The Castel team

The Dobitsch family
Hosts
Evelyn Dobitsch's great dream has always been to run her own hotel. It didn't take her long to decide to take this huge step when the Castel*****, in which the family itself was a guest for years, went up for sale in 2001.
Since the takeover, the new hostess has been running the hotel with lots of passion, joy and attention to detail. She has been supported by her son Daniel since 2006.
Her daughter-in-law Maria joined them 2 years later. The second generation is also involved with a great deal of commitment and so they run the Castel***** together as a family. The third generation is already growing up.
Over more than 20 years the Dobitsch family has invested, improved and refined a great deal and made the hotel what it is today.
Iris Pelizzoni
Manager
Iris Pelizzoni assumed an important role between 2006 and 2010, and again since 2015, as a close confidante of the host family. What has drawn you back to the catering trade again after a 5-year break? Because every day is different here! She supports the Dobitsch family in every respect and in addition to her administrative tasks and day-to-day business, she particularly enjoys the role of deputy hostess: "At the Castel, a smile is already enticed out of our guests on arrival. An extremely friendly team is behind this and I think that's simply wonderful. What others call 'the guest is the priority' is actually a completely natural thing here!”
This special team also includes: head of reception Angie Armijos and Sarah von Pföstl and Elmar Gamper, as well as head concierge Matthias Brunner with Evaldas Kirsinas and Erhard Schimmack.


Gerhard Wieser
Head Chef
Gerhard Wieser is the master of culinary enjoyment at the Castel. Be it breakfast, lunch or dinner, in the traditional Castel restaurant or the gourmet restaurant Trenkerstube – no dish leaves the kitchen without him giving the OK. Here you can find out more about our head chef and his Alpine-Mediterranean kitchen philosophy.
Gerhard’s colleagues in the kitchen are Patrick Delmonego (Souschef & Saucier) | David Ruepp (Souschef Tournant) | Simon Unterholzner (Chef Pâtissier) | Roman Egger (Chef Gardemanger) | Matthäus Berger (Chef Entremetier) | Daniel Niedermair (Chef Gourmet) | Alessandro Facetta (Chef Tournant) | Simon Ebensperger, Johannes Grill, Matthias Kitzinger, Philipp Osunbur, Kilian Ritsch, Martin Scherlin, Jonas Steger (Commis) | Irmgard Volgger & Robert Tóth (Breakfast cooks & Salatier) | Islami Jetullah, Myrtaj Gezim und Agron Brahimaj (Abspüler)
Kristina Ciapaite
Governess
Born in Lithuania, Kristina moved to South Tyrol in 2002 to take up a position as a chambermaid at Castel. Her industriousness and her critical view of cleanness and tidiness led to her being promoted to governess two years later. She ensures that every nook and cranny in the Castel is clean, checks all the rooms before guests move in and also sees to it that any special requests are fulfilled.
Kristina’s cleaning and laundry team includes: Lina Alisauskiene, Stela Cibotari, Loreta Kirsiniene, Maya Lazarova, Melanie Brunner, Egle Sitnikiene, Milada Kaminaková und Irina Rapp.


Daniel Ceska
Meranesse Fine Spa
Simon Oberhofer
Restaurant manager
Simon started as chef de rang in 2002. After passing his sommelier examination and following further training, he was promoted to the position of maître in 2008.
The guests appreciate his young, fresh and yet polite and professional manner. With a lot of passion and always an honest smile, he and his team look after his guests’ breakfast and dinner needs.
Simon’s service team includes: Domenico di Febbo, Natalie Michaeler and Luisa Meisner (chef de rang) | Marta Bertolini, Erika Kirsiniene und Corinna Ratschker (demi chef de rang) | Jonas Kriegel and Leonie Alber (commis de rang), Ramute Garbeniene (Backoffice) as well as Fabian Reinhold (chef de bar).


Ivana Capraro
Sommelier
Ivana has only been at the Castel since the 2018 season and is already a permanent, important member of the Castel family. Popular with guests and employees alike, you immediately feel her great passion for wine. No wonder as her parents (both restaurateurs) taught her the pleasure of good basic products and later also of good wine at her home in Apulia.
Before Ivana turned her passion into a profession with the sommelier training, she studied Latin and Greek. The Dobitsch family is very happy about this change of heart, which gives the Castel a lovely and superbly qualified sommelier.
Florian Prinoth
Maitre Castel Finedining Restaurant
Florian first worked as Chef de Rang in the ÀlaCarte hotel restaurant in 2017. After two years, he moved elsewhere before returning to the Castel in 2021.
Since then, he has taken on the role of Maitre in the 2-star Castel finedining restaurant, which he carries out with great joy, his casual manner and a high degree of precision in the process. This is no coincidence, because in his leisure time Florian climbs the highest mountains. Even there, good preparation, a lot of discipline and maximum concentration are required. We are grateful to have him in the Castel team.
Member of his team are: Julia Kofler (Chef de Rang), Alexandra Michel and Jonas Kriegel (Commis).
