Sonnenalp had German appeal

Hilde G. Lee Daily Progress correspondent
Published: November 11, 2008

Allan and I recently spent several days in Vail, Colo., and Moab, Utah, at two delightful resorts. Each place was entirely different from the other. The Sonnenalp in Vail is a large-scale hotel in the center of town and the Sorrel River Ranch, 17 miles east of Moab, is a working horse ranch with full guest facilities. Both are four-star facilities.

When we decided to go to Vail, I picked the Sonnenalp because of its German name and its Alpine looking façade. Little did I know that it had a long German hotel history, which I found out later when I met the owner and general manager, Johannes Fassler, at dinner one evening.

Unveiling Vail

But first let me tell you a little about Vail. Although it is famous as a ski resort, it also is a delightful place for a vacation year-around. Situated in a valley, the town and area known as Vail stretches for several miles along the foot of the mountains. In addition to skiing in winter, there are hiking and biking trails and golf courses for warmer weather activities. The center of Vail abounds with unique shops and restaurants.

Vail and its surrounding area have an alpine atmosphere. Many of the private homes are built in a Swiss style. There are two huge building projects in the center of town. One is a large condominium complex and the other is a new Four Seasons hotel.

I had wondered how the name Sonnenalp, meaning Sun on the Mountains, for an American hotel came into being. Mr. Fassler kindly gave me the background of his family and the hotel.

Bavarian ranch house

The Sonnenalp concept dates back to 1919, when Fassler’s great grandparents, Eleanor and Adolf, opened a simple ranch house in Bavaria for guests. In the 1920s more guest rooms, a dining room and a Moor spa were added to the ranch house.

Over the next 50 years, two more generations continued to build the Sonnenalp into a first-class European vacation resort. In 1979, Fassler’s parents, Karl and Gretl (who we met, as they were visiting from Germany), purchased the Wendel Inn Motel in Vail. Following major renovations the facility opened as the Sonnenalp Hotel with 38 rooms. It is now the Austria Haus Club and Hotel.

Johannes Fassler graduated from the University of Denver in 1984 with a bachelor’s in hotel and restaurant management. Although he grew up in the hotel business, some of his formal training took place at the Hotel Europe in Killarney, Ireland, and the Kapalua Bay Hotel in Maui, Hawaii.

Fassler moved to Vail in the late 1980s and took over the management of the Sonnenalp properties. Over the next 15 years there were numerous

acquisitions and additions, resulting in the present elegant Sonnenalp hotel.

The Sonnenalp has 88 rooms, which are all junior suites, each with a sitting area. There is a full spa facility, indoor-outdoor swimming pool and nearby golf course, the only hotel-owned golf course in Vail. There also are a complete ski shop and lift facilities.

Three restaurants at the Sonnenalp offer various dinning venues. Ludwig’s is the fine-dining restaurant featuring American cuisine with a French influence. Unfortunately, it was closed when we were there. October is considered off-season and a number of the town’s restaurants were closed.

Ludwig’s has an elegant breakfast buffet that includes waffles, pancakes, crepes, French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, cold cuts and cheeses. In addition there are pastries, breads, fruits and cereal. After partaking of the buffet one could either sit in the restaurant or in the adjacent glassed-in veranda. Allan and I opted for the latter, as it was almost like sitting outdoors and overlooks the swimming pool.

Bully Ranch is the casual dining facility at Sonnenalp with almost a pub-like atmosphere. The restaurant serves primarily steaks, ribs and burgers with a variety of domestic and imported beers.

On two evenings of our stay Allan and I enjoyed the Swiss restaurant at the hotel. The first evening we ordered the fondue followed by the raclette. Both were excellent along with German beer. The fondue was made with Guyere and Emmenthaler cheeses. The combination gives a more subtle flavor.

The second evening at the Swiss restaurant we started our meal with an appetizer of smoked sausages, followed by onion soup and Wiener schnitzel with rosti potatoes. Apple strudel completed a delightful culinary treat.

The following recipe for fondue is based on my conversation with Johannes Fassler.

Cheese Fondue

1 clove garlic

1 cup dry white wine

Salt and white pepper

¾ pound Gruyere cheese, sliced

¾ pound Emmenthaler cheese, sliced

2 tablespoons kirsch

Cubes of French bread, slightly stale

Rub a heavy-based pan or fondue dish with the garlic. Discard the garlic.

Pour the wine into the pan with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Simmer the wine over low heat and add the cheese, a little at a time, stirring constantly so the cheese gradually melts.

When the cheese has melted, add the kirsch.

Transfer the mixture to a chafing dish and place it in the middle of the table so that each person can dip a piece of bread on a fondue fork into the gently bubbling cheese.

Note: If kirsch is unavailable, brandy may be substituted.

Serves 4 to 6.