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We have already reviewed the best ski hotels in Europe. Many of the best ski hotels in Europe are situated in Austria.
While Austria offers brilliant skiing, British and American skiers often favor resorts in France, Switzerland, and North America. France is easier to get to from the UK if you are driving, and the Swiss resorts are thought of as some of the most glamorous in the world. And yet, Austria is not to be missed, with great slopes and glaciers, wonderful scenery, and cutesy picture-perfect villages, which are often far prettier than some of the top resorts in France, like Avoriaz Ski Resort and Flaine in France. Oh, and the ski hotels we have picked below will blow you away in terms of the luxury and the gourmet food on offer.
Austria is also significantly cheaper than resorts in Switzerland like Gstaad and top resorts in France like Courchevel. The best hotels and resorts in Austria are so good that once guests discover them, they return year after year. Some might say the best Austrian hotels are an addiction. When you leave, you are already planning your return visit.
The difficulty in choosing a good ski hotel is that most do not belong to a big chain like the Four Seasons, Aman, or Ritz-Carlton, so you have no indication of the quality beyond judging the hotels from their websites and reading reviews on TripAdvisor. It’s difficult to work out which hotel is best for the complete ski and luxury resort experience.
We can help. In this review, we endeavor to uncover some of the very best ski hotels in Austria, judged from our own personal experience. Within each hotel review, we highlight the pros and cons of the hotel so that you can judge exactly how one hotel compares to another.
Many of the hotels that we have picked are high in altitude or are connected to Glaciers that are so high that these hotels are perfect for late-season skiing and are snow-sure throughout the season. Some glaciers can be skied on from October through to May, so never discount skiing out of the main season.
These luxury hotels can be much cheaper during Christmas and the months of January to February and March. You can still enjoy the same level of Alpine fine dining and views that you would in the high season for a lower price.
In no particular order, here is our pick of the best luxury ski hotels in Austria:
1. Almhof Schneider, Lech, Austria
My top resort choice for skiing in Austria is the pretty little Alpine village of Lech. Lech is the Austrian St Moritz or Megève, a place for the rich and famous to see and be seen. This gorgeous resort has hosted many celebrities. It was a favorite ski resort of Princess Dianna, and Pippa Middleton visited just before we did in 2019 (FYI, she stayed at the Gasthof Post). Other past visitors include the Jordanian royal family, the Dutch royal family, and Monaco’s Princess Caroline.
I have outlined three wonderful hotels in this magical village that you must try. You can guarantee snow-sure skiing here into April and from December, plus the village is so high, at an altitude of 1,444m, that the snow tends to coat the village for most if not all of the season. Higher up, the mountains surrounding Lech reach an altitude of 2039 meters and offer brilliant conditions.
The Almhof Schneider is one of our top picks in lech and one of the best ski hotels in the world. It is also located in one of the best spots in Lech. It is ski-in, ski-out, but also only a few steps from the village, where you can enjoy apres-ski in the classy but lively bars, buy designer wear from Strolz, or pick up essentials from the village pharmacy or supermarket.
The style of this hotel is a modern ultra-luxe chalet. Luxury hotels simply don’t get better than this, and from the moment you step inside, every member of staff tries to make your stay as easy as possible for you, from unpacking your ski gear to bringing you whatever you want, whether it’s on the menu or not.
The food here is exquisite, and the staff are warm. I particularly love the large windows that look down over twinkling Lech from the restaurants and bar. If you come here in the low season, you will be served the hotel menu (which is amazing) in the fine dining restaurant area, which is a real treat. In high season, the main menu is served in the main restaurant, which is larger.
Bedrooms here are a mass of pines and dark woods but are decorated in a modern style. Walls and ceilings are pine-clad, floors are dark wood, and luscious chocolate-colored rugs keep your feet cozy. There is so much high-end detailing in this hotel. Every piece of furniture has been carefully selected. Lamps are often made out of reindeer horns, thick blackout curtains complement the pine walls, and fresh, high thread count, crisp white linens match the snow outside.
