Hospitality based on tradition and wellness

In winter the village of Reith im Alpbachtal in the western Tyrol is a paradise for cross-country skiing enthusiasts; in summer it is a lakeside oasis immersed in the green countryside. It is also home to Hotel Der Kirkenwirt, a four-star superior hotel located in the valley of the river Alpbach that affords splendid views of the surrounding mountains. This characteristically Tyrolean purpose-built four-storey building is made up of a number of different units that proudly draw from local traditions. To improve the comfort and hospitality offered to guests, the owners recently decided to refurbish and extend the hotel’s wellness centre, which now includes an indoor swimming pool, a relaxation area, a Turkish bath, saunas, experience showers, massage rooms and a solarium. Leaving behind the rather confined space of the reception and waiting area, guests emerge into the physically and visually larger area of the indoor swimming pool and adjacent relaxation area. From here, an interior walkway leads through a sequence of conventional spa spaces, including Turkish baths, saunas and experience showers.
The indoor pool area serves as the focal point for the entire wellness centre. On one side stands the relaxation area with loungers flanked by a walkway leading to the spa; on the other the large pool itself set on a raised level. The utilities run through bright metallic ducting suspended from the neutral coloured, sculpturally textured ceiling. The swimming pool also receives natural lighting from skylights set in the roof in a single-storey section of the building.
Throughout the centre the project uses Coem ceramic floor tiles installed in a lengthwise pattern to recreate the natural effect of stone. The Quartz collection adapts well to the hotel’s traditional colours and textures while delivering excellent technical qualities of durability and safety. In the indoor swimming pool area, the ceramic tiles are used not only on the horizontal surfaces but also on the structural columns and the steps leading between the various levels. This design choice is repeated in the various spa areas and in the toilets. The wall coverings combine the rational appeal of ceramic tiles with other natural and industrial materials. The ceramic surface forms a patchwork of warm, golden colours based on the use of high-definition advanced technology, which is capable of producing up to about a hundred different tile designs for each colour. The digital designs are created deep within the ceramic body and generate a unique three-dimensional effect, allowing for a wide variety of textures by combining industrial materials with the variety and patterns of the natural world.