About Contact
view all hotels
Stieg’nhaus | Luxury Design Hotel in Austria’s Hochkönig | The Aficonados

Modernist in Blanc

stieg'nhaus

contact return to top
enquire now enquire now
Woman walking down the spiral staircase |Stieg’nhaus | Luxury Design Hotel in Austria’s Hochkönig | The Aficonados

Intro

Where the serrated peaks of the Hochkönig brush the bluebird sky, Stieg’nhaus sits quietly composed, gesturing a nod to village tradition in a fresh new guise: an unflustered boutique sanctuary of style. Opened in September this year, the Austrian hotel of rethought design masters the art of understatement: all chalky plaster, pale stone and soft luxury layered with Alpine warmth. It is where modernism slips off its shoes and breathes.

Salzburg is just an hour away, Zell am See a touch less, Stieg’nhaus keeps the rhythm of Mühlbach am Hochkönig while rewriting its aesthetic. The façades glow like limestone in morning light, the plaster carries the tone of snow, the exposed stonework gestures the peaks and cleverly mimics the architecture of the neighbouring Parish church, whilst the use of blond timber skirting wraps the scene into the familiar narrative of the Alps.

At its centre winds the elegant stiege, the original staircase that lends both name and design patina. Its polished, curved plaster walls and hand-forged brass railings rise gracefully through the building, holding a whisper of the past amid the clean lines of the present. A stylistic anchor that spirals back to a timeless gesture of craft, modernity and continuity.

Owners Maria and Tom Heidenreich and architect Carolyn Herzog of Studio H Collective have built a cool, contemporary Alpine hotel that feels distinctly urbane and personal. Each detail is considered but never showy: Oiled oak floors that warm bare feet, cabinetry that curves to the room’s geometry, ceramics shaped by local hands. Even the espresso machine has been designed to blend into the palette, proof that quiet luxury always has the last word.

Inside, the light softens and the tone hushes. Lime-washed walls diffuse the Alpine glow, Egyptian marble cools the touch, and the scent of wood and linen lingers like memory. This is design at its most soulful: tactile, poised and genuinely restful.

Oiled oak floors that warm bare feet, cabinetry that curves to the room’s geometry, ceramics shaped by local hands

Rooms that Breathe

Luxury Bedroom free standing bathtub and pastel interiors in modern Alpine style | Stieg’nhaus | Luxury Design Hotel in Austria’s Hochkönig | The Aficonados

There are only six suites, each one a study in tactility and tone. Light falls softly across lime-plastered walls, oak boards creak with intention, and the colour palette drifts between linen, chalk and the soft blush of stone.

Everything has been handmade or designed to fit: bespoke joinery, hand-thrown ceramics, woollen cushions and smooth cabinetry that follows the room’s curves. In the restaurant, Gentle Chairs by Sebastian Herkner for Linteloo carry the same sculptural grace as the architecture.

Bathrooms are serene and spa-like, with marble vanities, deep soaking tubs and fittings by Gessi that feel more like sculpture than hardware. Several suites include private saunas or outdoor whirlpools overlooking the slopes, a reward for long hikes or days on the ski trails. Beauty fridges, metal-free mattresses and cloud-soft linens by Douxe elevate comfort into art.

This is the vocabulary of soft luxury: warmth, stillness and design intelligence in quiet dialogue.

Fire, Earth and a Glass of Wine

Restaurant concept Design contemporary interiors |Stieg’nhaus | Luxury Design Hotel in Austria’s Hochkönig | The Aficonados

Food at Stieg’nhaus mirrors its surroundings: honest, sensory and rhythmical. The restaurant draws inspiration from the five elements of pasture, water, earth, fire and nectar. The result is a culinary narrative that favours clarity over complexity, letting flavours breathe.

Mornings start slow, with à la carte brunches and good coffee. Lunches stretch into lazy afternoons, and by dusk, the Feuerring terrace glows with woodsmoke and warmth. Here, cooking over an open flame becomes both performance and pause, a ritual of gathering and reflection.

The menu reads like an Alpine love letter: produce from nearby pastures, flavours sparked by mountain herbs, textures that echo the landscape. It is fine dining for design minds, unpretentious, elegant and in perfect sync with the house’s philosophy of modern, soulful simplicity.

Still Moments, High Places

At 860 metres above sea level, Stieg’nhaus sits between the drama of the Hochkönig massif and the simplicity of village life. Mühlbach am Hochkönig is one of those rare Alpine places that still feels genuine, its rhythm unchanged by time. You wake to the scent of woodsmoke, the murmur of the church bell and the sound of snow being swept from a doorstep.