The bathrooms here are also beautifully designed in creamy marble with delicious AESOP amenities, which means that your body and hands always smell of Christmassy oranges when you stay. AESOP is also the only hand and body cream that works for my skin in the dry alpine air. It sounds silly, but the Almhof Schneider has even got the perfect choice of toiletries. It is this attention to detail that keeps their loyal repeat guests.
All the bedrooms are extravagant, and our room, room 103, was no exception. It had a separate bedroom and a lounge with a roaring fire, which my son loved throwing logs on. The hall area (yes, our room had a hall) was an ideal place to stow your bags and hang your clothes. Previously, we have stayed in 2 other rooms at this gorgeous hotel, and they have all been brilliant. Even the base rooms here are fabulous, and of course, you get the same breakfast and evening meal here, whichever room you choose.
Back to the food… There is one of the best breakfast buffets imaginable in the morning, smoked salmon and meats with around 15 homemade accompaniments. Loads of muesli and cereal choices, including choco pops for the kids, plus salad items and cheeses. Eggs made to order are brought to the table, and there is a patisserie tray with the most delicious homemade patisseries, including home-made muffins and patisseries stuffed with cinnamon and apple, all so good that you feel obliged to take one or two back to the room to scoff once your stomach accepts food again.
In the evening, the food can only be described as exquisite and is delivered in one of the classiest fine dining restaurants I have experienced around the world. Beautiful Alpine decor is complemented by generous Alpine flower arrangements (we had a lovely purple flower on our table) and six courses of deliciousness. The additional option is to order something different if the menu doesn’t take your fancy. It is one of the few menus that I have come across where the food is more beautiful and tastes even better than it sounds in the menu’s description.
Also within the hotel is a stylish pool and spa, a smoking room with a pool table, a kids club, an impressive spa, a ski room, and as the hotel is ski in, ski out, there is nothing more you could possibly want or need. We tend to stay here towards the start and the end of the main season when the rates are cheaper. Even in the low season, the rates are expensive, but you get what you pay for, and you simply won’t find a better ski hotel in the Alps. Almhof Schneider is paradise on alpine slopes. Ski perfection.
Book a room at Almhof Schneider via our luxury travel concierge and get brilliant extra benefits at no cost.
2. Aurelio Hotel, Lech, Austria
Aurelio in Lech is an Aman-style ski hotel in the Alps that also offers everything you could want from a ski hotel. In fact, it is just up the hill from the Almhof Schneider, maybe a 2-minute walk. How can the two best ski hotels in the Alps (IMHO) be right next to each other?
At the Aurelio Lech, every room faces into the valley and across the slopes, and each balcony is bathed in sunshine throughout the day. The rooms themselves are uber-modern ski chalet style, with amazing and generous marble bathrooms with yummy Hermes Paris Un Jardin Sur Le Nil toiletries.
A million little touches make this place special, such as chocolates and hankie packs in your ski locker, high-end lotions at your bedside to fight the mountain dryness, and breakfast served at any time you like. The swish pool area, which is connected to the Spa, also hosts free fruit, water, teas, and nuts, just to keep you going between meals. If that’s not enough, the bowls of delicious Swiss chocolates dotted around this magnificent chalet are just too hard to resist between meals.
Hotel Aurelio is also expensive but worth every penny. You want for nothing, and in true Aman style (even though this isn’t actually an Aman-branded hotel), everyone knows who you are, and you never need to sign for your extras or mention your room number – they already know. Every room is awesome, the location is amazing in the middle of the main slope, and the food is innovative and award-winning.
Book a room at Aurelio via our luxury travel concierge and get brilliant extra benefits at no cost.
3. Gasthof Post, Lech, Austria
There is only one hotel in Lech where you can swim outside in a warm pool surrounded by snow (pictured above), and that is the gorgeous Gasthof Post in Lech. This hotel is favored by the Dutch Royal Family, who stays there every single year, and Pippa Middleton (Princess Kate’s sister) was a resident just days before we last stayed here.
