Meet Your Hosts at Sonnhof by Vitus Winkler

Hospitality at Sonnhof has been shaped by four generations. Today, Eva-Maria and Vitus Winkler bring their own perspective to the family hotel, combining contemporary design, a close connection to nature and an exceptional approach to food.

What defines the Sonnhof is equally personal: a sense of style without formality, genuine warmth and an appreciation for the things that matter. It is this character that has made Sonnhof a distinctive boutique hotel in Austria – individual, welcoming and deeply rooted in its surroundings.

The Winkler Family – Life at Our Boutique Hotel in Austria

For Eva-Maria and Vitus Winkler, Sonnhof is both a family home and a shared passion. Together with their children, Vitus and Malia, they give the hotel its personal and open atmosphere.

Guests are welcomed with genuine warmth and an ease that comes naturally – a spirit that has been part of the family for generations and continues to shape the Sonnhof today.

Roots and Wings: The Story of the Design Hotel near Salzburg

1928: Vitus’s great-grandmother, Fanny Schandlbauer, builds a small, welcoming hotel in St. Veit im Pongau, near Salzburg.
From around 1950: Fanny’s daughter Maria and her husband Johann Schandlbauer take over Sonnhof. Maria’s cooking is simple, honest and remarkably good.
1980: Fanny’s granddaughter Rose-Marie and her husband Ernst Winkler – one of the leading ski racers of his generation – take over Sonnhof and introduce the hotel’s first wellness area.
1996: Rose-Marie earns Sonnhof its first Gault&Millau toque – an important culinary milestone for what is today a celebrated hotel in Salzburgerland.
2012: Vitus and Eva-Maria Winkler take over, bringing fresh ideas and a clear vision for the future. Contemporary design and an ambitious approach to food begin to shape Sonnhof into the design hotel in Salzburg it is today.
2016: The transformation becomes visible throughout the hotel. The entrance, lounge and bar, winter garden and many of the rooms are redesigned, introducing the modern, nature-inspired aesthetic that still defines Sonnhof today.
2019: Vitus’s creative, herb-led cuisine is awarded four Gault&Millau toques – a defining moment in his culinary career.
2020: The spa grows with the addition of an outdoor infinity pool, saunas and relaxation rooms overlooking the mountains, bringing a new dimension to the experience at this design hotel near Salzburg.
2024: New suites and contemporary rooms are added, alongside a fitness and seminar room, a new kitchen and the newly built gourmet restaurant Kräuterreich. Together, they mark another significant chapter for Sonnhof as a hotel in Salzburgerland.
2025: Vitus Winkler is awarded two Michelin stars – a landmark moment in his culinary career.
2026: Vitus Winkler is named “Chef of the Year 2026” by Gault&Millau – one of the highest accolades in Austrian gastronomy.

The Team at Sonnhof by Vitus Winkler

Sonnhof is shaped not only by the Winkler family, but by the people who work alongside them. Each member of the team brings their own personality, experience and sense of hospitality to the hotel.

Together, they create the warm, personal atmosphere that has become part of the character of this boutique hotel in Austria.