It is my tenth (!) stay at the splendid Hotel Zuerserhof in the Austrian Alps. Not only is it ideally located for skiing, but above all it also offers everything and more for the wellbeing of its guests. Every detail that might add to my satisfaction has been thought of.

I am here for skiing as most other guests. As of this year, the already impressive skiing area of Lech-Zuers-Warth has been enlarged. With the addition of St. Anton it is now the largest of the country and one of the largest five ones in the world.

View from hotel room of village of Zuers at dusk

Good skiing conditions are not everything that counts for me. I want to do this sport as comfortable as possible and for this I am at the right place here by all means. I cannot think of another hotel where you get equally spoiled in the Austrian, but also in the Swiss Alps. The Zuerserhof – family-owned for three generations – offers hospitality and amenities that are second to none. For illustration, I will narrate my typical day at this resort.

Myself at the new mountain railway connecting Zuers with St. Anton

After a good night’s rest in the spacious room with view of the village of Zuers I get up early – I am here for skiing and you have to be amongst the first ones on the slopes – and have a look around. The room decorated in an elegant-classic style feels comfortable and offers enough space for all the stuff you need for skiing.

Junior Suite with view of Zuers

It is still a bit dark outside, but you recognize already that this is going to be a lovely sunny day.

View from hotel room of Zuers at dawn

In the dining room, I have a look at the comprehensive breakfast buffet, but I restrain myself to muesli before going to the slopes because there is much more to follow in terms of culinary delights.

Breakfast buffet

In the luxuriously equipped ski room – looking almost like a spa – I take out my warmed ski shoes from my personal box and have a seat on the heated stone benches listening to soft music. In case I would have needed some ski services there is a ski shop onsite to my availability. If you want ski lessons, ski instructors can be asked to pick you up here to teach you in this field. After crossing a parking space, I put on my skis – ski out – and off I am.

Ski room with personal boxes and heated benches

After some hours on the slopes I get a bit hungry. Instead of going to a restaurant on the slopes I return to Zuerserhof because you are on full board here. I make a turn on the skis – ski in – and head to the splendid sun terrace to have lunch.

Sun terrace for lunch

After putting together a plate at the daily changing appetizer buffet

Appetizer buffet for lunch

I skip the soup – too much for me – and go directly to the main course where you can choose between a meat, fish or a vegetarian dish. Today, I have Wienerschnitzel and parsley potatoes.

Main: Wienerschnitzel with Parsley Potatoes

Then I go for Kaiserschmarren, a local speciality (cut up pieces of pancakes) with apple puree. Everything is well prepared and tasty.

Dessert: Kaiserschmarren with Apple Puree

After so much food, another sports activity to burn some calories is certainly not a bad idea! The choice is wide: more skiing, winter hiking, playing tennis at the hotel’s indoor tennis court, going to the gym or attending a group fitness lesson. I opt for some workout at the gym. Back in the room I have one of the friandises on the coffee table – refilled every day –

Friandises on the room – refilled daily

before meeting with family and friends in the cosy hotel foyer for tea or beer.

Tea at the hotel foyer

It is such a nice thing to sit by the window and to watch the alpine panorama at dusk listening to the fabulous piano player.

Alpine panorama at dusk

Before dinner, you may spend some time either in you spotlessly kept room or in the terrific spa. As to the latter, there are 3,200 sqm for wellness and getting pampered.

Spa

Today, I decide to go to the jacuzzi to relax a bit and to use the Kneipp roundabout afterwards.

Kneipp roundabout at the spa

Then faster than you think it is time for dinner, one of the many highlights of a stay at Zuerserhof and also an opportunity to dress up a bit. I am a foodie and culinary delights are important to me also when being on vacation. When it comes to this, Zuerserhof stands for high epicurean quality throughout the day, but at dinnertime the kitchen crew performs at its best. There is a 5-course menu consisting of exquisite dishes prepared with first-quality products, a feast for both eyes and palate. One of the courses should be mentioned especially, the cheese buffet with 200 different varieties, which is something not to be missed.

Cheese buffet with 200 different varieties

At certain days, there are special themes such as a traditional Austrian buffet or a dessert buffet.

Dessert buffet

Today, a scallop-avocado variation, beef rib eye and a composition of nougat, mandarin and salty caramel are featured, fantastic! All these tasty delicacies are served by throngs of cordial and motivated employees.

Starter: Scallop-Avocado Variation

Main: Beef Rib Eye

Dessert: Composition of Nougat, Mandarin & Salty Caramel

Another visit to the hotel foyer for a night cup

GT

makes the day perfect, well looked after by the efficient and hospitable staff and accompanied by the sound of the piano player once again.

