Love at first sight

STORY

Steinach Townhouse Meran, Merano: Love at first sight

A designer couple from Milan tells about their love for South Tyrol – and especially for their new B&B Steinach Townhouse Meran.

Roger Botti and Giulia De Andreis are a designer couple from Milan – Roger runs the branding and design agency Robilant. South Tyrol has been the couple’s second home for several years. The shared passion for interior design and art has led them to the Steinach Townhouse Meran.

How did they actually get into the hotel industry? Roger and Giulia tell:

“We coincidentally came to Merano when we were cycling along the Vinschgau cycle path. We already knew South Tyrols mountains, hiking trails and its slopes … but suddenly we were surprised by Merano, this versatile small town with Central European flair and its characteristic Mediterranean vegetation with palm trees and pines. We then spent different weekends here and during our stays discovered the place and the surrounding area and explored the wide range of gastronomic offerings in the area. The Steinach district conquered us from the start with its reserved atmosphere! It is located away from the hustle and bustle of tourists and offers an extremely fascinating view of the surrounding mountains.“

A unique location next to the city

It was also the nearby river and the promenades that made this area their favorite corner of the city.

Love at first sight

The building, which is now the Steinach Townhouse, had been abandoned for years. Despite the neglected condition, the two immediately fell in love with the play of light in the rooms, the moods at the different times of the day and the fascinating views from the windows. “It wasn’t until a short time later that we discovered the architectural details – the historic doors worth preserving, the original old floors. The renovation took 2 years. The greatest difficulty lay in maintaining the old and combining it with the new”. They spent a lot of time collecting the original South Tyrolean furniture, combining them with one another and furnishing the suites with it.

The perfect hideaway

An ideal retreat, created for people who love places that tell a story and are not afraid of some imperfections. And for those who appreciate the comfort and the little luxuries that make life more beautiful!

It was also important to the owners that the new Steinach Townhouse Merano should also be run professionally on site – that’s why they thought about Katrin Schnitzer to run their B&B. They already knew her personally from their stays in Merano.

“Katrin will receive you in the Steinach Townhouse Meran. She is one of the first people we met when we came to Merano as guests. Her smile, her friendliness and her approach were the perfect welcome, so that we immediately fell in love with the warmth of South Tyrolean hospitality“, the owners explain. The couple wanted their guests to experience South Tyrols hospitality too, and they knew with Katrin they made the perfect decision.

A tourism professional from Merano

Katrin Schnitzer has always worked in the tourism industry. She speaks perfect German, Italian, English and Spanish, and also knows how to communicate in French.

She is a real Merano native who grew up in the world of tourism and has always worked in this field. Even at school she was known for her organizational skills and her sunny and honest character. After completing a language course and training in congresses, she gained her first work experience abroad (Austria and Spain), and then worked in a travel agency.

For more than 20 years she and her brother Hannes have been running an agency that deals with these sectors and only in the last few years have they expanded the spectrum to the world of accommodation – where they also got to know Giulia and Roger.

Her passion is traveling, sports, food and wine culture and through her knowledge of the country and its people, she can certainly give the guests of the Steinach Townhouse valuable tips.

Julia De Andreis & Roger Botti, owners