“People who have a dachshund are a little crazy – just like the dogs,” says Eric van den Broek, owner of Europe’s only dachshund hotel. The hotel owner, who comes from the Netherlands, has two dachshunds himself and is a big fan of hunting dogs. Already a popular dog breed, the dachshund has been experiencing a real boom in recent years. Van den Broek – a member of numerous dachshund fan clubs – has not escaped the hype.
Dogs other than dachshunds are only allowed in exceptional cases
In 2016 he took over the inn in Mayerhofen in Austria as a winter sports hotel. “Then we thought about what we could do in the summer,” he says. “Just for fun,” he asked the dachshund community what dog fans would think of a hotel for four-legged friends. The response was so positive that he wanted to turn the accommodation into a Teckel Hotel for a summer. What started as a fun event attracted so many visitors in the first month that the hotelier stuck to the concept: skiers come in winter, dachshund owners with their dogs in summer.
“We are not a dog boarding house, but a completely normal hotel,” explains the Dutchman. Guests arriving without four-legged friends are also welcome. The following applies to dog owners: Two dachshunds are included in the overnight price, more can be added by arrangement. It will be difficult for other races. “Dachshunds are dogs with a very big character and will of their own,” says the hotelier. If other and especially larger dogs were added, it would frighten the dachshunds. However, other breeds are not completely forbidden. If guests with a dachshund also have another dog and want to take it with them, that is usually not a problem. Dachshund mixed breeds can also check in with their owner.
The love for the hunting dog connects the vacationers. “They all have the same interests and get along well,” reports van den Broek. Most guests come from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany. Dog owners have also come from Denmark, Sweden, Russia and the USA. The prices for a stay in Dachshund hotel start from 67.50 euros per night.