Family business history & investments

My grandparents, Anton and Margarethe Marolt, opened a small inn right on Lake Klopein before the Second World War. It became a great success, making them true pioneers! My father, Anton Marolt (born 1932), was heavily involved in the family business, and what started as almost a hobby gradually became the main business, increasingly overshadowing our farming. Together with my mother, Ida Christine Marolt (born 1939), whom he married in 1957, they built an ever-expanding hotel business through hard work and ambition. It began with 25 rooms, running water, and a dance hall, and later expanded continuously. Our Strandhotel Orchidee was the newest and last hotel built by my father, Anton. This property was his pride and joy, and the groundbreaking ceremony took place on February 7, 1980, my 8th birthday!
…“ I, Hardy Johann Marolt, was born in 1972, one of three children, and have worked in my parents’ hotel business since early childhood: from around age seven, I sold ice cream during summer vacations, then became a lifeguard, later worked behind the bar, as a porter, did various groundskeeping and gardening jobs, occasionally helped out in the service area, and performed reception and office duties, etc.

In 1987, with my own hard work and limited resources, I founded our very successful BILLIARDS SALON at the Hotel Orchidee-Marolt – the place to be for young and young-at-heart people on Lake Klopein, with oldies music and pure romance. I had to, or rather, was allowed to, run it all by myself from the young age of 15 – I was bartender, waiter, and DJ all in one, which I thoroughly enjoyed and which gave me experience in purchasing, sales, accounting, and so on.

In 1987, with my own hard work and limited resources, I founded our very successful BILLIARDS SALON at the Hotel Orchidee-Marolt – the place to be for young and young-at-heart people on Lake Klopein, with oldies music and pure romance. Alongside my studies, I naturally had to work in my parents’ hotel as a sort of “floater,” filling in wherever needed.

My education: 4 years of elementary school in St. Kanzian – 4 years of secondary school in Völkermarkt – 5 years of business school in Völkermarkt, graduating with a high school diploma (Matura) – one of two study periods in Business Administration at the University of Klagenfurt (which I unfortunately had to discontinue due to business and family reasons), as well as various continuing education courses/seminars in the hospitality industry and IT – specifically in the areas of internet/web design and marketing.

In 1988, I met the love of my life and later my wife, Jeannette Pirolt, who, after completing her five-year hotel management school in Villach with a high school diploma (Matura), also worked in my parents’ hotel as a hotel specialist/receptionist.

We married in 1997, and less than two months later, in the merry month of May, our twin daughters, Gloria Ida Christine and Patricia Pauline Maria, were born. In March 2001, our son, Hardy Christopher, was born.

From 1996/97 onward, my parents, for “personal reasons” (though “unofficially”), withdrew from active business life and placed all business operations in my hands. This was the point at which I unfortunately had to abandon my business administration studies.

From 1996/97 onward, my parents withdrew from active business life for “personal reasons,” essentially “unofficially,” and placed all business activities in my hands.

1998: Unexpected start of construction on the third phase of our hotel, including a new kitchen wing, storage areas, boiler room, electrical room with all necessary equipment, a small wellness/fitness area, laundry facilities, children’s entertainment area, accessible restrooms, and much more.

1999: Complete renovation of the first phase (the original building), during which all hotel rooms were completely refurnished, from the carpets to the lamps.

2001: Partial renovation of all bathrooms in the first phase of the Strandhotel Orchidee.

2006: Finally, at the age of 34, under extremely difficult financial circumstances, I officially took over my parents’ hotel, the Strandhotel ORCHIDEE, as well as our PARKVILLA property directly on the lake and our KRISTALL holiday home in the town center near the lake. I had to renovate and refurbish these properties extensively with great personal commitment. All the balconies (over 400 linear meters) of our beach hotel were completely renovated, as was the entire technical area, including the hot water boiler and much more. The entire holiday apartment in our “Parkvilla” building, dating back to 1912, also required a complete renovation and was modernized while preserving and maintaining its beautiful original architectural features.

