The "Magdas Hotel" is Austria's first social business hotel and shows with its unique concept how the world can be made a little better "while you sleep". Because refugees look after the guests here. This not only creates a very special atmosphere, but also helps to integrate people with a refugee background.

Not far from the Prater and the Danube Canal and thus in the midst of greenery with birdsong and at the same time at the pulse of the city, along with nightlife venues, is the "Magdas Hotel". In addition to the ideal location, it is above all the unique concept of the hotel that has attracted travellers from all over the world since its opening in 2015. The hotel is run by refugees in apprenticeship and hotel experts with and without refugee experience. In collaboration with artists, students and architects, a place has been created here that creates space for encounters and goes far beyond the classic boundaries of a hotel.

There is still a lot of resentment

Refugees still have a difficult time on the Austrian labour market. There are many reasons for this: possible language barriers at the beginning, possible resentment on the part of some employers and the fact that obtaining a positive residence permit - which is the only way to take up work in the first place - is very time-consuming, make the integration of people with a refugee background more difficult.

A colourful place of togetherness

Magdas wants to offer people with a refugee background an attractive alternative. People from a total of 16 nations, who together speak more than 20 languages, work here. Not all of the employees have worked in a hotel or in the tourism industry before.

In the salon - the heart of the house - there is a bar & lounge, a terrace and library, plus floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the greenery. There are cacti and yucca palms in many places, well-stocked bookshelves and graffiti on the wall. In the evenings, there is a varied programme of readings, exhibitions, concerts, film evenings and discussions. You will not only meet tourists here, but also people from the neighbourhood and city strollers, who are also welcome here at any time.

Getting creative during the pandemic

Due to the current situation, such meetings are no longer possible for the time being. The Magdas Hotel has recently reopened, but tourist overnight stays were forbidden for a long time because of the Corona crisis and so things have been a bit quiet at Magdas recently. Instead of burying their heads in the sand, however, the operators got creative. Without further ado, the first floor of the building was converted into a pop-up office. An advertising agency from Vienna, which was looking for suitable commercial space, rented the space until August. In this way, the abandoned hotel rooms were revived and at least some financial security can be given back to the operators. Those who also wanted to support the hotel during this difficult phase could get breakfast boxes and other goodies for sale outside the hotel at the weekends. In the meantime, however, the hotel is once again accepting reservations for sleeping and eating and enticing guests with their Magdas Fresh Air Guarantee. For the hotel has a large guest garden, rooms with balconies and seminar rooms with their own terraces.

From former old people's home to sustainable city hotel

A look at the history of the hotel shows that the operators were creative even before the crisis: the Magdas was once a home for the elderly. Today, the hotel has a total of 78 rooms, many of which have their own balcony, which is also very untypical for a city hotel. The rooms feature many re- and upcycling elements as well as furniture from the 50s and 60s. For example, tables, lamps and benches were built from old built-in cupboards, armchairs cut in half became bedside cabinets and discarded ÖBB luggage racks were transformed into wardrobes.

The unique project was financed with the help of Caritas and a crowdfunding campaign. Thanks to the support of the Federal Ministry for Digitalisation, the hotel was able to add an apprenticeship business in 2017. Under the motto "Creating perspectives", 12 young people with a refugee background are currently being trained here in the various hotel areas.

Menschlichkeit und Offenheit im Fokus

Instead of maximising profit, the hotel operators of Magdas focus on maximising humanity and openness. They have recognised that it is necessary to create places of encounter in order to be able to decisively counter prejudice and resentment, and this is exactly the kind of place they have created with the Magdas Hotel. As a visitor, you can look forward to people with moving life stories, funny anecdotes and a large portion of cordiality.

Questions, criticism, suggestions? Write to us!
Dr. Andreas Renner, Co-Founder Gexsi: andreas@gexsi.com

Found on: Wie Österreichs erstes Social Business Hotel die Welt gerechter macht | Gexsi – Die Suchmaschine für eine bessere Welt von Lisa Klakow