Date of stay: January 2017

The post Personal experience report of one of the best hotels in the (Austrian) Alps appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

The capital of Austria – one of the countries bordering my home country of Switzerland – has about 1.7 million inhabitants and is by far the largest city in Austria. As a tourist and certainly as a first-timer – as this is the case with me – you normally see only a small part of this big city, and this is the so-called first district or inner city. This part of Vienna is literally an open-air museum because you will find there an enormous number of monumental buildings. When walking around in the historic center – an UNESCO world heritage site – you still feel like being in an imperial capital as Vienna once was.

Of course, Vienna also has much to offer when it comes to hotels and restaurants. As almost all sights can be found in the first district, I strongly recommend choosing an accommodation there – as my husband and I did. Because of this, we also went to dining spots in this area.

You will find my list of recommended places in the following. As we are fond of hip hotels and eateries, there will be no addresses of more traditional and/or Austrian style places, sorry about this. If you are interested in Heurigen dinner, you have to look elsewhere … In addition, I have recommendations what to do in Vienna as a first-timer.

Hofburg

2 luxurious hotels in the first district of Vienna

1. The Guesthouse

Courtyard Suite St. Stephen’s Cathedral View

2. Park Hyatt

4 top fine dining spots in the first district of Vienna

1. Labstelle (14 points with Gault Millau)

Main: Wild Boar with Chicory, Carrots & Potato Waffle

2. Tian (17 points Gault-Millau, 1 star Michelin)

3. Mercado (15 points Gault-Millau)

Starter: Chilean Salmon Tiradito, Chipotle, Citrus Garlic Crumbs

4. At Eight (14 points Gault-Millau)

Dessert: Avocado, Coconut, White Chocolate, Blackberry

3 of the best places for dessert lovers

1. Gerstners Cafe

Haustorte (foreground), Klimt Torte (background)

2. Konditiorei Heiner

3. Eis Greissler

5 of the best things to do in Vienna as a first-timer

1. Historic center of Vienna

As mentioned before, there is no way around going to the first district when visiting this city as a tourist for the first time. In the heart of this part of the city you find the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, an impressive Gothic church. This district is encircled by the Ringstrasse (Ring Road), where are monumental public buildings such as the Rathaus (City Hall), the Parliament, the Hofburg Palace, the State Opera House and many more. Have a look at this spectacular architecture, but also take the opportunity to explore side streets to get a real pulse of Vienna.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

 

2. Ringstrasse (Ring Road)

3. Schoenbrunn Palace and Gardens

Schönbrunn Palace & Gardens

4. Belvedere Palace

5. Alte Donau (Old Danube)
This great recreation area is recommended for hot summer days. Activities such as taking a bath, renting a boat – as my husband and I did –, sailing, riding a bicycle, going for a walk can be done there. You will return relaxed to the city …

Alte Donau

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Exterior with outdoor terrace, lunch time

 

Staff

Each time when we (myself and always my husband, whenever possible our adult son and most times with friends of ours) arrive at this hotel, we are welcomed as we have never been away, sure we are patrons, but there are certainly many guests at the Zuerserhof who stay there more than one week every year (so we hear …). For us it’s almost like coming come. Staff is welcoming and charming, service is always professional and attentive, nothing can be faulted. Everyone takes great pride in their work, that makes the Zuerserhof an exceptional property. Nothing is too much trouble. The hotel is family run and this by the Skardarasys, now the second and third generation is in charge. The family takes huge care in running the hotel, their pride in the hotel is evident and well deserved.

Exterior from the street entrance

 

Facilities

The Zuerserhof is not a small property, there are about 100 rooms. It is a traditional five star hotel that has been permanently updated over the years. Everything works perfectly and it is beautifully maintained. The new spa (as from winter 14/15) is a terrific addition, now 3,200 sqm of wellness are available. The food is outstanding (it always was, but with the new head cook – I think as from winter 13/14 – it is the best I have ever had at any hotel). There is an extensive buffet at lunch just to start before ordering from the menu. When the weather is good, you can ski right down to the outdoor terrace, unbeatable! In the evening, there is a six-course-dinner with a huge cheese buffet, and this every night, there are probably about 100 cheeses to choose from! The dinner is a good occasion to dress up a little, so ladies, bring along your cocktails dresses … The bar is a good spot to unwind after a long day on skis and drinking tea. The view of the slopes through the large windows when it gets darker and darker outside is such a great thing to do. Of course, the bar is also suitable for pre and/or after dinner drinks. Eddie, the talented musician there, plays from 4.00 to 5.00 pm and almost every night. Sitting there and listening to his playing the piano and singing along with it (the latter only in the evening) is an experience I don’t want to miss. With regard to rooms, we normally opt for a junior suite or a double room, we also had once booked a single room for our adult son. All the rooms we had were traditionally furnished, spacious, well-equipped and likewise kept.