In 2006, together with innovative investors, we purchased the Drau River ship “Magdalena” and established a shipping line on the Drau. We are also one of the “Golf Founder Hotels,” so our guests enjoy a 20% green fee discount. We also co-financed the development of the Obir Caves in Bad Eisenkappel, as well as our new, state-of-the-art rescue boat for the water rescue service on Lake Klopein.

In 2008, our holiday home Kristall was restructured from a summer operation to a year-round operation, completely renovated, and now offers our guests five large, beautiful apartments year-round, some with lake views.

2010: Purchase of a completely new, larger, accessible elevator with Braille and an emergency telephone in the hotel, as well as various investments in accessibility features such as loaner wheelchairs, toilet risers, bath seats, grab bars, and much more. Smaller investments are not listed here.

2011: Major investments and improvements in accessibility and wheelchair-accessible features in the hotel, such as various modifications to the apartments and entire hotel areas. Purchase of bath lifts and loaner wheelchairs – to name just a few examples.

Furthermore, fire safety upgrades were made throughout the hotel, such as new fully electronic fire doors, fire alarm systems, and much more.

Furthermore, investments were made in the apartments (new carpets, curtains, etc.) and several bathrooms were completely renovated. A complete Wi-Fi network was also installed throughout the hotel and lakeside terrace area. The jetty was renovated and the entire shoreline was renewed. Smaller investments are not listed here.

2011: (August) The unexpected passing of my father, Anton Marolt, was a devastating blow for me and my family – “Father, we will never forget you!”

2012: Construction of a new adventure promenade by the municipality of St. Kanzian and our tourism association.

Drainage and insulation work was carried out around our hotel building, including the application of foil to over 200 m² of the building, as well as excavation work on the entire property, including new electrical wiring inside and outside the building, new streetlights, and various outdoor lighting fixtures, among other things. Various electrical and sewer installations were also completed in the beach/bathing area.

Various Expansions in the area of ​​wheelchair-accessible and barrier-free facilities, such as: installation of roll-in showers, several and larger disabled parking spaces, a ramp directly into the lake, and much more… Quality improvements in carpets and tiles in apartments and common areas. Construction of new lakeside lounges with comfortable seating for our hotel guests to create an even more inviting hotel atmosphere, etc. Construction of a new lakeside sauna with panoramic views of the lake and the option to enter the lake directly from the sauna.

New changing rooms and a relaxation room directly adjacent to the lakeside sauna, completely new beach loungers, and much more… Smaller investments are not listed here.

2013/14: Complete renovation of our over 240m² dining room! Completely new tiling and a new color scheme. Warm earth tones convey a southern flair!

Complete flooring replacement on our over 140m² lakeside terrace, including a new color scheme! So that our guests can enjoy their meals, ice cream creations, and the magnificent lake view even more. Various renovation and modernization works in our beautiful 50m² and 100m² apartments/holiday flats located directly in the hotel, and much more… Furthermore, a new, comfortable lounge with pool tables, various TV games, darts, and music for all ages. Investments in replacing various carpets in our apartments, beds, and flat-screen TVs… Replacement of our hallway carpets throughout the entire hotel! Note: Ongoing minor investments are not listed here!

2015/16: Replacement of all TVs throughout the hotel (32-inch flat-screen TVs), completely new satellite system in the hotel with numerous TV channels. Renewal of all sofa beds and some curtains in our hotel apartments, improved internet access throughout the hotel, new sunshade for our over 22-meter-long lakeside terrace overlooking the stunning lake, completion of the replacement of all apartment carpets and vinyl flooring throughout the hotel, repainting of our hotel facade and lakeside terrace, and much more. Note: Ongoing minor investments, etc., are not listed here!

2017: Complete renovation of the bathrooms on an entire floor of the hotel, as well as the conversion of several bathrooms specifically for guests with disabilities!

New investments included brand-new beach loungers and parasols, and improvements to the park. We created a beautiful garden pond with approximately 20,000 liters of water, stocked with a variety of fish and aquatic plants, where our guests can relax and unwind. Furthermore, our lovely educational forest for all ages was completely renovated. Here, guests can enjoy a fantastic observation platform (also suitable for children) with a magnificent view over Lake Klopein, as well as a real wildlife feeding station with a hay rack and salt lick (just a 5-minute walk from the wildlife enclosure) – an ideal place to recharge and reconnect with nature. Note: Ongoing smaller investments, etc., are not listed here!

