Marion and Dr Manfred Maus spend their summer holiday with their two young daughters Annette and Isabel at Manfred’s parents’ home in Pirmasens. On this occasion, they become aware of a large hotel in Dahn that is only a few years old but already empty. Marion, whose parents ran a guesthouse with a café in the low mountain range of Westerwald, is immediately impressed by the hotel’s fantastic location. Manfred has known Dahn and the many old castles and unique rock formations around it since he was a child. The two quickly agree: We are buying this hotel. And will turn it into our passion project.
At Easter 1987, the time has finally come: Hotel Pfalzblick with its 76 rooms and 13 employees opens its doors. Demand is unexpectedly high, so more team members are recruited at once.
Contrary to Marion and Manfred’s initial expectations for their hotel in the Palatinate, it’s primarily occupied by conference and business guests, alongside walking groups. Nevertheless, the hotel is a success.
Marion takes charge of the kitchen. What was initially intended as a short-term solution proved to be very popular. Guests rave about her delicious cooking.
More and more guests discover the hotel’s amenities and its wonderful surroundings. At this time, Pfalzblick already has 4 restaurant rooms, from 1997 the beauty farm, which is leased until the beginning of 2003, and from 1998 the cosy fireplace lounge and the particularly popular conservatory. Business guests decrease and holiday guests set the tone of this hotel, now classified as a 4-star superior. This makes the young Maus family happy, especially as the four of them like to spend their own family getaways during the school holidays in the leading hotels of the time in the Black Forest, Upper Bavaria, and Allgäu. In addition to the wonderful holiday experiences, they also take home some valuable ideas for their own hotel.
A trip to Tyrol changes everything for Marion and Manfred: “Wellness” becomes the guiding principle, which encompasses everything that is relaxing and beneficial. Rapid developments follow: a vitality area, whirlpool, relaxation zone with a view, and a sanarium are created.
The famous Alsatian maître affineur Bernard Antony is responsible for the perfect cheese. During a visit to nearby Alsace in France, Marion and Manfred fell in love with his unique, perfectly matured French raw milk cheeses. Bernard’s son Jean-François Antony is now the maître affineur responsible for the wide range of cheeses on offer at Pfalzblick.
The beauty centre, which the family has been running themselves since 2003, is becoming increasingly popular and is being expanded to include 5 treatment rooms.
Isabel returns from a year in Montreal (Canada) and joins the family business. She later completes a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management in Freiburg and a master’s degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Tourism in Kempten. She is therefore ideally prepared to lead the business.
The largest construction project to date at Hotel Pfalzblick sets completely new standards in 103 calendar days. The pool is completely renovated. 2 new relaxation zones are created in the vitality area. 8 rooms get a new look. The Neudahn restaurant with 70 seats is added. The Wasgaustube parlour is now a buffet zone in the style of an old Alsatian kitchen. The large panoramic terrace with 100 seats high above Dahn is the new attraction in the warmer months of the year.
The main entrance is redesigned and the newly built vinotheque is opened, where top wines from the region are available at farm-gate prices. Regular wine tastings for guests have been part of the special offering at Pfalzblick from the early years until today.
Better and better: To mark its 25th anniversary, Hotel Pfalzblick is classified as “4-star superior”. Further certifications will follow.
A new room category in the garden wing – the Tanstein Double Rooms – offers even more comfort for discerning guests.
The Grafendahn restaurant is renovated in a colourful, chic style. A new playground is built in the large garden paradise. And Isabel Maus is gaining new experiences in Asia as part of her master’s degree. She not only gets to know the local entrepreneurship, but also discovers her passion for the ancient Asian relaxation techniques of the monks. Because it’s important to Isabel that our guests can also share in this positive experience, Pfalzblick offers a comprehensive yoga programme from 2019. This is so well received that a state-of-the-art, professional yoga room is finally built in 2022.
Our “IdeenReich” training room is being modernised, featuring state-of-the-art technology.
The big anniversary celebration “30 years of Pfalzblick” makes it clear: For Marion and Dr Manfred Maus and their daughters Annette Schröder and Isabel Maus, 30 years is just the beginning.
A 1,500m² bathing lake with a 38m swimming length and a sauna island, 16 new Drachenfels Double Rooms, 6 Lämmerfels Family Suites, 2 Traubennestl Penthouse Suites, further relaxation zones, the new “Pausenraum” spa bistro, and the new Wieslauterstube restaurant are created. Comfort has increased significantly once again. The cosiness has remained.
Marion and Dr Manfred Maus have been waiting for this moment: Louis Schröder, their first grandson, is born. His brother Felix follows in 2021. Finally, little sister Valerie is welcomed to the world in 2022. Mum Annette now takes on the full-time role of “family manager”.
Isabel is now at the forefront of responsibility for the hotel and its guests alongside her father as a personally liable partner. This sets the course for company succession.
The Wieslauterstube restaurant is extended. The panoramic terrace on the 6th floor with its magnificent view of the Dahn Rockland is also being extended to over 400m². Below, there’s the new panorama house with relaxation zones on two levels. On the 4th floor, there’s also the inner entrance to the new “Sprudelwoog” – the outdoor hot pool with numerous bubbling attractions. But that’s not all: The garden wing is given a completely new look. The Altdahn Double Rooms are replaced by 14 Lindelbrunn Double Rooms, which are more than twice as big. Five new Römerfels Spa Suites and a Römerfels Family Spa Suite are also added. The hotel now has 86 rooms, including 12 suites.
The next major construction project is carried out: A new, much larger kitchen, including the associated refrigeration and storage rooms, is built. The restaurant is extended by two further parlours – the Wachtfelsstube and the Essbar. The buffet zone created in 2008 is considerably enlarged and given a new look as a gourmet market. The hall, reception, and administration office are remodelled. Working conditions improve and new social spaces are created. A new fitness room is also built: for yoga, aerobics, and more in the weekly holiday programme. Finally, a new bar is built between the hotel lobby and the restaurant.
The new staff canteen with adjoining roof terrace on the 7th floor, above the restaurant, is an expression of how much we value the entire Pfalzblick team. The five years of construction and modernisation work officially ends with the Pfalzblick Summer Festival on 17 July 2023. Over 400 guests experience a glittering party on this day.
There’s always a reason to celebrate: The Pfalzblick Wald Spa Resort is honoured with the “LEADING SPA RESORT Rhineland-Palatinate” award as well as various other awards.
For the first time in the long history of Pfalzblick, the owners – Dr Manfred, Marion, and Isabel Maus – appoint a director who isn’t a member of the family. Many regular guests already know Volker Zimmermeier. He joined the Pfalzblick team in summer 2017. Most recently, he worked as our management assistant for four and a half years.
The property has grown from 11,000m² to over 61,000m². So there will still be plenty of opportunities for development in the coming years and decades when the young generation, with Isabel Maus, MA and Annette Schröder, MA will shape Pfalzblick Wald Spa Resort.
Dr Maus and family are passionate about being there for their guests. Pfalzblick Wald Spa Resort will remain a hotel surrounded by nature with a family atmosphere and particularly generous hospitality. This is what we all stand for, together with our warm and committed team, which now comprises 124 employees.