The location is great, right on the main street, just a few buildings up from the main Strolz department store (the Harrods of ski shops), and the main restaurant looks out over the main street, so you can keep an eye on the activity. On warmer days, the superb bar opens up onto a sunny south-facing terrace where you can enjoy drinks and light bites alfresco.
When you stay, do request one of the rooms on floor 4 (the top floor, they start with 7) in the modern section of the hotel. You get beautiful high beamed ceilings in these rooms, and in the summer, glass doors at the end of the corridor open up directly to the infinity pool area and garden, which is decked in loungers, which couldn’t be more convenient.
The spa and relaxation rooms are the absolute highlights at the Gasthof Post, set within a multi-million euro, sympathetic, glass-sided extension. Inside, you can enjoy a warm pine-clad resting room and a slopeside relaxation area looking out onto the pool and the slopes beyond. Of course, there is a gym for those who decide not to ski, looking out over snowy pine trees, a kids’ pool with a water slide, numerous jets, and a waterfall, along with a baby pool with mini fountains. Oh, let’s not forget that infinity pool outside, which is so warm that you can float about as the snow falls and you don’t get cold. From my experience, this is the warmest hotel pool in Lech and the best!
In contrast to other hotels in Austria, the Gasthof Post seems to attract many refined British guests. Perhaps the Royal guests had spread the word, or perhaps we Brits are suckers for a water slide for our kids and a gorgeous outdoor infinity pool for a sophisticated swim? After all, is there anything more indulgent than bobbing about outdoors in a warm pool as snowflakes fall on your head?
4. Schlosshotel Fiss
Located a short drive from Innsbruck Airport, the ski area of Fiss is relatively undiscovered by the British market, and yet it must be the best ski area for children of any ski resort anywhere in the world.
If you are skiing with your family and you have kids, you would be crazy not to try Schlosshotel Fiss. This luxury ski-in-ski-out ski hotel sits directly on the slopes of Fiss. It has a lift that elevates you directly from the hotel ski shop (which is part of the hotel) right onto the slopes. It is perfect for adults but offers an insane amount of fun for the kids, too. It is, without a doubt, one of the best family ski hotels in Europe.
Schlosshotel Fiss is located at 1,436m altitude in the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis region of the Western Tyrol. It’s a 1-hour drive from Innsbruck or 2.5 hours from Munich or Bolzano. The nearest train station is in Landeck, a 30-minute transfer away.
The arrival is spectacular. An alpine road winds its way up the side of the steep mountain leading to Fiss. The hotel has a modern alpine feel. The lobby has lots of pines and stonework and leads to the bar area, which is a mass of candles and stylish alpine furniture. Much like a Four Seasons hotel but more individual, the entire area is immaculate. Beyond the bar area is a sun-dappled terrace and a further lounge with a roaring fire where you can enjoy an extravagant afternoon food buffet included in the room rate.
All the rooms at Schlosshotel Fiss are extremely stylish and modern whilst retaining their alpine heart. Rooms are immaculate, large, and recently refurbished, with exquisite furnishings and flint-colored tiling in the bathrooms. Pinewood floors, doors & cupboards are offset by white sheets and cream rugs. Expect enormous baths, walk-in showers, and a separate toilet in the bathroom. Outside, there are balconies with seats, a table, and a lounger offering dramatic mountain views.
On the slopes, this region has invested massively in a huge array of fun things for the kids to do. Wigwams, American Western-style villages, dragons breathing smoke, and monsters in caves are hidden on the slopes. Even the magic carpet ski lift has animated Cinderella characters trying on shoes and depicting other scenes from fairytales as you are transported past. This is a mini Disneyland in the snow just for the kids (and the young at heart).
