Boom and bubble (1901-1914) Sporthotel Pontresina

hotel buses awaiting guests @ samedan railway station

technical progress impacted transport links. on 1 july 1903 albula railway opened between thusis , samedan, connected engadin region cantonal capital, chur. hitherto hotel guests had been required undergo ten-hour journey, post carriage, via julier or albula pass in order reach pontresina chur. ten hour post carriage journey replaced four-hour railway journey. @ samedan station trains met hotel pontresina s own horse-drawn bus final 6 km (4 mile) climb valley pontresina. 5 years before branch line passing through pontresina opened, on 1 july 1908, in process linking albula railway bernina railway , creating through route tirano in italy.

a more rapid and, in winter, more predictable transport link brought increase in tourist numbers. in response, there sudden increase in tourist facilities, including number of substantial new hotels, in pontresina. result , driver of tourism boom funicular service opened in 1907 between punt muragl , new muottas muragl viewing station, part completed before pontresina rail link itself. existing hotels constructed operate during summer season embarked on upgrades in order accommodate winter season clientele well, in order service more reliably debt incurred finance construction. hotel pontresina participated in development.

since 1891 enlargement, 16 of hotel s 66 guest rooms had been provided own wood-burning stoves. guests accommodated in these rooms billed using stoves according number of crates of fire wood consumed. however, room stoves ever intended compensate short episodes of cold weather, , not have been considered practical operate them on sustained basis through winter season. 1906/07 winter season, therefore, central heating system installed, extended in 1913. new elaborate illustrated brochures produced, french , english lanuguge versions german ones, in order draw in more hotel guests winter season. new or expanded activities available included skiing, tobogganing, skijoring, ice skating , excursions horse sled.

further innovations designed build winter season business included programme of dances , costume balls arranged larger hotels, including hotel pontresina, advertised both own guests , guests of other pontresina hotels. in january 1913 1 of balls held celebration of german kaiser s birthday. of experiment, in view of @ least 1 contemporary reporter, introduction of tango tea party @ hotel pontresina on 27 december 1913.

despite growth in tourist numbers, there suggestions pace of new hotel construction @ times outstripped demand. in 1890 there 1,200 recorded hotel beds in pontresina. increased 1,530 in 1900 , 1,850 in 1910. significant new openings included of hotel schweizerhof in 1905 , of hotel palace (today hotel walther ) in 1907. 1908 saw expansion of hitherto insignificant, in capacity terms, hotel enderlin , relaunched schlosshotel enderlin new structure incorporated arrestingly eye catching tower. last significant new hotel in pontresina before war broke out in 1914 hotel rosatsch , built on plot directly beside hotel pontresina. fashionable new architecture - whether inspired gothic castles or more homely alpine chalets - , integrated modern facilities, these newly built hotels enjoyed competitive advantage on establishments built or extended in 1890s.

in increasingly fevered atmosphere of period, on 15 july 1909 johann stoppany sold hotel newly created a.-g. hotel pontresina company price of 1.06 million swiss francs. @ same time new company spent 0.2 million swiss francs on buying hotel furniture st. moritzer bank. johann stoppany himself invested 148,000 swiss francs in 296 shares of new company, fell 4 shares below 50% of issued share capital. however, company register discloses siblings , other relatives included among fellow shareholders. nevertheless, new hotel director, hans beck, took on in 1911, first director since before 1881 not member of stoppany clan.