The Place
‘Total seclusion and a perfect view of Vaduz Castle’, wrote our reporter as she stood in the Sonnenhof’s garden and surveyed the principality, spread over the hills and the valley below. Emil Real, the brother of Félix at the Restaurant Real in Vaduz, bought a small pension in 1963, then gradually expanded and improved the facilities. The box-like architecture of that era looks rather dated and functional nowadays, but there are some cosy corners, such as the Stübli, a glassed-in former terrace, and the Kaminzimmer, with its fireplace, books and squashy leather sofas and armchairs. A large, stained-glass onion panel decorates the dining-room which is the showcase for Emil’s culinary talents and is reserved for those staying at the hotel.
Bedrooms are large enough for a sitting area by the picture windows plus a bench long enough for three big suitcases. On the ground floor, sliding doors open into the garden; upstairs, there are balconies. Our reporter, who is partial to hotels with swimming-pools, thought the trapeze suspended above the water looked like fun. Very comfortable, away from it all, but a sombre interior. Fine for bankers but rather dull for holiday-makers.