far left: Julian Marchel © Thomas Pircher bild[ART]isten
THE PLACE TO ENJOY
AN IMPRESSIVE YOUNG TALENT: JULIAN MARCHEL
The Austrian National Tourism Championships 2025, the Junior Skillsonce again impressively demonstrated how many great young talents there are in the kitchen, service and reception areas.
This year we are particularly pleased that one of our apprentices at the IMLAUER Hotel Schloss Pichlarn won the silver medal in the “Restaurant/Service” category.
We would like to congratulate Julian Marchel on this fantastic achievement and are proud to have such a committed and passionate employee in our team.
With a lot of passion
Julian Marchel began his training two years ago at the IMLAUER Hotel Schloss Pichlarn as a hotel and catering assistant (HGA), an apprenticeship with a focus on the hotel industry and only limited insight into the service sector.
But it was during this short time that Julian developed a particular passion for service – so much so that he decided to switch to a four-year apprenticeship as a hotel and restaurant specialist.
Despite still being in the second year of his apprenticeship and originally having little service experience, Julian was able to qualify for the Junior Skills competition – where he won the silver medal in the service category with great skill.
In this interview, Julian Marchel tells us more about his passion for the hotel and catering industry and his plans.
Why did you choose a career in the hotel and catering industry?
It all started with the family, who are already involved in gastronomy and tourism. My dad used to work here in Pichlarn. He was the hotel manager and golf manager, and my mom also worked in service. I just liked seeing the satisfaction of the guests when you can do something good for them. In general, the social aspect, working with people, that’s what I particularly like. That’s why I found an apprenticeship in this area very good and suitable. I’m from the neighboring village and was able to combine that very well with Pichlarn.
What do you particularly like about the IMLAUER Hotel Schloss Pichlarn?
What I find very important is that we get a lot of trust from our supervisors and station waiters when it comes to work that we are allowed to do at a young age, e.g. larger stations and independent work. We are very much encouraged.
Also all the benefits we have in Pichlarn. I play golf and as an employee I can play golf for free.
We have also built up a good community in the service department. Of course there are always things that go wrong, but I think everything harmonizes very well here. For me, it’s a very, very good foundation for later, a good basis with which I can achieve a lot in the future.
Which area of your training do you like best?
The service. You can combine and learn so many things in service, every day is different, the guests are different. You get to know so many cultures and people and I just find that special. You don’t really have that in other jobs. You can also do a lot of further training if you’re interested in the job.
And I like the social aspect, communicating with the guests, seeing that they are doing well and are satisfied. And the fact that you’re responsible for this yourself is the most important thing for me in service.
Do you already have an idea of what you want to do when you have completed your training?
I’m definitely going to stay in the area for a while, maybe go to Germany or Switzerland for a season. Now I’m young, I can work in a ski hut for a season.
But later it would be planned to do something in connection with golf. The dream would be to work in America, because the game of golf is more highly regarded and more widespread there than in Europe. There are many hotels like Pichlarn that combine the hotel with the golf course. I find that very exciting.
But first I will continue in service and gain experience. I want to finish the sommelier course I started and then use everything we’ve learned here in a higher-class restaurant.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship in tourism to young people?
Definitely. You learn independence very quickly and I think it really promotes common sense and logical thinking. Many people lack that at that age. In the catering industry, you also have to deal with people older than yourself and you can gain a lot of experience. You work in many different areas and gain a lot of insights, which is very exciting.
It is certainly exhausting when you have to work at the weekend, but if you really want to, you get used to it. Pichlarn is a very good training company for apprentices.