View from the outdoor terrace

 

When it comes to skiing – that’s why you go there normally -, there are 350 kilometers of slopes in the ski region for you. The Zuerserhof is a ski in and ski out hotel (i.e. you have to cross a parking space to get to the slopes). A personalized ski room and a ski hire shop at the basement are provided. When you want to do sport away from the slopes there are many possibilities: fitness studio, gymnastics program, sports-/tennis-hall, swimming pool.

Ski area

 

Despite the many benefits of Zuerserhof there are also some minor negative points: the gym is a bit limited, there may be some street noise (depends on the situation of the room), the showers are sometimes smallish, there is no convincing choice of pillows (the regular ones are too soft, the alternatives don’t appeal to us). But that’s it! Otherwise there are no complaints at all.

When you strive for complete luxury, amazing food and personal service, the Zuerserhof is a must try. Its standard is faultless, an unique experience awaits you in all likelihood!

 

Dessert buffet

Date of stay: February 2016

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The Zuerserhof in the Austrian region of Arlberg is one of the best mountain hotels I am aware of. As I have been skiing for more than 40 years, I am familiar with most high-end hotels in the Alps, especially in Switzerland and also in adjacent Austria. I cannot imagine that there is more than a handful of accommodations in this area that can keep up with the fabulous Zuerserhof.

For  a hotel review, please look at the other post of today. It was published  a short time ago at TripAdvisor. At this point I want to give you some additional information about the culinary delights this hotel offers. The food you get at the Zuerserhof is the best I have ever had in any hotel, and I am a discerning foodie!

Exterior with outdoor terrace (lunch time)

Heaven for food lovers: Lunch in four courses and dinner in 6 courses

Lunch – Zuerserhof is a hotel where you absolutely should not miss this meal – is served in four courses. There is first a splendid buffet with starters and salads, then there is a delicious soup. Further, you order your main course out of three offers and finally there is a choice of two very tasty desserts. When you have a sweet tooth, do not leave away the last course, the desserts are beyond belief! If you do not like the offered, you can always order some other dishes.

Dinner is a treat, too. On five nights per week there is a six course dinner, on one night there is a gala dinner and on another one there is the traditional Austrian farmer’s buffet. Once a week a sumptuous dessert buffet is at your disposal. An absolute highlight is the daily cheese buffet! You can choose from about 100 cheeses, which I find amazing!

Following photos illustrate what you can expect from a lunch at this hotel. Go to the Zuerserhof if you care as much about food as I do. It is a real culinary heaven!

Lunch menu

Sample of starters’ buffet

Fish main course

Dessert: Austrian specialty

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The „Schwarz“ offers a lot for a reasonable price! The proprietor (family Pirktl) cares for the well-being of the guests showing with all the employees: everyone greets you and wants to please you.

Together with my husband and my teen (14 years) we had a room „Sonnwiesen“ in „Obstgartl 3“ where we had a wonderful view on „Austria’s most beautiful hotel garden“ (reward) unless there hadn’t been a construction site in it, but more to this subject later … The room is large, in typical Austrian style with a lot of wood. The bathroom is very large, one of the largest we ever had in a hotel, in my opinion it’s even too spacious because I would have preferred a separate toilet and a broader walk-in closet instead but all in all we were very satisfied with the „Sonnwiesen“.

The „Schwarz“ is an all inclusive resort (except alcoholic drinks) including a breakfast with a wide selection of goods, a lunch buffet, various pastries during the afternoon and an excellent 6-course-dinner (award winning cooking). It’s a pity that smoking is still allowed in the bar and at the adjacent tables so that we were often kept from having a drink before or after the dinner. The entertainment (bands a.s.o.) is traditional (folkloristic music), nothing for people interested in modern music as jazz and pop. What I really liked were the activities offered by the hotel (mostly included in the room price). There were different aerobic courses, lectures, guided hikes, fancy offers for children and teens (I liked best yoga with Markus).

