Our Story
GRETI is a house with a history – and a present that it lovingly continues to write.
For centuries, this place in Bad Hofgastein has been a place to arrive. What once began as a farm and developed into a guesthouse and spa hotel is now the GRETI Alpine Boutique Hotel – with character, warmth and personality. It's not about glitz and glamour here, but about authenticity: about a "Griaß di" that stays with you, about rooms that radiate cosiness, and about that special feeling when you realise: I'm exactly where I belong here. Just like home, only better.
Grandma Greti – the soul behind the name
The GRETI hotel didn't get its name by chance. Grandma Greti was the perfect hostess: warm, attentive, and always with an extra place at the table. Everyone immediately felt at home with her – fed, cared for, and seen. That same feeling lives on in the hotel today: genuine warmth and a great attention to detail.
Tradition reinterpreted
The site of what is now GRETI has been a documented part of Gastein Valley’s history since the 8th century. Over time, the former working farm slowly became a place for guests – later known as the Kur- und Sporthotel “Winkler”.
With the extensive refurbishment and reopening in 2025, the house was completely reimagined: its historic roots remain tangible, while design, materials and details now give GRETI its boutique character – modern, warm, and always respectful of what came before.
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Family, roots & a new chapter
Today, GRETI is run as a first-generation family business by Benjamin Johannes – with a lot of heart and a clear eye on the future.
A love of nature runs in the family: his parents, both botanists – with his mother also a master florist – are responsible for the beautiful flora and fauna in and around the house, as well as the lovingly chosen decorative details. At reception, his brother Michael Matan lends a hand, welcoming guests with an honest “Griaß di”.
Many of the house’s treasures have been deliberately preserved: antique pieces, carved wooden panelling and an original Viennese café from imperial times with brick walls and chiselled arches, while the rooms themselves have been fully refurbished. This way, GRETI keeps both alive: the soul of a historic house and the fresh GRETI feeling of a place that now shines in a new light.
Benjamin Johannes (Benny)
Host with a passion
I’m a restaurateur and hotelier through and through — not just as a profession, but from the heart. For me, being a host means far more than organisation or service. It means creating real, magical moments.
Growing up with a blend of entrepreneurial spirit and down-to-earth values, I spent a large part of my childhood on my grandparents’ farm. While my parents pursued their own paths with hard work and passion — my mother as a master florist running her own flower shop, and my father as an internationally active plant wholesaler from the Netherlands — the “Neuhäusl”, the farm of my Grandma Gretl and Grandpa Franz, became my second home. Coming back to them was something special.
It was warmth.
It was a sense of safety.
It was honest Alpine hospitality.
You felt cared for, seen and truly welcome — simply and naturally. It felt like coming home — only a little finer. That’s exactly the feeling I wanted to carry forward with GRETI.
A place where you arrive and immediately breathe more easily.
A house that never feels distant, but personal.
A hotel with character — just like my grandmother.
I’d rather be in the heart of the house than in the office, in conversation rather than in the background. I want to be present, to listen, to sense what my guests need — and to give exactly that. GRETI should feel like coming home — only a little finer.
A place to breathe, slow down and arrive.
A house with character, warmth and personality.
A place to unwind, settle in and feel good.
Carried by the true GRETI feeling.