Off the slopes, the Schlosshotel Fiss doesn’t disappoint either, for the adults and the kids. The absolute highlight for kids at Schlosshotel Fiss is their “Splash Zone” waterslide pool, where children can get a thrill from whizzing down an enormous curly slide, complete with flashing lights and powerful jets of water. Even little kids are catered for in the Splash Zone with a babies’ pool, which is a shallow puddle full of toys and fountains.
The beauty of the pool area is that the Splash Zone is a sealed-off pool next door to the quieter and more sophisticated adult infinity pool. The infinity pool area is extravagant and peaceful, the best I’ve seen in the Alpine mountains. Inside the pool area are numerous comfy loungers to relax on, and the room and pool are deliciously warm. Beyond the pool, the facilities are almost endless, with an enormous spa area offering treatments, an adults’ relaxation area, and a sauna area along with a family relaxation area and sauna.
The food is also brilliant at Schlosshotel Fiss. Breakfast is lavish with everything you could wish for, from salads and fruits to pastries and muffins to cereals, sushi to juices, including numerous multivitamin options. There is an exclusive egg chef who will do your eggs as you wish, and of course, being a luxury hotel, there is plenty of champagne for breakfast if you want to start the day with a glass.
The afternoon buffet is also generous and almost rude in volume, with vats of delicious homemade pasta, pizza, salads, trays of hot and cold meats, and the deserts… apple strudel, a million chocolate, and black forest gateau type cakes, custards (both vanilla and chocolate) and every soft drink you can think of.
In the evening, there’s a large and stylish bar area for pre and post-dinner drinks, which is decked out with candles. Bar prices for a luxury hotel are surprisingly low, with a bottle of Heineken coming in at just €4 EUR, and if you like wine, there is a complimentary wine tasting most evenings. Another nice feature is the live music in the hotel bar most evenings.
The restaurant deservedly has two stars, 78 points, and two bottles in the Austrian à la carte 2009 gourmet guide. The hotel itself is a TripAdvisor Travellers Choice winner from 2017, although I can’t imagine why it doesn’t win every year.
Schlosshotel Fiss is definitely a five-star luxury hotel. I can’t imagine there is a hotel in the Alps that does more to amuse children, with the “Splash Zone,” their own food buffet, a kids’ club, a cinema room, a teens’ area with a pool table, and a bunch of consoles for playing computer games. The dining is fantastic for the entire family, and the staff are welcoming, efficient, and kind. With the lift that takes you directly to the ski slope, ski hotels don’t get better than this.
5. Das Central
My next best ski hotel in the Alps, particularly good for early and late season snow, is Das Central luxury ski hotel in Sölden. The town of Sölden is not nearly as pretty as Lech or Gstaad, but once you get out of the main street, you will discover mountain streams and pretty fields which look like they are straight out of “Heidi”.
At 1368m of altitude, this snowsure resort does not hold onto the snow for as long as Lech. When we went there in April, the valley floor had no snow whatsoever, but there was plenty of snow on the higher slopes, which are just a short gondola ride away. This is one of Austria’s largest glacier areas. Rettenbach Glacier and Tiefenbach Glacier feature perfectly groomed slopes surrounded by stunning Alpine scenery and reaching up to an incredible 3340 meters above sea level. The season here begins as early as September and extends all the way through until May.
The only place to stay in Solden is the 5-Star Das Central hotel, which sits up a side street from the main drag and is a large and beautifully refurbished luxury hotel. Our tip is to request one of their refurbished rooms, which faces the front of the hotel. These rooms are south-facing and offer sunshine, which streams in through the floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the day. The decor is modern pine with swish bathrooms and superbly comfortable beds. This hotel encourages families and rewards little ones with fun touches like a furry bedtime chicken at Turndown.
The hotel also has a great pool area with lots of bubble features, and best of all, there is a gondola shuttle that takes guests directly to and from the bottom of the main gondolas every 5 minutes or so, which means no waiting around.
The food here is amazing, both in the main restaurant and their specialist restaurant, the Ötztaler Stube, which offers some of the best food in the Alps. Even better, Das Central is a surprisingly affordable 5-star ski hotel (book outside the main season for excellent rates) and is definitely a Luxury Travel Diary favorite.