The indoor and outdoor pools are rather dated so it isn’t surprising that a remodeling is scheduled. Unfortunately this project is going on at the moment (from January to June). When we arrived at the hotel at Easter we were greeted by two huge building cranes (right before our room at „Obstgartl 3“). We were totally taken aback as we weren’t informed about this construction site. Neither the homepage of the hotel nor the confirmation letter of the booking contains a reference to this huge construction project. When we complained about it we were told that they had thought that everyone had known about it but not ourselves who booked for the first time (although we were together with friends who are patrons there). Furthermore, I was astonished to learn that no compensation whatsoever (discount) was offered (we didn’t ask for it). 



All in all, the „Schwarz“ is an amazing hotel offering a good deal but the procedure with regard to this construction site cannot be accepted.

Date of stay: April 2009

The post Review of Hotel Schwarz Wellness Resort, Mieming, Tirol, Austria appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

We (two families, each with a teen) spent our ski vacations in this hotel over the last five consecutive years. The location of Zuerserhof for skiing is perfect: You can ski in and ski out and this in one of the best ski areas in Europe. You are able not only to ski in Zuers and Lech but also in St. Anton (a bus ride of ten minutes away with the same ski ticket). 



In terms of accommodation, we usually opt for a junior suite. It is suitable for three persons but doesn’t always allow enough personal space for the whole family because it consists only of one (not very large) room with a double bed and a sofa bed with some sort of a corridor where you can store your belongings and where you can also find a built-in desk. There is a large bathroom and a separate (second) toilet. Once we inquired about two superior double rooms for the adults and a regular double room for the kids, but as the hotel doesn’t dispose of somewhat more simple (and cheaper) rooms for the kids this would have meant much more costs. Hence Zuerserhof only has rooms for guests who can afford to accommodate their children in fancy rooms! 

And the hotel is not suitable for travelers on a somewhat tighter budget. Each year, prices are risen considerably, although it has to be considered that they usually update some hotel facilities. You pay a lot but you get value for money here.

As to the food you are normally here on a full board basis. Breakfast is good yet not extraordinary but you really get a fantastic lunch! It consists of an antipasti buffet, a soup, a main course (you have a choice of three items when I remember correctly) and a dessert (selection of two items). When the weather is good you can have lunch on the formidable terrace,



which is really a nice experience and not to be missed! While lunch is rather Austrian styled, dinner is a fancy affair. You really will be pampered here food wise. Service is usually friendly and competent.

Frankly I can’t find many drawbacks when it comes to Zuerserhof. Our friends think that the hotel owners, who are often present, pay too much attention to certain patrons but I personally don’t mind. My main concern is that Zuerserhof may become too expensive.

The post Review of Zuerserhof, Zuers, Austria appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

We (two families, each with a teen) spent a week here for skiing and the location is really great for doing so (one of the best ski areas in Europe and the hotel offers ski in and ski out).

The Hospiz is situated directly on a road with quite a lot of traffic also during the night so you can’t sleep undisturbed; in addition there is almost every night some noise from people walking by or smoking a cigarette probably from the Ski Austria Academy across the street (I could only sleep with ear plugs).

The hotel itself is in a rustic style and the public rooms don’t dispose of a lot of natural light. There is a new spa (supposed to be good, I didn’t use it myself) and a new sport’s shop with an included ski room which is very nice and convenient (sometimes the employees even carry your skis, a nice touch).

Our accommodation was an apartment called „Kappall“ in the main building. There were two separated room, a large bathroom and a further small bathroom with a toilet and a washbasin. The apartment hasn’t been renovated recently but it was well maintained.

As far as the meals are concerned, we were on half board and there was a choice in the evening of two appetizers, two soups, either a meat, fish or vegetarian course and two desserts; additionally there was buffet with salads and cheese. The food was usually well prepared but rather „Austrian style“ and not very exclusive (not the prime pieces of meat). Breakfast was good, a wide selection was available, from waffles to fillet of beef.

The service in the restaurant and also in the bar was usually friendly and competent. What we completely missed in the hotel, was a room for teens with a ping-pong table, a billiard table or a pin-ball machine. Our kids couldn’t meet other peers after meals but had to go to the rooms for watching tv …

All in all, I was not overly enthusiastic about the hotel. It is conveniently located for skiing, but it doesn’t offer the quality one would expect from a house like this (especially food wise). If you are looking for a truly luxurious resort with very exclusive meals in this area, then try the „Zuerserhof“ in Zuers. We stayed there for the last five consecutive years and we were really satisfied with the hotel’s offerings, however we thought it to be a bit too costly in the recent past. Having said this, “Arlberg Hospiz” is not exactly inexpensive neither … 

Date of stay: February 2009

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