Hotel Oswald has been a meeting place for the high society of Europe since the dawn of modern tourism.
The hotel dates back to 1896, when the annexe of the Zum Hirschen hotel was opened. What is now Hotel Oswald was expanded ten years later with the construction of two of its unmistakable features: the tower and the second wing.
The increasing popularity of winter sports in Val Gardena has helped Hotel Oswald to be ranked as one of the world’s best luxury hotels.
Many famous figures stayed at the hotel before the outbreak of World War I and during the country’s subsequent Fascist rule. Summer was the peak season and the clientèle consisted mainly of the upper classes, who would stay at Hotel Oswald for at least three weeks. In 1929, it also opened for the winter season and was fitted with its first central heating system four years later. It was known throughout Europe as the best hotel in the Alps.
During World War II, it was utilised as a military hospital for young soldiers.
After the War, Hotel Oswald was returned to its former glitz and glamour under the management of Ossi Pitscheider. He successfully used marketing strategies to attract hundreds of students from the elite universities of Oxford and Cambridge to Selva.
In 1966, Hotel Oswald was shut down for financial reasons. 1981 saw the dawn of a new and successful era, which continues to this day.