From here, trails, slopes and cycling routes fan out like an invitation to roam. The journey is as lovely as the destination: Salzburg lies just over an hour away, Munich a touch more. Roads weave through valleys of craft and calm, past farmsteads and sawmills where tradition still hums.

Stieg’nhaus fits seamlessly into this landscape, a design-led ski hotel in the Austrian Alps that translates mountain living into something serene, soulful and utterly modern.

Quiet Wellness, Mountain Calm

Outdoor Jacuzzi on balcony views of the moutains |Stieg’nhaus | Luxury Design Hotel in Austria’s Hochkönig | The Aficonados Stieg’nhaus | Luxury Design Hotel in Austria’s Hochkönig | The Aficonados

The bijou spa at Stieg’nhaus is not a wellness wonderland, and that is precisely its charm. It is a gentle landscape of warmth and light, a place designed for pause rather than spectacle.

A rooftop whirlpool gazes out over the Hochkönig, steam curling into the mountain air. The sauna and cold plunge create an easy rhythm between heat and stillness, while the flicker of the terrace fire lends the evening a quiet glow. Treatments are rooted in simplicity: natural oils, pure botanicals and luxurious Omorovicza products that leave the skin softly radiant.

From Code to Craft

Maria and Tom Heidenreich are not career hoteliers, and that is exactly what makes Stieg’nhaus special. Both left careers in IT in Germany to start over in Austria, trading screens for scenery and code for craft. They married on the Wieseralm in 2021, and the dream of creating their own small design hotel began to take shape.

Together with architect Carolyn Herzog, they have turned that dream into a living, breathing space: a home for like-minded travellers who value authenticity over artifice, detail over drama. Stieg’nhaus is their love letter to design and to the quiet life, a reminder that beauty is often found in the still moments between.

editors PICK
EDIT

Neu Heritage

Peer into the treasure pot of one-off brands, rarity and inherited blueprints - each throwing a punch at blandness as the incubators of curiosity, originality and legacy.

read more
Villaverde Merano | Design Wellness Hotel Apartments in Lagundo Algund, South Tyrol, Italy by Studio Biquadra | The Aficionados Villaverde Merano | Design Wellness Hotel Apartments in Lagundo Algund, South Tyrol, Italy by Studio Biquadra | The Aficionados
Hotel - Lagundo, Italy

VillaVerde

History, design, calmed wellness and an interior of modern heritage make this hotel-apartment refuge close to Merano the perfect pitstop for some downtime and closeness to nature.

read more
Pátio do Tijolo Lisbon | Beautiful Design Hotels in Barrio Alto, Portugal Pátio do Tijolo Lisbon | Beautiful Design Hotels in Barrio Alto, Portugal
Hotel - Lisbon, Portugal

Pátio do Tijolo

Built on the blueprint of a former woodwork and abandoned timber yard, Pátio do Tijolo has more than a cue of industrial chic infused with design, art and contemporary accents.

read more
JOURNAL

Commune: The Art of Sustainable Self-Care

Transform your wellness routine with mindful luxury crafted from nature. Commune's creations blend sustainability and elegance, elevating everyday rituals into extraordinary moments.

read more

RELATED

Forsthofgut Hotel & Spa, Leogang, Austria | Luxury Hotel In Leogang Forsthofgut Hotel & Spa, Leogang, Austria | Luxury Hotel In Leogang
HOTEL - Leogang, Austria

Forsthofgut

A lair of nature wrapped by the mountains and forests with perhaps one of the best nature-inspired spas in Austria, all overlooking the Leogang Rockies. This design hotel hugs smooth modern interiors that brush up to loveliness of the Alps, complete with its own lake.

read more
Hotel Arlberg luxury hotel in Lech am Arlberg in Austria Hotel Arlberg luxury hotel in Lech am Arlberg in Austria
HOTEL - Lech am Arlberg, Austria

Hotel Arlberg

A legendary crash pad of royalty, celebs and lovers of Arlberg, this is the chic chalet hotel and spa of consummate five star style. Interiors are dedicated to alpine heritage and modern luxe running through the hotel’s family history.

read more
Brandleit Boutique Chalet in Hart, ZIllertal Alps, Tirol, Austria Brandleit Boutique Chalet in Hart, ZIllertal Alps, Tirol, Austria
Private Rental - Zillertal, Austria

