Schlunegger Family & Inn Story ~

The casual elegance of the Inn of the Hills is influenced by the Swiss heritage of the Schlunegger family and the European hospitality experience of Hans and Annemarie.

“Hospitality is a big part of our training and history. So our first priority is always to take care of people—guests and employees,” said Hans whose father was an innkeeper in Elgg, Switzerland.

Hans reminisced about the family’s living quarters above the gasthaus in Elgg and his childhood dream of becoming a master chef. In 1950, after completing a cook’s apprenticeship, he worked as a chef at several famous hotels in Norway, Sweden, and in Switzerland. In 1956, he met his future wife Annemarie Odermatt in Zurich where they studied together at Belvoir Park, a prestigious college for hotel management.

Journey of a Lifetime ~

In 1959, Hans made a life altering decision when he accepted a job at the Olympic Westin Hotel in Seattle, Washington. On October 16th—a date the family will never forget—Hans and Annemarie and infant son Ueli, boarded a Swissair DC6 at Zurich-Kloten International Airport and migrated to the United States.

After an eventful 36-hour flight—including replacement of an engine in Lisbon, a precautionary landing in Newfoundland, and boarding the wrong flight in New York— the family arrived in Seattle. Thus began an American career of fabulous proportion.

Culinary Triumphs ~

Hard work and resolve pushed the European chef up the culinary ladder. Hans went from working as a Chef de Partie in Seattle to becoming Sous Chef at the Rice Hotel in Houston, where in November 1963, the day before the tragic event in Dallas, he directed the dinner for President John F. Kennedy and wife Jacqueline. A year later, Hans became executive chef at The Warwick in Houston, at the time one of the country’s foremost hotels. He won several culinary awards, but his proudest triumph was leading the Texas chefs’ team to victory in the Culinary Olympics in Miami. During his colorful career, Hans served the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and skating champion Sonja Henie, as well as many movie stars, including John Wayne, Phyllis Diller, and Walter Matthau.

The move to Kerrville occurred in 1969, when Hans and Annemarie leased the Food & Beverage operation at the Inn of the Hills where they quickly built a long list of loyal customers. Hans credits their sustained success to Annemarie. “She has this unique gift for making our guests feel content and comfortable.”

A Home Away from Home ~

After the Inn of the Hills sold in 1972, the couple moved to the other side of town and founded Annemarie’s Alpine Lodge Restaurant, which they operated for twenty-years in that location. When the Inn of the Hills became available for purchase in 1993, the Schluneggers moved “back home,” as longtime customers like to say. The family completely renovated the hotel returning it to its landmark status.

In later years, Hans and Annemarie shifted the Inn’s primary management to their three children, Marian, Kurt and Ueli. Kurt and Marian graduated from the University of Houston with degrees in Hotel Management, and Ueli’s education was in architectural engineering.

The Schluneggers sold the Inn of the Hills to 1859 Historic Hotels, Ltd., in 2006, and Kurt continues to serve as General Manager while Marian specializes in sales.