirtshaus", or Gallows Inn. The name owed little to chance... Maria Berger took over the inn in 1880 and renamed it the "Höllwirtshaus", or Hell's Inn. This later became simply "Hölle", or Hell in English.

The Hotel Gasthof Hölle of today is owned by Ernst Pühringer  

The Hotel Gasthof changed hands many times over the years before Ernst Pühringer Senior purchased the building on 21 May 1965. After his death, his wife Hermine continued to run the hotel until 1 March 1991, when she handed over the reins to her son and current owner, Ernst Pühringer.

Looking back at major milestones in the history of the Hotel Gasthof Hölle in Salzburg

• 1991: the building was completely renovated and refurbished.
• 1995: Renate Pühringer, daughter of the Hotel Gasthof family, returned from her travels abroad and immediately joined the hotel team.
• 1998: the Gastgarten outdoor dining area was redeveloped with the addition of a protective wall and a children's playground, while the Wintergarten conservatory has been thoroughly updated.
• 2000: the Hölle team started on some extensive adaptations to the existing building. These included a cellar extension, improvements to the storage rooms and staff quarters, a laundry, a new heating system with waste heat recovery and a new wine cellar.
• June 2000: Hermine Pühringer received a certificate from the Economic Chamber honouring her achievements and expressing gratitude for her long dedication (40 years) to the hospitality industry.
• 2001: seven new, modern, comfortable hotel rooms with spacious bathrooms were constructed. The installation of a central lift and air-conditioning in all the rooms added to the comforts of the hotel, along with the construction of a spacious hotel lobby with reception, fitness room and sauna.
• 6 June 2001: the fabulous Hotel Gasthof Hölle received its fourth star. At the same time, the now four-star Hotel Gasthof became a member of the Austria Classic hotel cooperative.
• 27 April 2006: host Ernst Pühringer acquired Café Herbert, just 100m away from the hotel, which was then fully renovated and reopened as the Wiener Café Herbert.
• 2006: hotel trainees enjoyed their first successes in the Salzburg region apprentice competitions, in the "restaurant specialist" and "cook" categories. Hotel Gasthof Hölle trainees also performed well as restaurant specialists at a national level.
• 2015: rooms on the first floor were newly refurbished
• 2014: the restaurant was expanded to include a children's playroom, new toilet facilities including an accessible toilet, a hotel bar and a dedicated breakfast buffet area
• 2019/2020: additional rooms at the Hotel Gasthof Hölle were updated to reflect a new and modern look. Stylish, dark-hued furniture was installed to contribute to the supreme well-being of the guests.
• 2020: the lobby and reception area were updated