Hotel Greif
Bozen-Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy
Walther Square
DIRECT BOOKING PAYS!
The early years
In 1816, Peter Staffler bought the “The Black Gryphon”, an inn first recorded in 1514. At the time, nobody in Bolzano could know what his family would make of it in centuries to come.
Hotel Greif in the 1950s
Stairway under a preservation order
The Greif – a new urban complex on Waltherplatz
The historical entrance has been preserved
Peter Staffler was a farmer’s son from Ritten who only came to town because he had to. “There was nothing left to eat on the farm,” says Franz Staffler, who runs the Greif today. Nevertheless, Peter Staffler had a flair for business and an eye for the zeitgeist. He saw how travel was becoming more profitable, and how people were starting to discover the mountains. And when the old Greif went up for sale, he saw an opportunity.
1820: Eight rooms with mirrors
The old Greif consisted of just eight rooms (some with mirrors and curtains), plus a tavern. Luckily, the new owners had enough imagination and faith in the future to see them through. They were willing to take risks, and planned ahead by saving every penny, then investing wisely.
1880: The Greif goes modern
Extension work on the hotel began in 1881. In 1885, a modern steam laundry – first shown at the 1873 World Exhibition in Vienna – was installed. The Greif already had an indoor swimming pool by then, and the Stafflers also operated a postal coach service to the nearby Dolomites, sensing that a hotel alone is not enough to make guests linger. The biggest sensation came in 1890, when the Greif started generating its own electricity. Seven years before the rest of town, the windows of the Greif shone brightly at night.
1900: The first address
By 1900, Hotel Greif was the best place to stay on Bolzano’s Waltherplatz, the salon of the town. Balls and weddings were celebrated here, and the townspeople sought the Stafflers’ advice on important matters. From 1900 on the Stafflers also ran Hotel Bristol, which was replaced in 1961 by a commercial/residential building. In 1910 they opened Hotel Laurin within easy reach of Bolzano’s main railway station. To this day, it remains a veritable Grand Hotel.
2000: One of the world’s best design hotels
Ninety years on, Franz Staffler proved that the family’s pioneering spirit is still as strong as ever. After a five-year makeover, the Greif re-opened in 2000 as a small, exclusive Art Hotel – and was hailed as one of the world’s best Design Hotels™
1820: Eight rooms with mirrors
The old Greif consisted of just eight rooms (some with mirrors and curtains), plus a tavern. Luckily, the new owners had enough imagination and faith in the future to see them through. They were willing to take risks, and planned ahead by saving every penny, then investing wisely.
1880: The Greif goes modern
Extension work on the hotel began in 1881. In 1885, a modern steam laundry – first shown at the 1873 World Exhibition in Vienna – was installed. The Greif already had an indoor swimming pool by then, and the Stafflers also operated a postal coach service to the nearby Dolomites, sensing that a hotel alone is not enough to make guests linger. The biggest sensation came in 1890, when the Greif started generating its own electricity. Seven years before the rest of town, the windows of the Greif shone brightly at night.
1900: The first address
By 1900, Hotel Greif was the best place to stay on Bolzano’s Waltherplatz, the salon of the town. Balls and weddings were celebrated here, and the townspeople sought the Stafflers’ advice on important matters. From 1900 on the Stafflers also ran Hotel Bristol, which was replaced in 1961 by a commercial/residential building. In 1910 they opened Hotel Laurin within easy reach of Bolzano’s main railway station. To this day, it remains a veritable Grand Hotel.
2000: One of the world’s best design hotels
Ninety years on, Franz Staffler proved that the family’s pioneering spirit is still as strong as ever. After a five-year makeover, the Greif re-opened in 2000 as a small, exclusive Art Hotel – and was hailed as one of the world’s best Design Hotels™
