Interview with Julia Kolb – Director Hotel RIVA Lake of Constance
Art & culinary highlitghts – pure luxury at the lake of Constance
January 2024
ARRIVE. STAY. EMBRACE.
The Boutique Hotel RIVA on Lake Constance combines culinary delights and art. Mrs. Julia Kolb has been working in the management of the Hotel RIVA since 2021 and has now taken over the hotel management in the 2nd generation. Exciting. Different. New. The RIVA world is a wonderful place to feel at home.
LA ESPLORA: What did you take away from your training and your work at previous luxury brand hotels?
JULIA KOLB: I took the first step in the 9th grade, when I transferred to the boarding school Schloss Salem. I did my A-levels there. After graduating from high school, I did a gap year. I have traveled a lot this year. Firstly, I went to America to improve my English skills. I was enrolled there as an au pair and at the university in San Jose at the same time. I then went on to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, China and Hong Kong. It was a very exciting time for me, as these trips allowed me to get to know and appreciate the different cultures and the associated eating habits and historical stories. After my return, I started studying at the EHL (École Hotellerie de Lausanne). I did my Bachelor’s degree there. As part of my studies, I did an operational internship at the Mandarin Oriental in Munich. Then I spent six months in New York and was able to experience the opening of the Equinox Hotel New York, a lifestyle & fitness chain in the luxury sector. It was very interesting for me to be part of the pre-opening phase of a hotel. And then I returned to our family business in Constance.
LA ESPLORA: The Hotel Riva was recently completely renovated and extended. What ideas and inspirations from your travels did you incorporate into the renovation of the hotel?
JULIA KOLB: In the hotel industry, you are inspired anew every day. Especially when traveling to new destinations. My trip to the USA had the biggest impact on me in this respect. New York is one step ahead of us in many areas. For example, in the area of digitalization. We have introduced online check-in at our Lifestyle 4K Hotel in Wangen im Allgäu. Our guests can check in in various ways, via a check-in station, the QR code on their cell phone or in the traditional way at our reception. I have seen this type of check-in option at the Public Hotel in New York. The Equinox Hotel “It’s not fitness, it’s life” focuses on lifestyle, nutrition and redefines wellbeing. I have also adopted these themes here at the Hotel Riva as inspiration for our new spa and wellbeing area. Our aim at the Riva Hotel is to offer our guests sources of inspiration and to create an exceptional experience. It is a matter close to my heart to pass on the inspiration I have found in other places to my guests. Our employees take the experiences they have had in other hotels or while traveling as a source of inspiration and incorporate them into our dishes, drinks and amenities.
LA ESPLORA: What are your top three personal places of inspiration?
JULIA KOLB: New York, Hong Kong and Milan. New York is like an IT girl in the fashion industry, a place of creativity and inspiration. In Hong Kong, I was very inspired by the design and service excellence. Milan is a classic for me. Great gastronomic concepts, exceptional classic drinks and the Italian design that we were also able to incorporate into our architecture.
LA ESPLORA: Art at the Hotel Riva. They have many works of art/paintings on display in their hotel. What criteria did you use to select these properties?
JULIA KOLB: We currently have an art exhibition in the house by Jan Davidoff, an artist from Ammersee. This exhibition is the result of a collaboration with the Terminus art gallery in Munich and Zurich. It is important to us that they are exciting and inspiring artists. Artists that we like on the one hand, that also fit in here, in the Hotel Riva. We like large-format pictures, which not every artist has. It is important that both sides can identify with each other. Both the artist must feel comfortable here in our hotel rooms and we as exhibitors must find the works of art great. In the context of art, what ultimately matters is that the artwork speaks to you personally. One example of this is a painting I bought from a street artist in New York. I liked the picture and it serves as a valuable reminder.
LA ESPLORA: What kind of guest experience would you like to offer your guests?
JULIA KOLB: The important thing is that the guest goes home with a smile. Create beautiful memories. The question always arises: how do you create these memories and experiences? The Riva has created a place of inspiration through its architecture and the different qualities of the space. However, our employees are an essential element, because they create memories. A special experience in our hotel is our 2-star gourmet restaurant Ophelia. We would like to create more active experiences in the future. We are working with the artist Katja Foos on an “Art Retreat”. We would like to organize a weekend for the guests from Friday to Sunday, where the guests arrive on Friday, draw together with the artist all day on Saturday, enjoy a nice dinner in the evening and leave again on Sunday. These are activities that you can enjoy with your mom, best friend or boyfriend. This is just one example of an experience that we would like to offer our guests here at the Hotel Riva more often in the future.
LA ESPLORA: Your hotel is well-known in the Lake Constance region (and throughout Germany). Are you also aiming to reach guests in the neighboring countries of Switzerland and Austria?
JULIA KOLB: On the one hand, our aim is to keep our regular guests at the Hotel Riva. We have renovated the Riva, we have created a new 400 square meter spa and new event rooms. Nevertheless, it has always been important to us to preserve the DNA of our company. It is important to us that our regular guests can continue to identify with the hotel. Our aim is also to attract new guests from the umbrella region, new guests from the USA, the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries. These are certainly very exciting markets.
LA ESPLORA: What are the strengths of your company? What makes a stay at the Hotel RIVA “unique”?
JULIA KOLB: Hospitality is a particular strength. Also the architecture of the hotel, the casual lifestyle that we want to embody with the Hotel Riva. And a particular strength are the accommodation options in our hotel. By expanding the hotel, we have made the wellbeing area very spacious. Our guests get their room as well as a whole house to feel good and let themselves go.
LA ESPLORA: After extensive renovation, they opened a new, large wellness area in December 2023. What do you offer your guests?