Brandleit

Wonderfully humble, this authentic exclusive-hire farmstead hideaway dating back to 1885 comes with the mandatory choc-box appeal of a rural alpine chalet besieged by the hush rhythms of lush green pastures, ancient forests and hum of the mountain waters.

read more
Mari Pop Boutique Hotel, Ried Tirol -facade in Copper by architects Besto. ZT Mari Pop Boutique Hotel, Ried Tirol -facade in Copper by architects Besto. ZT
HOTEL - Zillertal, Austria

Mari Pop Hotel

Close to the Tirol mountains of the Tux and Zillertal Alps, this design hotel of chilled style and nostalgic tradition, steps away from the chocolate-box picture-postcard image with creative art installations and a casual approach to life in the alps.

read more
New Architecture | Tempel 74 Mellau in Bregenz | Design Apartments | Vorarlberg, Austria New Architecture | Tempel 74 Mellau in Bregenz | Design Apartments | Vorarlberg, Austria
APARTMENT - Bregenzerwald, Austria

Tempel 74

Strikingly modern design and humble heritage are the trademarks of Tempel 74 Apartments in the heart of the Mellau-Damüls ski region, just 500m to the ski lifts. Centuries-old Alpine craftsmanship marries pioneering architecture.

read more
Ullrhaus | new design hotel located in the resort of St. Anton in the Tyrolean Alps Ullrhaus | new design hotel located in the resort of St. Anton in the Tyrolean Alps
HOTEL - St. Anton, Austria

Ullrhaus

Ullrhaus is a hotel of muted luxury, where cool design marries Alpine soul and a minimalist edge. Located in the resort of St. Anton in the Tyrolean Alps, home to some of the Alps’ most exhilarating skiing.

read more
Brücke 49 Herberge Vals - a small design guesthouse with luxury nordic style, Switzerland Brücke 49 Herberge Vals - a small design guesthouse with luxury nordic style, Switzerland
Guesthouse - Vals, Switzerland

Brücke 49

A fabulously humble basecamp of good design for kindreds of style, Brücke 49 is a collection of rooms, suites, studios and apartments in the high-in-the-mountains creative enclave, Vals.

read more
Hotel Bergwelt, Obergurgl in Tirol, Austria. A luxury boutique Spa Hotel Hotel Bergwelt, Obergurgl in Tirol, Austria. A luxury boutique Spa Hotel
HOTEL - Obergurgl, Austria

Art & Relax Hotel Bergwelt

Drenched in Tirol originality and crafted by a setting of mountainous vistas. This luxury ski & spa hotel is all about boutique personality, passion, delicious food and a perfect location that hugs the snow-capped plateau, with windows that frame endless Austrian mountain eye-candy.

read more
Hirschen Bregenzerwald | Modern Heritage Hotel, Restaurant & Spa in Austria Hirschen Bregenzerwald | Modern Heritage Hotel, Restaurant & Spa in Austria
HOTEL - Bregenzerwald, Austria

Hirschen • Fine Hotel, Restaurant & Spa

The Hirschen, 'Young since 1755,' blends heritage, wellness, art, and culture into a stylish retreat. A cosy haven for modern nomads craving roots, history, and unforgettable vibes.

read more
Kontor Boutiquehotel, Hall In Tirol | Destination Hotel Austria Kontor Boutiquehotel, Hall In Tirol | Destination Hotel Austria
HOTEL - Hall in Tirol, Austria

Kontor Boutiquehotel

Built into the original Medieval town walls of Hall, this former guilders’ house of traditional Tirol style has stood here for well over half a century with records dating back to 1450. Today, behind the rose petal façade, lies the small Kontor Boutiquehotel.

read more
Schgaguler Hotel Castelrotto in Alpe di Siusi South Tyrol designed by Peter Pichler Architecture Schgaguler Hotel Castelrotto in Alpe di Siusi South Tyrol designed by Peter Pichler Architecture
HOTEL - Alpe di Siusi, Italy

Schgaguler Hotel

A smooth design den pearled in white with an interior design that is eminently simple: a clean alpine aestheticism that borrows from Italian design, the Danish principles of hygge and a touch of sweet sophistication in the Japonesque detailing.

read more
Hotel Milla Montis | Maranza, South Tyrol, Italy | The Aficionados Hotel Milla Montis | Maranza, South Tyrol, Italy | The Aficionados
HOTEL - Maranza, Italy

Hotel Milla Montis

Rising up like delicate meringue-whipped peaks, mirroring the Dolomites panorama that surrounds it, the architecture and design of Hotel Milla Montis create an impact.

read more
view more