Interview Laura Imdahl | Matador Lodges
1, Dear Laura, what motivated your family to start the Matador Lodges project?
The main house, our villa, has a story and it starts with the founding of Windsurfing Chiemsee - the creative mind behind it: my father Martin. After he decided to sell the brand in 1992, our sports/fashion brand Matador was born. The brand has grown with him and his demands on design and functionality. Besides a horse breeding of the same name, there were many other projects that he initiated. The desire to create a place where our interpretation of luxury in the form of design, service and a certain way of thinking can be experienced, was always present - and so it came to the Matador Lodges.
2, What had to be taken into account in the choice of location, size of the hotel and design?
The choice of location was actually already predetermined due to the brand history. Of course, we still asked ourselves whether this location made sense for such a concept. Our answer: definitely - because on the one hand we are only a few minutes away from Lake Chiemsee, easily accessible between Munich and Salzburg, and on the other hand we escape the tourist hustle and bustle directly on the lake due to our somewhat offset location.The size of the hotel has resulted on the one hand from the conditions of the property and on the other hand we always wanted to create a place that offers enough space for meetings, but also to be able to get out of the way as a hotel guest. In addition, the nice thing is that we are with 4 cottages and 4 apartments well inder Lage our lodges alone as a family to operate. In order to be able to expand more easily in the future, the basic supply for 4 further cottages has already been laid out on the site. My father was exclusively responsible for the architecture. It was important to him that all the residential units are skillfully integrated into the given landscape and that only high-quality, durable and sustainable materials are used. The interior design was largely the responsibility of my mother and me - a mix of individual pieces collected over decades and modern elements. The challenge for us: not to neglect functionality in addition to the design factor.
3, Why was a particularly good bed so important for you and how did you choose COCO-MAT?
In a hotel where the priority is relaxation and well-being, there is probably nothing more important than a particularly good and above all restful sleeping experience. The decision was then very easy, because we not only slept particularly well in your beds, but also share the philosophy in terms of sustainability and quality 100%.
4, Do you see yourselves as a hotel, a bed & breakfast or a guesthouse?
First of all, it was clear to us: we want to be a hotel, but a very special one. we don't have our own restaurant, but otherwise we offer many services that are also available in a hotel. After the line in the entire industry, especially in our concept more and more blurred between hotel, bed & breakfast and vacation apartment, we are currently tending to position us as a luxury B&B. Purely from the idea that we are not a classic hotel with 24-hour reception and restaurant.
5, What challenges are you facing?
Even though I can't hear it anymore, the lack of employees is definitely a hurdle. As I said, we have the whole family working with us, but for one of the most important positions in a hotel - housekeeping - it is almost impossible to find someone.
6, What do you see as your advantage and added value compared to large hotels/hotel chains?
A big advantage is that we can always adapt flexibly to new challenges due to our size - a point that has become super important.In addition to the most important added value: the personal service freely according to the motto "Everything can, nothing must", we naturally offer our guests a special ambience with high standards of design, architecture and privacy. I am also strongly of the opinion that impersonal services are becoming increasingly replaceable.guests who come to us for the second time often already write me their anticipation via WhatsApp - that is the decisive added value!
7, Which area would you like to expand and strengthen more in the future?
1.5 years after opening, we have definitely noticed that there is a lot of demand in the B2B area - whether offsite, workshop or company anniversary. I think what's special about us is that we offer a retreat that is not only a creative environment but also an opportunity for great team activities around Lake Chiemsee. Therefore, we will expand and develop our offer in this respect.