Schönberghof opens

A new landmark towers over Spielberg

This is what the Schönberghof looks like after its expansion to 49 rooms.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Tauroa, Sepp Pail)

The iconic Schönberghof above the Red Bull Ring shines in new splendor. Mark Mateschitz is thus continuing his father's legacy in a worthy manner. The hotel, including its restaurant and sky bar, was officially opened on Friday. 

Exactly 417 days of digging, concreting, screwing, and hammering. Now the Schönberghof shines in new splendor and towers even more prominently than before over the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. Images of this new jewel box will be broadcast around the world on TV coverage of Formula 1 and MotoGP, bringing a piece of Styria into the living rooms of millions of viewers – from New Zealand to Canada.

Basically, the Schönberghof is still a compact country inn – just with a few more rooms.

Architekt Roland Heindl

"Basically, the Schönberghof is still a compact country inn – just with a few more rooms," joked architect Roland Heindl at yesterday's opening, earning the intended laughter from the audience with his understatement. Because what has been achieved there in the last 14 months is impressive, even to former ski ace Fritz Strobl. "It's fantastic what has been conjured up here," said the 2002 Olympic downhill champion, who didn't want to miss the opening as a "friend of the house."

Mark Mateschitz and the new Schönberghof after the expansion to 49 rooms(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Tauroa, Sepp Pail)

Unobstructed view of the race track
98 beds on four floors in 49 rooms – 39 of which have a direct view of the race track. The restaurant area now has 115 indoor and 240 outdoor seats, and the "Taurus" sky bar can accommodate up to 120 guests, who can enjoy the best view of the race track. And throughout the corridors, large screens pay tribute to motorsport legends of the past: from Jochen Rindt and Helmut Marko to Gerhard Berger and Ayrton Senna.

"We didn't just want to bring the Schönberghof back, we wanted to bring it back in a whole new dimension," explained Kevin Abramowicz, head of the twelve Mateschitz businesses that are grouped under the umbrella brand "Tauroa." However, the 24-meter-high extension, including the restaurant, is intended to be much more than just a hotel on the race track; rather, it will become a new event venue for the entire region. "Not just on days when motorsport is buzzing," Abramowicz explained.

We believe in the strength of the region and that we can still tap into a lot of potential here.

Ring-Geschäftsführer Thomas Überall

A meeting place for the entire region
Ring CEO Thomas Überall shares this view: "We believe in the strength of the region and that we can still tap into a lot of potential here." The cost of the project is being kept officially under wraps, but rumors suggest it will be around twelve million euros. A mere trifle for "landlord" Mark Mateschitz, whose fortune was recently estimated at around $46 billion (€38 billion). Austria's richest man did not interfere in the planning. "We didn't discuss the details much personally," explained architect Heindl.

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You don't have to look far to find the next major construction site at the Ring: an extension to the pit building is currently under construction. Cost: around 13 million euros. So the Mateschitz family's money continues to flow into Spielberg.

Gut gebucht, willkommene Gesetzgebung

Der PS-Party steht nichts mehr im Weg

Hundreds of thousands of fans make the pilgrimage to Spielberg every year for the Formula 1 and MotoGP races. This keeps the cash registers ringing far beyond the Murtal valley. Things are looking good again this year, as Michael Ranzmaier-Hausleitner, chairman of Murtal Tourism, revealed yesterday at the Schönberghof to the "Krone" newspaper: "As always, things are looking very good for Formula 1. And there are also many inquiries for the new MotoGP date (in September for the first time; note). If we have a long summer, then nothing will stand in the way of a well-attended event there either."

Tourism professionals in the region are also delighted with the state government's clear rejection of a Styrian camping site law, which would have imposed a 10 p.m. curfew and massively curtailed the celebrations surrounding the races. "We are really very grateful for this political decision," said Ranzmaier-Hausleitner. The racing season at the Red Bull Ring will kick off this year on April 25/26, when the powerful GT3 sports cars of the DTM celebrate their season opener in Spielberg.