In 1966, Josef (Beppo) Wagner and his wife Gerti bought a plot of land on Prinzenstrasse in Oberstdorf. The acquisition of this property was linked to the desire to build a small hotel in a prime location in Oberstdorf. The result was a hotel with approx. 30 beds, which was expanded by a building wing in 1968 and until the end provided room for a total of 68 people in the hostel. Gerti died in 1975 after a serious illness and initially Beppo Wagner and his two children had to cope with the loss of their wife and mother.
Almost 1 ½ years after the hard blow of fate, Gabi entered the life of Beppo and thus also the hotel business. The two married in July 1976 and from now on they looked after the discerning audience together. They pampered their loyal regular guests with a kindness and hospitality that was second to none. With great personal commitment, it was possible to increase the occupancy numbers and then keep them at roughly the same level for years.
The great bond with a large number of guests, with whom close, friendly relationships very often developed, were the incentive for Gabi and Beppo Wagner to practice their hospitality well into old age. It was thanks to her kindness and generosity that many celebrities also felt comfortable in the Exquisit. The community representatives could be certain that their high-ranking guests were in the best of hands at the Wagners.
As the hoteliers got older, the question of succession became more and more pressing. The focus of all considerations was again and again on the desire to preserve the exquisite and, if possible, to renew and optimize it. It was thanks to a fortunate circumstance that the Wagners got to know the entrepreneurial family Ralf and Renate Schneider from Konstanz.
At the very beginning it was just a thought, an idea that prompted the investor Ralf Schneider to contact Gabi and Beppo Wagner in Oberstdorf. "I had a lot of luck and success in my life and I wanted to let other people take part in that," said the entrepreneur from Constance.
At the end of a lengthy period of reflection, negotiation and planning, the hope emerged to do people good by finding a place to recharge their batteries in an extraordinary ambience, in a very special location, in one of the most beautiful mountain villages in Europe to gain new courage, to gather strength or simply to relax. But that's not all - the project should also be suitable for broadening one's own horizons, be it through outstanding cultural and lecture events on topics such as business ethics or questions about belief and coping with life.
Initially only the modernization of the "old" Exquisit "was thought of with a small extension, but fortunate circumstances made it possible to acquire a neighboring property in the first planning phase and thus the chance of a significant increase in bed capacity.
A hotel in a modern country house style that meets the spirit of the times - but also preserves the traditional - made of materials that convey elegance, charm and alpine cosiness, these were the defining attributes in summary. With great personal commitment, Renate Schneider succeeded in creating a really extraordinary refuge in collaboration with the friend of the Schneider family, the architect Fery Müller, the interior designer Joachim Wagner and a staff of experts.