JULIA KOLB: Our new wellness area covers around 400 square meters and consists of five treatment rooms, a fitness room and a spacious lounge. In addition, two relaxation rooms, a sauna area, a solarium and a steam bath are among the most important features. The aim of our wellness area is to provide inspiration and introduce our guests to a healthy lifestyle. To this end, we have hired a Health Coach to support the guests. An individually tailored training plan, healthy meals and coaching sessions enable a successful start, so that our guests can return to everyday life stronger and integrate new healthy habits into their lifestyle.
LA ESPLORA: Is the SPA area only exclusively for your hotel guests or do you also offer day spa services?
JULIA KOLB: The focus is of course on our hotel guests. But there will be package offers in the future, which will also be available for external guests. We will not be offering a pure day spa, but only in combination with treatments and a meal voucher.
LA ESPLORA: You have been running the Ophelia gourmet restaurant in the Art Nouveau villa of the Hotel Riva for many years. What makes this oasis of pleasure so special? Has the restaurant already established itself beyond the borders?
JULIA KOLB: The gourmet restaurant has also established itself beyond the borders. We have two stars. Many Swiss people also come to us. Our head chef Dirk Hoberg received his first star in his first year and his second star in his second year. There are indeed many guests who come to us from far and wide for the culinary experience. The Ophelia restaurant has also been remodeled and we have an open kitchen concept. Guests can sit directly at the chef’s table and watch Dirk Hoberg and his sous-chef Fabian Obergfell. With the new room concept, we have created a special dining experience. In summer, our guests can enjoy dinner on our Ophelia terrace with a view of Lake Constance.
LA ESPLORA: What other culinary delights are on offer at RIVA? Do you also do wine tastings? Or are there kitchen parties?
JULIA KOLB: Every year we have our big kitchen party at the Seenachtsfest in Constance. Our two kitchens cook together there. There will be food stands on the large terrace. There are also guest chefs. We also always have a special program on New Year’s Eve. This year we celebrated a Gatsby party. Another special experience is a wine tasting with our sommelier Jerom Nicke, one of the top 50 sommeliers in Germany.
LA ESPLORA: In the Allgäu, they offer their guests something else special: a chalet. What can your guests expect there?
JULIA KOLB: In the Allgäu we still have our Hofgut, consisting of a chalet and an apartment. A total of up to 12 people can stay there. There is the chalet with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms on the one hand and the apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms on the other. We have a sauna, a steam bath, and you can have a private chef come and take care of the culinary delights. A breakfast buffet is also possible. At ‘Hofgut Windhäusern 5’ we offer everything individually. We also like to call it the hideaway from the Riva Hotel. Also great for families who want to get out into the countryside. We have 1.5 hectares of land there, you can see meadows and woods. It is beautifully situated. The ‘Hofgut Windhäusern 5’ is open all year round.
LA ESPLORA: And in Wangen they still run the 4K. What is on offer there?
JULIA KOLB: Exactly, the 4K is a lifestyle hotel in Wangen im Allgäu. It has 76 rooms. There, of course, we have a different concept, the rooms are on average 19 square meters, here at the Hotel Riva we start from 35 square meters. What the RIVA and the 4K Hotel have in common is that they were both built with attention to detail. The rooms are flooded with light. For the business guest we have a great breakfast buffet, fast WLAN and event areas. Individual guests can hike, cycle or enjoy the beautiful old town of Wangen.
LA ESPLORA: What is your absolute favorite restaurant/hotel worldwide?
JULIA KOLB: The coziest restaurant is undoubtedly eating at home with my mother (with a smile). Otherwise, I consider the restaurant L’Avenue in Paris on Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement to be a very special experience. Among the hotels, the Eqinox in New York is definitely one of my favorites due to its well thought-out concept. I’m also a great admirer of Aman Hotels, even though I haven’t personally stayed in one – including the new Aman Hotel in New York that recently opened. The hotels of the Six Senses brand also impress me with their many great offers. Nevertheless, I also appreciate small, rather inconspicuous hotels. One example of this is the Hotel Des Lices in St. Tropez, which I find extremely charming and typical. There are often many undiscovered treasures in such small hotels, as they are often run by the owners themselves. You can still feel the personality of the owners there.
LA ESPLORA: Which travel destination around the world do you still remember fondly today?
JULIA KOLB: Without a doubt Vietnam. There I met not only the financially poorest, but also the happiest people. The culinary delights are also remarkable. All people radiate contentment, are helpful and meet you with a smile.
LA ESPLORA: What next trip do you have in your sights?
JULIA KOLB: I have the desire to travel to India. The colors and spices of this country fascinate me. New Zealand seems to me to be an exciting destination. I am also interested in exploring South America and Mexico. These are often countries that have a rich culture and delicious cuisine to offer. I’m particularly looking forward to that.
LA ESPLORA: Dear Julia, thank you for the nice interview.
RIVA - The House on the Lake
An elegant Art Nouveau villa and a light-flooded new building form an exciting symbiosis of tradition and modernity. The constant view of the lake is framed by the play with the elements that characterizes the entire house. Retreats open up, cycles close – welcome to the world of the RIVA, a world to be rediscovered again and again.
INFORMAL ATMOSPHERE. UNIQUE ENJOYMENT EXPERIENCES.
The kitchen philosophy at RIVA is as simple as it is versatile. Regional delights with a special twist await you in the lakeside restaurant with its picturesque view of Lake Constance. When you enter the Ophelia, you are in a different world – and yet you immediately feel at home. The finest materials form an ensemble against the dreamlike backdrop of Lake Constance that expands the view and touches the soul.
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