Breakfast, dinner, Wi-Fi, and a welcome drink are already included in the Das Central room rates. They tend to offer a cheap Easter (April) special. This year it was five nights with one night for free, including gourmet half-board, Wellness de Luxe, Easter present for our little guests, and child care in the Ötzi Kids Club with five nights from €860 EUR per person bookable from 13-25 April 2019. You won’t find a ski hotel that is this luxurious for less.
6. Arlberg 1800
One of the most luxury hotels in one of the highest altitudes in the Arlberg region is Arlberg 1800. This luxury hotel makes up a large portion of this village and is located near the pinnacle of a mountain between Lech, Zurs, and St Anton. Skiing doesn’t come more snow-sure than this. You literally need to cross the road to board numerous lifts up the mountain and to the nursery slopes. From the mountain top, you can ski into St Anton.
St Christoph accesses the same pistes as its larger neighbor, St. Anton. There’s a good nursery slope near the Sporthotel for beginners and a snowpark, terrain park, and halfpipe. Its lower slopes are ideal for beginners, while more advanced skiers have St Anton and Stuben’s ski area. With a resort altitude of 1800m, this is one of the highest hotels in the region.
The hotel itself is traditional in style. The lobby, main bar, and restaurant areas are a mass of dark wood beams and muted lighting. Dark wood and beams also clad the walls, and thick wood pillars separate the rooms into more petite portions.
In the evenings, the atmosphere is wonderful. An enormous open fire in the center of the bar area radiates a warm glow throughout the room. It is the perfect place to enjoy an apres-ski beer or glass of wine.
Beyond the bar, the main restaurant serves an extensive multi-course dinner and a lovely breakfast. Each morning, the high-altitude chefs put on an extensive spread of fruits, cereals, yogurts, cheeses, meats, and bread along with hot options, including vats of delicious scrambled egg, bacon, sausages, and boiled eggs, and you could also order a la carte eggs if you prefer.
If you book half board, you also eat in this excellent restaurant each evening. The breakfast buffet area transforms into an elegant salad bar where you can select any salad imaginably and then add your own sauces. Specialties included homemade sauerkraut, cucumbers in a creamy sauce, potato salad, and numerous other alternatives. There are five more courses each night after the salad bar, including a starter, soup, main, cheese, and desserts.
The hotel itself has 88 rooms and suites, but we stayed in an ultra-luxury apartment called a chalet suite that was perfect for a larger family. Do not be afraid of renting an apartment here. The apartments here are much, much more luxurious than you would imagine when you think of a ski apartment or a ski chalet. All the apartments are finished like something out of Homes and Gardens magazine. They are truly stunning and feel brand new.
7. Spa Hotel Jagdhof
Our seventh choice is the Stubai Glacier in Austria. With snow guaranteed almost year-round, Austria’s largest glacier ski resort, Stubai, sits at an astonishing 1,750 m to 3,210 m above sea level. You can check out the Stubai webcam to see the snow pretty much throughout the year! The only downside to this Glacier is that there isn’t a good luxury ski hotel at the base of the Gondola, which means you will need to take a minibus ride to get to and from the base.
That said, we wholeheartedly recommend the very special Jagdhof hotel, which is 20 minutes complimentary shuttle from the Glacier and usefully also only 25 minutes from the airport at Innsbruck. This makes the Jagdhof a brilliant place to come for a weekend of skiing.
The Spa Hotel Jagdhof is a Relais & Châteaux ski hotel with multi-award-winning cuisine, a stunning spa, and a warm indoor-outdoor pool set within beautiful gardens. The hotel sits on the edge of a pretty Tyrolean village and looks out across a breathtaking valley backed by dreamy Austrian mountains.
This family-run Relais & Chateaux property sits on wonderful of a beautiful Austrian village and offers amazing food, a bar with a wonderful atmosphere and live music every night, a very good spa, and a superb indoor-outdoor pool that opens up to extensive lawns where you can sunbathe after a day on the glacier. The free glacier transfers offered by the Jagdhof make getting to the glacier surprisingly stress-free.
