The Grand Hotel Quellenhof in Bad Ragaz in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen is one of the flagships of the Swiss top hotel industry - all the more so after a lavish, 45-million-euro refurbishment. The new splendor in the 90 rooms, eleven junior suites and the king suite comes primarily from the Bavarian Forest: hotel interior designer Felix Graf from Zenting carried out the refurbishment of the rooms. The team, consisting of 55 employees, was busy with this major project for just under six months, says company boss Graf, describing the dimension for his company, which was founded in 1955 by his parents Felix and Mathilde Graf as a construction and furniture joinery.

The seven-million-euro order had to be completed in record time - from the production of a sample room to the planning of the work and the turnkey handover, the Lower Bavarians stayed on schedule. It was the largest total order in the history of the company, says Felix Graf, not without pride.

And the clients were satisfied with the work from Lower Bavaria. Reto Schwengeler, Head of Infrastructure and Safety at the Quellenhof: "When it comes to the conversion work of the Grand Hotel, nothing can go wrong. Our schedule is extremely tight. It is actually impossible to complete such a project in this time. But we are just making the impossible possible." No problem for Felix Graf: "The fact that we manufacture in our own plant makes us independent of suppliers and guarantees us quality that meets the highest standards." The demands were particularly high here. Gilded cabinet fronts, high-gloss lacquered burl wood, applications made of genuine leather and natural stone such as Carrara marble, especially in the King Suite, went far beyond the scope of normal carpentry work.

The design planning for the interior came from the Swiss interior designer Claudio Carbone, with whom Felix Graf GmbH has had a business relationship for many years.

The next major international projects are already in the works: company boss Graf cites as examples the renovation of 212 rooms in the Swissotel Zurich, of 165 rooms in the Hotel Kursaal Bern and the total renovation of 15 vacation apartments in the "Residencen Zermatt". But the company has also made a name for itself in the region, providing interiors for several country inns.

The family business has set the course for the future. Both of the Graf sons, Felix (25) and Valentin (23), want to continue running the company. Felix Graf junior completed his master's degree in interior design at the Royal Collage of Art in London last year, while Valentin successfully completed his bachelor of engineering degree, specializing in interior design, in Rosenheim. "Both will soon join the management team," announces company boss Graf senior.

- pnp/ek
Passauer Neue Presse, October 16, 2019