The Parth Family – Our Story
Hotel Yscla Ischgl
The Perfect Balance of Tradition and Innovation
Benjamin Parth & the Parth Family – At the Heart of Hotel Yscla, Ischgl
As a family-run gourmet hotel, Hotel Yscla in Ischgl is passionately and meticulously managed by the Parth family. Executive Chef Benjamin Parth, son of Alfons and Maria Odile Parth, trained in the family business and gained experience with renowned Michelin-starred chefs across Europe. Since 2008, he has led the gourmet restaurant Stüva, earning accolades such as 5 toques and 19 points in the Gault & Millau guide. Our family combines authentic Tyrolean hospitality with a spirit of innovation, creating an atmosphere where culinary excellence and warm, personal service go hand in hand.
Katharina Parth
This passion likely began with Katharina Parth. Rumor has it she was the first emancipated woman in the Paznaun Valley. Born in 1881 as Katharina Mattle in Galtür, her career took her from Ischgl to Merano and then to the Stüdlhütte on the Großglockner, which she eventually took over as leaseholder. A second hut, the Payerhütte on the Ortler, was soon to follow. Needless to say, for a woman in the alpine region at the beginning of the 20th century to run a business independently while unmarried was nothing short of sensational. Her desire to settle down and start a family led her, in 1927, to open her first guesthouse at the site of today’s Hotel Yscla — the first guesthouse in the region where every room had running hot water. The story of the Parth family begins with this remarkable pioneer, who lived to the age of 100 and laid the foundation for generations to come.
OSR Dir. Josef (Pepi) Parth
Their son, OSR Director Josef (Pepi) Parth, was born in 1921. After World War II, he trained as a teacher and served for many years as the principal of the elementary school in Ischgl. According to family stories, he valued knowledge, discipline, and order more than his personal popularity. Like his mother, however, Peppone was never short of a humorous remark — for example, he once said, “I enjoyed being a teacher, but I wouldn’t want to do it again.”
His wife Ella, raised in the Gasthof Zeinis, brought not only extensive experience in hospitality but also the strength to succeed alongside a driven and accomplished man. The Parth family story continued through Josef and Ella, shaped by dedication, versatility, and humor.
A true Parth does not settle for just one role. Josef Parth also served as organist, chairman of the music band, game leader, municipal councilor, board member and supervisory board member of the Silvrettaseilbahn AG, and managing director/chairman of the tourism association. He even founded the municipal newspaper “Schnerfr,” which is still published today. Ischgl honored his tremendous and varied contributions with the municipal honorary ring.
The Parth family continues to regard him as a role model — not only as an engaged citizen but, above all, as a family man who considered his wife Ella, his two daughters, and four sons his greatest achievements.
Alfons Parth
Regarding his commitment to the tourism industry, Alfons Parth is just as dedicated as his father. After many intensive and industrious years abroad and in the family business, he, together with his wife Maria-Odile — also from a long-standing hospitality family — took over Hotel Yscla in 1990. Over the past decades, he has transformed the establishment from a guesthouse into a boutique hotel, always placing quality and service at the forefront.
The Parth family remains a defining example of hospitality and entrepreneurial vision in Ischgl. Alfons Parth’s dedication extends beyond his own business; he has long been committed to the professional development and international prominence of Ischgl. For more than three decades, he served as chairman of the tourism association, playing a key role in establishing Ischgl as a global brand. His extensive expertise, strong political connections, and perseverance have benefited numerous organizations he led, including the Association of Ischgl Tourism Companies and the Association of Tyrolean Tourism Associations.
Upon awarding him the honorary title of Kommerzialrat in 2019, the Chamber of Commerce recognized that the rise of Ischgl is inseparably linked to the Parth family.
Benjamin Parth
Speaking of success: Hotel Yscla, with its in-house gourmet restaurant Stüva, has long been regarded as one of Austria’s finest addresses. This achievement is credited to Alfons Parth’s son, Benjamin. Listing all of his accolades would be impossible here. Once Austria’s youngest chef to earn a Gault&Millau toque, he has already achieved numerous career highlights to look back on: Chef of the Year 2019, member of the exclusive restaurant association Les Grandes Tables du Monde, Young Chef Award 2020 by the French guide La Liste, and many more.
Parth describes his own style as “modern interpretations of French classics, purist and cosmopolitan.” His love for the profession was, quite literally, put in his cradle. He fondly recalls his first attempts at making cheese dumplings with Nona Ella, whom he regards as a phenomenal cook. His maternal grandmother Irma also left a lasting impression with her baked goods — he even considers her nut pastries and Linzer tarts the best in the world. “My grandmothers always worked hard, yet always found time for their grandchildren,” Parth reflects.
Sarah
With Benjamin at the helm, Hotel Yscla is in good hands — especially since he, like his father and grandfather before him, is fortunate to have found a partner in Sarah who not only understands his passion but shares it. Sarah is herself an award-winning hospitality professional. She is not only Austria’s only ASI-certified sommelier but now also serves as Maître d’Hôtel, taking primary responsibility for the guests’ well-being.
Born a Pettneuer, she shares her love of skiing with her famous cousins, the Matt brothers, Olympic champions and world champions. Clara and Pia, Sarah and Benjamin’s two daughters, are the youngest members of the Parth family, and it looks likely that they too will continue the family’s hosting tradition.
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