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| Park
Hotel Sonnenhof |
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| Vaduz -
Liechtenstein |
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Society
- Extraordinary
August - 2005 |
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6 Stars & 5 Stripes
Overall - 'Hotel &
Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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The
signpost up ahead warned us of an approaching Swiss military installation
sitting directly on the road leading to the valley of the Rhine River and the
border of the Principality of Liechtenstein. A quick glance at the map
confirmed that we had in fact chosen the correct road to the city of Balzers,
the southern entryway to this tiny country from neighboring Switzerland. We had
just found our way through 'Heidiland', a picturesque area surrounded by jagged
peaks and forested slopes in which lived the real little girl named Heidi and
her family made famous in the US on the silver screen. It was easy to be lulled
into a sense of tranquility and harmony by the incredible scenery playing
itself out as we wound up and down these strikingly beautiful Swiss Alps.
"Look, here comes another military truck, this time with soldiers in it!" my
wife the navigator announced.
Sure enough the military traffic was
getting a little busier it seemed when suddenly there it was just as we rounded
the next turn, a large 'Medieval' fortress with a couple of Swiss soldiers
guarding the front gate. "Now what are we going to do?" Phyllis asked
rhetorically as if I really had a solution. I slowed to a crawl and approached
the gate with caution hoping not to raise any suspicion that may trigger a
search or worse maybe a gunshot to the tires. Nothing could have been further
from reality in this peaceful part of the world as the soldiers just waved at
us and motioned us to proceed through the fort to the other side where the road
continued down the mountain to Liechtenstein. "Maybe they were armed with Swiss
knives!" Phyllis said in the excitement. I had no comment at seeing the
fashionably dressed manikin-like unarmed guards although I thought I saw them
wearing Swatches.
Driving down the mountain was a breeze now as we felt
buoyed by our near miss experience of the fort. We paused briefly at the side
of the road to admire the incredible view of an ancient castle perched at the
top of a smaller hill located at the bottom of the Rhine valley just as a
blazing motorcycle came roaring by in front of us. Although we couldn't tell
where, we knew that the border of the Principality lay somewhere not far from
us and we hurried back on the road now as to make it to the capital Vaduz, and
the Park Hotel Sonnenhof before dark.
It didn't take long to reach the
capital of this incredibly small 62 sq mile postage stamp nation that is still
romantically ruled by a charming storybook Prince. "It says somewhere in our
literature that he actually lives in a castle", my wife noted reading from our
guidebook. We spotted what looked like the Prince's castle just above as we
followed the signs to our destination the Park Hotel Sonnenhof nestled
comfortably in the domain of this regal mountain monarchy. |
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We parked our car adjacent to
the hotel entry next to a long line of neatly manicured but bare trees the
likes of which you would find in a Vincent Van Gogh landscape. We noticed
immediately that although it was March in Liechtenstein the flowers were in
full bloom already and the scent of their perfume flourished.
As if
that weren't picturesque enough, we were overwhelmed with the view of the sheer
mountain side with
the
castle juxtaposed behind us above the Rhine River and its plain running in
front of us towards the sun setting in the west. Talk about 'first
impressions!'
