Draft:Hotel Westend

Villa Westend was designed by architect Pietro Delugan (also known as Peter Delugan), who was born in Zanolin in the Fiemme Valley. Construction began in 1895, during a period in which Merano was developing into a spa town.^[2] Delugan is credited with introducing the Neo-Baroque palace style to Merano and with being among the first local architects to incorporate artificial stone elements into his buildings.^[4] He completed 54 commissioned works and 17 additional buildings in Merano over the course of his career.^[5] The original name Villa Delugan indicates that Delugan constructed the building for his own use as a private residence and rental property.^[4]

In 1907 the property was acquired by Mathias Pöder, who extended the villa in 1913 and converted it into a guest house. The new name Villa Westend was chosen in reference to the building's location in the western part of the city.^[4]

The German physician and writer Gottfried Benn stayed at the Hotel Villa Westend in the spring of 1952 and wrote about the beauty of Merano in his letters and poems. In correspondence with his friends, Benn refers to the establishment by name.^[6]

Villa Westend features Historicist architectural elements^[1] and Mannerist façade features. The façade facing the Passer river is characterised by a projecting central risalit topped by a segmented pediment and flanked by double arched windows. The balustrades of the ground-floor balconies and veranda are of stone, while those on the upper floor are enclosed by floral ironwork railings. Baroque-style decorative elements frame the windows and balcony doors. The main entrance, on the north side, consists of an open staircase leading to the first floor.

The conversion of the villa into a guesthouse altered the internal layout, and a subsequent extension was added to the west side of the building.^[4] Some rooms retain furniture produced by the Viennese art furniture manufacturer J. & J. Herrmann, founded in 1878.^[4]

In 1983 Villa Westend was acquired by the Strohmer family, hoteliers from Merano, who have operated the property as a family business ever since. The hotel currently offers 21 rooms and is managed by Alexander Strohmer and his wife Haszhu Hu Strohmer.^[4]

The hotel has served as a filming location for several productions. Scenes for an episode of the German crime series Der Bozen-Krimi [de] were filmed on the premises,^[7] as were scenes for the films Anita B. (2014) and Hill of Vision (2022) by Italian director Roberto Faenza.^[8] The property also served as a location for the Italian television film La farfalla impazzita (2025), directed by Kiko Rosati.^[9]

In 2024, Hotel Villa Westend received a special award from the South Tyrol Savings Bank Foundation as part of the Historic Hotel of the Year in South Tyrol competition.^[10]