In the hospitality sector and in real estate in general, it is often said that the value of a property is mostly determined by its "location" as a strategic position. When we talk about hotels in the leisure segment, a strategic location today means a breathtaking view, perhaps overlooking the sea, a central position in a prestigious destination, and proximity to a well-connected airport.
But it wasn't always like this! If we look at the evolution of tourism over the centuries, we can see that what is considered beautiful and convenient changes over time.
Let's take, for example, the tourist development in one of our favorite places, the Puster Valley.
Until the mid-1800s, mountain hotels were built in the midst of nature, surrounded by forests - people who returned from vacation certainly weren't looking for a tan! A wonderful example of this type of hotel is the Gran Hotel Wildbad in San Candido, whose ruins can still be admired today.
With the development of railway networks in the late 1800s, hotels began to move closer to the stations. An example of this trend change is the Gran Hotel in Dobbiaco, frequented by the nobility of the Austro-Hungarian Empire who arrived by train directly from Vienna.
In the 1930s, the advent of the automobile once again changed the rules of the game. The ideal location for a hotel became a place on the road, like the Hotel 3 Zinnen, founded in 1929. On one hand, it was located along the road, making it easily accessible, and on the other hand, it offered a breathtaking view of the Val Fiscalina.
Fun fact: mountain tourism was once exclusively considered a summer vacation. In Sesto, winter tourism began to develop only in 1938 when Heinrich Harrer, the famous Austrian mountaineer who lived in Tibet for 7 years, opened the first ski school!
But it wasn't always like this! If we look at the evolution of tourism over the centuries, we can see that what is considered beautiful and convenient changes over time.
Let's take, for example, the tourist development in one of our favorite places, the Puster Valley.
Until the mid-1800s, mountain hotels were built in the midst of nature, surrounded by forests - people who returned from vacation certainly weren't looking for a tan! A wonderful example of this type of hotel is the Gran Hotel Wildbad in San Candido, whose ruins can still be admired today.
With the development of railway networks in the late 1800s, hotels began to move closer to the stations. An example of this trend change is the Gran Hotel in Dobbiaco, frequented by the nobility of the Austro-Hungarian Empire who arrived by train directly from Vienna.
In the 1930s, the advent of the automobile once again changed the rules of the game. The ideal location for a hotel became a place on the road, like the Hotel 3 Zinnen, founded in 1929. On one hand, it was located along the road, making it easily accessible, and on the other hand, it offered a breathtaking view of the Val Fiscalina.
Fun fact: mountain tourism was once exclusively considered a summer vacation. In Sesto, winter tourism began to develop only in 1938 when Heinrich Harrer, the famous Austrian mountaineer who lived in Tibet for 7 years, opened the first ski school!
