Explanatory note: the English content of this homepage is written, checked for spelling and grammar mistakes by Martin and Elisabeth Samek. We are not English native speakers and we don't pretend to be. For the sake of authenticity we are kindly asking you to ignore or accept our Denglish.
The both of us have been born and raised in the Wachau valley. We travelled a lot for business and leisure, but we have eventually decided, that the valley of the river Danube between Melk and Krems should be center of our lives.
The winery Nikolaihof, Elisabeth’ parent’s agriculture business, is dependent on intact nature and tries to preserve their livelihood by working biodynamically. It was self-evident for us to keep this tradition. The ad vineas Gästehaus Nikolaihof is a certifed organic business, we favor local suppliers. A hotel dissipates ressources. By combining solar heat, photovoltaic and heat-pumps we try to keep energy consumption as low as possible. We use our cargo-bike for daily shopping and try to keep our ecological footprint as small as possible.
Our rooms are spacious and comfortable, as a matter of course. Life in the Wachau valley takes place outside, at least in three out of four seasons. This is why balconies, patios, playground, sauna and private gardens are part of the “furnishing“.
We spend our leisure time in the nature and cultral area Wachau, by bike, kayak, SUP or we just take a hike. We grew up here. Food, drink, excursions, sports, culture and everthing else that might be of interest for our guests – being your vacation planner is one of our main duties. Please do not hesitate to ask for recommendations prior to or during your stay at our guesthouse.
Family, the all-important part. The ad vineas Gästehaus is the place to be for families – your’s and our’s. Kids and pets are not only tolerated, but warmly welcome. Our family rooms and vacation homes offer plenty of space and privacy, also in the outdoor area.
When we were planning our business in 2007 it was already clear, that the guesthause should become the financial foundation for our family and generations to come. A geneation projects, that grows organically and with caution. We started out with 17 rooms, added the swimming pond, the sauna pavillon and in 2018 the four new vacation homes and double rooms. Our business expands when we see demand and ressources.
Elisabeth and Martin Samek with Anton, Bernhard and Jakob.