A passionate career changer

Career changers in politics have been en vogue for some years now. In the hotel industry, however, they are an absolute rarity. After all, in most cases, the traditional hospitality industry is passed down from generation to generation. At the small Landhotel Fuchs in Eisenbach in the Upper Black Forest , traditions are only just beginning to emerge. Farina, Yannick and Andrea are absolute newcomers who have taken over the helm. Their course is determined and clear: hard starboard towards racing cyclists. After all, their story began as new hotel owners in a Roadbike Holidays hotel. More precisely, at Roman Erlacher's Hotel Excelsior |Dolomites Life Resort in the heart of the Dolomites. "We rode the Sellaronda on the new road bikes – and we were hooked. It was simply overwhelming – and made us want to live differently," recalls Farina Fuchs.

The talents that the little family has thrown into the helmet predestine them for the new challenge: Farina is a business economist, Yannick is a trained all-round craftsman, mum Andrea is a passionate cook. And most importantly, the Foxes are passionate racing cyclists. 

"We're actually mountain bikers. I've tried a lot of sports in my life, but I've never been as hooked on anything as road cycling. I wonder why I didn't do it much earlier," laughs Farina. Anyone staying at the Landhotel Fuchs in Eisenbach on a racing bike holiday will not only have a family connection, but also concentrated racing bike expertise.

The Fuchs family not only brings a breath of fresh air to Eisenbach, but also to the classic hotel concept. After all, the passionate career changers are a real small family business - with a lot of passion, only 25 beds, without a lot of staff. 

"We do as much as possible ourselves. We are the hosts, the contacts, the bike guides. We are not bound by any conventions as we don't have a long history and do everything ourselves - that's part of our concept. Simply trying out new things and being open-minded. It's just nice to be able to approach things with an open mind and constantly evolve."

The typical Fuchs vibe is less about the look and more about the feel. People are on first-name terms right from the start and feel like part of the Fuchs family after just a few days. "We wanted to create a place where everyone feels at home. Guests immediately feel at home – because we are so present as a family. There is no employee here, it's us – the Fuchs family." Every day, Farina and Yannick put together tailor-made tours for racing cyclists – depending on how many kilometres and metres in altitude they want to ride. "Of course, if things are going well, we also ride along ourselves -–we all know the routes, we know how they feel."

Farina describes the "truly free laundry service" as a “real game changer” – a prime example of perfect racing bike service. After all, there's hardly anything better than getting a fresh start the next morning with your favourite jersey handed in the night before. "We also have a bike room with a workshop – but it's actually Yannick's second living room," adds Farina, "He lives and breathes it – he loves tinkering with bikes and often does a quick service on our guests' bikes. We're just there to take care of things; we want our guests to have fun and come back safe and sound."

For Farina, her success lies in the overall package: "You arrive, you don't have to worry about routes, you just chat to us and tell us what you want to do, get tips, scan the komoot QR code and off you go." And then there's that feel-good factor: On a racing bike holiday at the Landhotel Fuchs, you somehow feel like you're at home with friends – you feel like you've known Farina, Yannik, their little daughter Finya and mum Andrea for a long time. 

"When our guests say that they don't feel like they're in a hotel, but like they're with friends, that's the best confirmation. And when they leave with the feeling: I have to come back - there are still so many great tours!"