Our home for the next few days proved to be a very
enchanting and revitalizing place as we were about to find out upon checking in
at the reception of the Sonnenhof. This is the domain of the Real family and we
were scheduled to meet the chief of operations, executive chef and owner
Hubertus Real. The charming receptionist Juliane Funke, announced that she was
expecting us and quickly offered a refreshing glass of local wine while she
called Mr. Real out of the kitchen to come and greet us. |
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Emil & Jutta Real
Silje & Baby Mikkel & Hubertus
Real |
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| Park
Hotel Sonnenhof VIP-Tour Upon being introduced we quickly became friends as
I think Hubertus can feel comfortable chatting with royalty as well as the
average patron of his quaint little corner of paradise. Over a couple of
glasses of superbly delicate local "Grüner Veltliner" from the neighboring
vineyards we found out that the Park Hotel Sonnenhof started its history as a
private residence in 1917 and then run as a guest house since 1952. Emil and
Jutta Real, parents of Hubertus and newly wed at the time carried their own
personal love affair over to include a deep feeling of affection for this
unique domicile. "It was a wonderful afternoon. We sat in the sun-drenched
garden of this villa with the little town of Vaduz below us. This could be the
beginning of a story" believed Jutta Real and it was. |
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The Park Hotel Sonnenhof today
is fully modernized and renovated according to GM Hubertus and has a solid
history of catering to discriminating patrons including royalty, world leaders,
stage and screen personalities as well as anyone simply looking for the best
that money can buy. "Right from the start our aim was to always be one step
ahead and to offer only the very best to our discerning clientele", explains
Jutta Real. |
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| A quick walk towards our suite brought us past a wall
of photos portraying family members posing with Sylvia and Carl-Gustav of
Sweden, Queen Fabiola of Belgium, members of the royal family of Monaco, the
son of the Japanese emperor, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his family and
heads of state from various countries including Vladimir Putin of Russia. A
very impressive start and as we know, in this business consistency is the key
to success and the Park Hotel Sonnenhof under the guidance of the Real Family
has earned that respect. While belonging to the Relais Et Chateaux association
of excellent hotels and restaurants, the Leading Hotels of the World and
earning 16 points for cuisine from the prestigious GaultMillau Guide, it all
adds up to hard work and sacrifice in transforming Sonnenhof into a first-class
venue. |
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We would soon find out to what
degree Hubertus has taken the Park Hotel Sonnenhof in terms of cuisine
creativity and expertise as soon as we check-in to our suite and prepare for
our evening culinary review. But first a quick tour of the premises to
introduce ourselves to the luxury and stateliness that is to be our home for
the next few glorious days.
Park
Hotel Sonnenhof VIP-Tour
The late afternoon sun filtered down through
the leafless branches of specimen trees surrounding the well organized
landscape of the Sonnenhof grounds. Little nooks with comfortable chaises and
cushioned chairs revealed themselves in the most sought after
places. |
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Guests looking for quiet time for reading, painting
or just meditating could do so surrounded by the caress of towering alpine
peaks bathed in the dappled warmth of south facing sunlight. Service personnel
pride themselves on being omnipresent yet inconspicuous, and summoning them for
a warm coffee or refreshing mineral water requires no more than the turning of
your head. Our suite was surrounded by a meadow of multihued crocuses and
daffodils fighting for the attention of those patrons lucky enough to pause and
appreciate the explosion of the 'Monet'-like symphony playing in front of them.
We lingered over at the surreal stage at our terrace doorstep but found
our eyes being drawn irresistibly upward in the direction of the shimmering
alpine oasis of snowcapped mountains radiating the golden ebb of the setting
sun. What a sublime place to escape to if only for few days. The sun had set
quickly and we thought we observed the 'green flash' although everything at
this point seemed a bit surreal. We eagerly prepared now to concentrate on our
restaurant cuisine review featuring the creative talents of Sonnenhof's
favorite son, Executive Chef Hubertus Real. We asked him what his approach was
in his preparation of the daily cuisine for Sonnenhof's discerning guests. "I
will go to any lengths to captivate my guests with gastronomic creations", says
Hubertus Real, "and I take special delight in meeting their specific requests".
I guess that sort of sums it up! |
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John Lomitola & Hubertus
Real |
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| American Dream Cuisine™ |
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Sonnenhof
In Vaduz , Liechtenstein
Receives |
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Society |
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6 Stars
& Stripes for
Society Cuisine & Service |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars &
Stripes™ |
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Darkness came quickly and it was a cool starry night
when we tore ourselves away from the spectacle of what had unfolded in front of
our suite as the sun receded behind the massive ring of mountains. We walked
slowly through the luminescent hallways of the Sonnenhof that seemed to reflect
the feeling of tranquility by which we could still savor the fleeting
experience of the earlier vision at our doorstep.
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Maitre D' and expert
Sommelier Oskar Schiller who hails from Austria, greeted us warmly and escorted
to our table past many well dressed patrons speaking in hushed tones. Amid the
lively sounds of silverware clinking against bone china we felt reassured that
our dining experience would be a good one.
Oskar now offered us the menus
along with two lovely glasses of Laurent Perrier Brut Non-vintage, agreeable
and perfectly blended combining 45% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot
Meunier varietals. While sipping this easily drinkable champagne we noticed its
pale gold color, |
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fine beads and delicate yet
complex nose wafting citrus with hints of white fruit.
