Facts about Magdas hotel

History

Before the 2nd World War the site used to be a villa of the musicians' family Harnoncourt. In 1956, the property was bought with the means of Caritas USA, to accommodate Hungarian students after the uprising against the communist regime. During that time around 50 students from 23 nations lived there. In 1971, the conversion into a rest home was approved. From 1975 on, it was used as a residential care home for the elderly, named Josef Macho-Haus, who was the secretary of the Caritas and founder of the SOS help organization. Over the years it was transformed to a health care facility. Despite further investments and adaptations the building stock was in a bad condition and no longer up to date concerning the disabled access. Therefore the Caritas and the fund “Soziales Wien” decided to build a new home rest home in Kagran, near the SMZ Ost (Social medical Center East) and the retirees were relocated to this new building called St.Teresa, in early 2013. At that time the ground floor of the former rest home in the Laufbergergasse was adapted and converted to a temporary emergency shelter and day center for homeless people, as the Caritas and the city of Vienna wanted to offer more places for the homeless in Winter.

The idea for the Magdas Hotel evolved after the relocation of the retirees. There was a study for a project like the Magdas Hotel for another building in the 2nd district, which turned out to be too old and the renovation costs would have been too immense. The physical structure of the former rest home was beneficial, because the rooms already existed and each contained its own wet room. So just a few adaptations and renovations were needed and due to other advantages like the central, green and easily accessible location, the subsidiary company Caritas Social Business was allowed to use the building for the hotel project, which was approved for five years.

idea

Magdas Hotel is the first social business hotel based on cooperation, existing resources and a social vision. Refugees, volunteers and professionals of the hotel business transform a former rest home, situated at the Wiener Prater, to a grand budget hotel. By using existing resources and donations a agile and contemporary meeting spot for refugees, students and tourists from all over the world is created.

With 80 rooms, a garden, café, lounge, artists-in-residence and a library a cultural meeting place is offered. Refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Iraq and other crisis regions live and work in the hotel and get together with traveling salespeople, families, city and culture enthusiasts from all over the world. A social business that connects people and creates chances and therefore a lively space which is ideal for encounters.

The integration of refugees from different nations into the hotels operations results, on the one hand, from their lacking chances on the Austrian labour market and on the other hand, because there is a huge amount of refugees with disregarded talents and qualifications, which strengthen the hotel with their cultural background and allow the hotel to have a independent position on the hotel market. The project was finalist in the European Social Innovation Competition in 2013 and should be established in other european cities if it is implemented successfully.

loacated

The magDas hotel is located on a very central point of Vienna. It is close by the Vienna Prater, which is an important touristic magnet and easy to reach with the public transportation (also in reasonable distance to the Vienna airport). This location makes the hotel attractive for Tourists who stay for short time but also if you intent to stay longer. The leading institution who had the first idea to found a hotel like the magDas, where searching for a building structure which not only brought the internal advantages but also the suitable location and neighbourhood.

References

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