A controversy erupted in Austria after a hotel in a mountain village refused to host Orthodox Jews, claiming the owner has had "bad experiences in the past."
The report led to an irate reaction in the local media and among tourism officials, who claimed the incident could sabotage other efforts being made to attract potential vacationers, such as providing kosher food upon request. The owner of another hotel in the same village told reporters, "One incident of this kind can ruin all of the hard work others have invested in the tourism industry." The local council head also condemned the hotel owner's conduct.
The apartment hotel, Haus Sonnenhof, located in the Tyrolian Alps in the village of Serfaus, is frequented by observant Jews. When a Jewish family of seven tried to make reservations recently, the proprietor's wife said a room was available, but she did not want to rent it to Jews.
The father of the family decided to stay elsewhere rather than vacationing in "a nest of racists. I'll report the shocking treatment I received in the Tyrol to all my friends and acquaintances," he said.
"This is terrible," said Esther Fritsch, president of the regional Jewish community. "Nothing of this kind has ever happened in our region."