Its remarkable
intensity delivers a fruity nose outstandingly mimicking the subtleties of its
chardonnay and pinot noir origins. We observed the brilliance of its goldenrod
yellow color before savoring the excellent mousse and fine bubbles showing
notes of pear and white peach.
We lingered a while to appreciate the
lengthy but harmonious finish before we noticed Maitre D' Schiller approaching
the table. |
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Our tranquility seemed overwhelming while we examined
the menus as if in a daze after a full day of relaxed enjoyment at the
Sonnenhof. Sensing our serenity, Maitre D' Schiller suggested that we leave the
cuisine details to Chef Hubertus Real and 'throw caution to the wind'. He
quickly grabbed the menus and returned with the Amuse Busche: Ravioli Emilio
with Spinach - a charming little warm up to tease the palate with a light
taste of things to come. Our wine paring was a local selection from the pearl
of the so called 'wine route' Vaduz Chardonnay 2002, Harry Zech - a well
oaked, smoky, medium bodied chardonnay offering aromas of white fruit and
peach.
A slight pause was allowed to fully savor the amuse and wine
suggestions during which time Phyllis and I couldn't help but recount the
feeling of being totally nurtured in this wonderfully remote corner of the
civilized world. Soon after arrived the Mixed Garden Salad with Forest
Mushrooms and Fresh Herbs, a rather mundane dish in most restaurants that
gave new meaning to the words 'garden' and 'fresh'. I can't think of a time
that I was so impressed with the explosive tastes of fresh picked greens and
aromatic herbs, not to mention the earthiness of the forest mushrooms. All the
while Schiller and his staff were constantly checking up on us and refilling
water and wine glasses, replacing silverware and refolding our napkins before
we returned from the restroom. |
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| Our next course was carefully
presented as Scampi with Two Sauces featuring the crispest, most
succulent and tender jumbo shrimps that literally 'popped' when you bit into
them. The artfully arranged remoulade and cocktail sauces reminded us of the
peace and tranquility derived from the forces of 'ying and yang'. |
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Before taking over as Executive Chef at Sonnenhof,
Hubertus was trained at the Palace in St Moritz and then off to Sydney,
Australia where he won a gold medal at the Skill Olympics for his cooking while
he maintained his position at the Pacific-Parc-Royal. His education was
formalized when he graduated from a prestigious hotel school in Switzerland and
returned to take over the reins of the Park-Hotel Sonnenhof.
Next came
Twin Soups-Parsley and Beetroot soups with Horseradish for me, who
cannot refuse a hardy soup during the cooler months. I was pleasantly surprised
with the refined delicacy in flavor and texture of the contrasting liquids,
which appeared side by side at opposite corners of the spectrum. The verdant
green, slightly grassy but pungent parsley was graceful and genteel while the
fiery sweetness of the beets returned depth and intensity after being spiked
with the freshly grated horseradish.
For Phyllis, the selection was
Bass with Broccoli Flowers, fried Parsley and green Olives in a Saffron
Broth presenting a fresh filet of pan seared Bass in a delicate broth
flavored with the 'pestles' of hand gathered crocuses combined with acerbic
green olives and the prominent flavor of fried parsley.
I wasn't aware
of it until Phyllis mentioned that several other guests were noticing our
extreme pleasure while we savored each morsel. I mean after all, the
Principality of Liechtenstein is usually referred to as the 'Postage Stamp
Country' or the "Land of Milk and Money" (London Times) and is not as well
known as a superb culinary destination. Things have changed with the advent of
the undisputed master of the kitchen Hubertus Real, who lovingly combines first
class international cuisine with regional specialties and ingredients.
Oskar Schiller carefully decantered our red wine Vaduzer Pinot Noir
"Bocker" Hofkellrei des Fürsten von Liechtenstein 2002 which presented
itself as a noble rendition of a respectable Pinot Noir with notes of dark
cherry in a medium bodied structure. It was produced literally next door at the
vineyards of the reining regent of the country, His Serene Highness Prince
Hans-Adam II, who invites the whole country to an annual garden party in his
castle home. You just might want to check up on the Princely Family by
accessing http://www.fuerstenhaus.li |
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We were thoroughly engaged in the veritable moment in
time when the main course arrived. For Phyllis it was Veal Naturale over
Pasta and Leeks with rosemary and oregano nage. The preparation of veal in
Germanic countries is held in high esteem and handled with the delicate care of
an artisan working on his unique creations. A tender, maddeningly thin
wafer-like oval quickly sautéed and presented over house-made pasta with
leeks while the foam-like herbal nage accentuates the subtle arrangement with
fortifying character.