2018/19:

-Replacement of all our balcony doors and windows with triple glazing throughout the entire Hotel Orchidee on the lake side, as well as partially on the west and east sides
-Mountains throughout the hotel are largely being replaced with vinyl flooring
-Renovation of most of our bathrooms, including roll-in showers, new tiling, and barrier-free fixtures and fittings
-Refurbishment of all our rooms, including most apartments and holiday apartments (floors, furnishings, curtains, lighting, new mattresses, etc.)
-Replacement and partial refurbishment of our interior doors and frames, as well as replacement of the balcony doors in our entire lake-facing hotel wing, including the restaurant, with triple glazing
-Completely new main entrance doors with electric opening and sensors for wheelchair users
-Wi-Fi internet: The entire hotel has been equipped with new access points and the bandwidth has been increased
-Complete interior painting in all our rooms and hallways, stairwells, restaurant, as well as exterior painting including soffits
-New Complete renovation of our entire café-restaurant, including tiling, painting, furniture, and the lakeside terrace, including automatic electric entrance doors for wheelchair users.
– Complete renovation of all hotel balconies at the Strandhotel Orchidee, including all balcony carpets.
– Renewal of artwork and lighting in our rooms, hallways, stairwells, and grounds, and much more.
– Complete demolition and reconstruction of our bathing jetty.
– Installation of a new water lift for wheelchair users on our new bathing jetty.
– Partial replacement of the windows and doors of our holiday home, Parkvilla, with the Förstersuite apartment.
– Complete renovation and exterior painting of our holiday home, Parkvilla, with the Förstersuite apartment.
– New balcony for our holiday home, Parkvilla, located directly on the same property as our hotel.
– Renewal of the entire exterior lighting system for the Hotel Orchidee complex and the Parkvilla building.
– Expansion and marking of existing disabled parking spaces.
– New 3-meter-high LED advertising sign at our main entrance.
– Minor investments will not be included here. Listed

2020-2024:

– Window replacement at our Parkvilla hotel
– Complete renovation of our guest suite in the Parkvilla hotel, including an enlarged bathroom with a whirlpool bathtub and a barrier-free, roll-in shower, underfloor insulation with underfloor heating, etc.
– Replacement of our lighting fixtures in our hotel rooms, the Parkvilla hotel, and the lakeside terrace
– Purchase of a fleet of stand-up paddleboards and a complete refurbishment of our in-house rowing boats
– Replacement of various playground equipment in our fantastic children’s playground
– Various bathroom renovations, fixtures, and painting work
– Renovation of our dining room, including painting, curtains, etc., and a beautiful 9-meter-long buffet area.
– Expansion and renovation of our entire park, including a fish pond on our property.
– New seating and linens on one of our lakeside terraces to enhance our guests’ comfort, and much more.
– Improvements to the beach area to allow level access to the water (without high steps)
– Purchase of very elegant sun loungers and parasols

Minor investments are not listed here

2025:

– Repainting of our entire hotel
– Repainting of all our beautiful wooden balconies
– Various renovations in our apartments
– Various improvements to accessibility
– Further improvements to the beach area to provide children and people with mobility impairments with a gently sloping entry into the water
– Laying of a completely new lawn along the entire beach
– Purchase of very elegant sun loungers and parasols
– Construction of a new lockable bicycle shed with charging facilities
– Construction of a small fenced dog play area with toys directly at the hotel
Minor investments are not listed here

2026:

– Various improvements to the outdoor area
– Purchase of new lounges and covered sunbeds on our hotel lawn
– Renovation of all 20 apartments, including new sofa beds, new dining/living room tables, new chairs, etc.
– Renovation of our entire lakeside terrace (new, elegant tables and comfortable chairs)
– Purchase of new rowboats/fishing boats
– Various new acquisitions, such as a platform lift, loaner wheelchairs, etc.
– Renovation of our children’s playground

Minor investments are not listed here

Author and responsible for the content of the above chronicle: Hardy Johann Marolt

Subject to change