An astronomer in astronomy
Had Rainer Eisendle not been born into a family of hoteliers from Hall in Tyrol, he would probably be an astronomer in Chile today. Deeply connected to the hotel, which has been run by the Eisendle family since 1954, Rainer took over the business as the third generation of the family and now oversees the running of the Austria Classic Hotel Heiligkreuz.
Ever since his primary school days, Rainer had been fascinated by astronomy and space travel. He taught himself about these subjects by reading books and newspapers. At the age of 12, Rainer was given his first telescope. By the age of 14, he was already cycling to the University of Innsbruck every Thursday to attend astronomy lectures. As a member of what was then the Innsbruck Astronomy Society, it was very important to him to host the weekly astronomy get-together – founded in 2000 – at his parents’ hotel. Over 1,044 astronomy get-togethers later, the group remains a popular meeting place for amateur astronomers in Tyrol. A central feature of the get-together is Rainer’s dome observatory and several telescopes on the Weerberg. It is controlled via the internet and provides images for the astronomy get-together and the hotel bar.
You can sense Rainer’s passion for astronomy not only when chatting to him in person as an amateur astronomer. No, even on a holiday at the Austria Classic Hotel Heiligkreuz, the theme of astronomy is with you from check-in to check-out. A particular highlight is the starry sky visible from the Superior and Classic category hotel rooms. These ensure a heavenly night’s sleep. Impressive constellations can be admired in the Astrobar, in the hotel lobby and in many of the hotel’s rooms. The manager is only too happy to answer any questions on the subject. When the weather is fine, Rainer sets up a portable telescope and enthusiastically shows interested hotel guests the Moon and the planets.
So much for Rainer’s passion. When it comes to running the hotel, Rainer isn’t just the boss, but also the go-to man for whatever needs doing. His whole family actively supports him in this. Senior manager Brigitte looks after reception. In the kitchen, Rainer is joined by his sister Heidi. Her specialities include homemade chocolates, liqueurs and jams. And even the senior manager, Helmut, still finds his way into the hotel kitchen from time to time. Without the long-serving staff – Barbara in the bar and reception area, Heicke at the breakfast buffet, and Selma and Nienette in housekeeping – the team at the Austria Classic Hotel Heiligkreuz would not be complete.
As well as astronomy, the Austria Classic Hotel Heiligkreuz places particular emphasis on sustainability and local produce.
At the Eisendle family’s hotel, a mindful and responsible use of resources is the order of the day. The hotel has been heated using biomass (district heating) since 2007. At the breakfast buffet , guests will find plenty of home-made produce from the hotel and garden. Among the hotel’s local suppliers is the Wachtler bakery, based in Neu-Rum. Rainer sources fruit and vegetables from a fellow member of an astronomy social group at the Innsbruck Market Hall. All other products come from the Eisendle company in Hall in Tirol, which is run by Rainer’s uncle. It’s not just the hotel kitchen’s produce that benefits from short transport routes here. At the Austria Classic Hotel Heiligkreuz, the hotel’s laundry is handled in-house. Whether it’s bed sheets or cloth napkins – everything is washed and processed right here on the premises. The senior manager, Helmut, personally oversees waste sorting at the hotel. He is rightly proud that, thanks to waste prevention and sorting, the volume of residual waste is comparable to that of a normal household.
Charging points are available at the hotel for guests with electric cars. When holidaying at the Austria Classic Hotel Heiligkreuz, guests benefit from the hotel’s excellent location. The Hall open-air swimming pool, tennis courts, a mini-golf course, volleyball courts and the historic old town of Hall in Tirol are all just a few minutes’ walk away. The excellent public transport links within the Hall-Wattens holiday region can be used free of charge with the guest card.
For a sustainable holiday in Tyrol with the whole family, nothing stands in the way of guests at the Austria Classic Hotel Heiligkreuz.
The personal and family-like contact with guests, the exceptional breakfast featuring regional, seasonal and homemade produce, the hotel’s idyllic yet convenient location in the heart of Tyrol, and the hotel’s range of additional astronomical activities are particularly appealing to families.
PS: Anyone interested is warmly welcome to join the Astrostammtisch every Thursday at 8.00 pm.
Austria Classic Hotel HeiligkreuzReimmichlstraße 18, 6060 Hall in TirolT: +43 5223 57114M: info@heiligkreuz.at www.heiligkreuz.at