Almost simultaneously my server presented me with
Turbot over Sauerkraut with Basil and Potato Puree, which seemed at
first too perfect to disturb. A better tasting fish is hard to find although
Turbot is relatively unknown in the US. The silky smooth re-defined version of
creamy potato puree has to owe its great taste to the skillful preparation and
nurturing of Chef Hubertus, who has shown that literally everything that leaves
the kitchen has to be perfect in every way.
Our evening was complete,
or so we thought! Oskar announced that there would be more to come, a sort of
'grande finale' so to speak. Soon after our attentive and personable server
Stefanie arrived with two angelic creations expertly prepared and presented by
Chef Hubertus himself. It seemed as if we were seated royalty being pampered
with all the regalia of an official visit. After all, Prince Hans-Adam II and
his princess wife have been frequent visitors to the Park-Hotel Sonnenhof which
is probably the best testimony as to the level of quality, service and cuisine
at this resort. |
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Dessert of Ten different
"house-made" sorbettos with fresh currents, kiwi and melon for Phyllis and
Ginger Zabayon with rhubarb wild strawberries for me rounded out this
world-class culinary experience. But wait! After espresso and cappuccino came a
carefully arranged delightful assortment of chocolate truffles as a surreal
sensuous send off. |
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| Chef Hubertus suddenly came out of the kitchen with a
proud 'father-of-the-bride' look on his face to see if his patrons had enjoyed
themselves during their dining experience. As he approached each table, you
could see happy people reaching out to shake his hand in gratitude time after
time. As he came closer to our table, I'm sure he could see the extremely high
level of satisfaction written all over our faces. He asked if we would like to
take a small walk to visit his newly created wellness board room in the
conference center. It seems that Hubertus has more in mind than just dazzling
his guests with his gastronomic wonders and has pursued his 'Wellness
Conference Center' idea until it came to a reality. |
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The Sonnenhof Wellness
Meeting Concept:
The four factors that make up the foundation for
the concept include:
- 1. Conference
- 2. Wellness
- 3. Gastronomy
- 4. Service
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The conference factor includes all the
necessary implements required for a successful meeting or workshop to proceed.
Flip charts; magnetic walls; internet; ISDN; technical touch screens for TV,
video, DVD, radio with Dolby Surround Sound ™; automated overhead
projector and well planned flexible lighting which can be controlled form a
central tech-box just to name a few.
The wellness factor
features an automated board room table that raises and lowers according to the
necessity to work standing up or sitting. The well thought out color scheme
highlights earth tones for tranquility and the room itself had been designed
using the ancient method of 'feng shui' to harness the proper energy flow. An
aroma bar offers a selection of exotic scents to promote feelings ranging from
energy to relaxation according to your requirements. A waterfall has been added
in the room not just for appearance but also for regulating humidity and
cleansing the air of dust particles. Finally, there is a free standing fresh
water bath for tired or distracted conferees to plunge their forearms into
thereby refreshing the blood flow and reinvigorating their attention span for
another session. |
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John & Phyllis Lomitola |
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The gastronomy factor
stresses light fresh energy food from the garden along with fresh fruits
offered all day for a quick boost to the brain. Garadon service with assorted
veggies and fresh fruit juice, salads and canapés can be scheduled to
arrive in the board room to optimize quality time in each session.
The service factor offers communications at every level to reach
management at all times 24/7.
You could appreciate the tremendous amount
of serious thought given to the planning and construction phases of this
remarkable endeavor during which Hubertus single-mindedly followed his unique
inspiration of deluxe conference facilitation. |
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| Our delightful evening ended with a slow, comfortable
stroll through the Sonnenhof gardens with nothing but the scent of fresh, crisp
mountain air and the luminescent glow of the milky-way shimmering off the all
encompassing snowy peaks. |
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Please
take a closer look |
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by
Phyllis & John Lomitola
Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid Lemme |
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| © 2005 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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