The communal areas, which included the halls and restaurant, all had a great character with real antlers and stuffed deer heads on the walls, lots of comfy corners with fireplaces along with fresh flowers, and pretty table decorations. When we were visiting, Easter was the theme, so Easter bunnies and wooden eggs were dotted about, and there was an Easter egg tree in the courtyard.
Being less than 30 minutes from Innsbruck airport. If you like skiing, fine dining, or just want to laze in a glorious mountain setting, the Spa Hotel Jagdhof is a hidden gem that I wholeheartedly recommend.
8. Alpine Palace Hotel
Southwest of Salzburg in Austria lies the twin Alpine resorts of Saalbach and Hinterglemm. Here, you will find some of the best luxury ski hotels in Austria. These two resorts were originally separate villages with their centers 4km apart, and they are gradually merging into a single ski resort. They are charming traditional villages with the bonus that their village centers are largely free of traffic. They are linked by a ‘ski circus’ with 70 ski lifts and 270km of connected ski runs on both sides of the stunning alpine valley.
The five-star-superior Alpine Palace Hotel, a New Balance Luxus Resort, is a rather special hotel and ‘The Home Of Lässig’ and is pictured in our scroller above. It lies in the very heart of the Saalbach-Hinterglemm region, alongside the Reiterkogel cable car station, and you can ski in and ski out in winter and bike in and bike out in summer.
For accommodation, choose from spacious rooms, suites, or the gorgeous themed suites; competitively priced, they are fun and funky and a must, in my opinion! The gourmet dining opportunities at Hotel Alpine Palace are simply fabulous; the opulent restaurants are themed and serve exceptional award-winning cuisine, and there is a choice of bars where you can enjoy creative cocktails, chilled wines, and classic spirits, perfect for some après ski entertainment.
When your limbs are aching from the ski-slopes or hiking trails, five-star pampering is definitely required, and the 2,000 m² New Balance Alpine Spa more than delivers; it boasts impressive indoor pampering facilities including nine saunas, infra-red cabins, an indoor pool, a rock shower with ice fountain and a Fitness Room as well as an outdoor whirlpool and brine pool designed to caress the skin with 360° views of the mountains; total restorative bliss. The hotel also has its own “Snow & Fun” ski school, ski hire, certified sports entertainers, and skiing and hiking guides, plus there are sporting and kids’ programs too.
9. Forsthofgut Hotel & Spa
The Forsthofgut Hotel & Spa is a stunning ski hotel set to a dramatic canvas of lush pine forests in the fabulous alpine Leogang Mountains.
Bold timber and steel architecture mixes with a more traditional look to give a contemporary but natural finish to the hotel. Interior styling is all about being local with a sense of fresh modernity, applying regional materials crafted for centuries with the likes of scented woods, loden cloth, linens, and quarried stone.
A color palette of nature ushers in accents of pine forest greens, biscuits, cardinal reds, and slate greys – soft and muted, the design frames the views wonderfully and with an easy sense of style that meets rural simplicity.
A new Spa building includes a 25-meter outdoor pool and gym and a very cool dining experience that offers fresh and local food.
This hotel welcomes families with children, and there are special kids’ menus, and there are childcare facilities, and a ski school is right in front of the door at the neighboring Asitzbahn.
10. Edelweiss & Gurgl
The Hotel Edelweiss & Gurgl is often considered the best hotel in Obergurgl. The Edelweiss & Gurgl is actually located in the center of the village and right next to the lifts, allowing you to walk straight out of the boot room and onto the lift. The hotel is a beautiful and ski-in ski-out, with the main après bar (Nederhutte) right outside, allowing you to ski back home straight to the door.
The rooms are spacious and furnished beautifully. There is lots of space in the lounge to relax and have a drink by the fire before dinner, and the food is delicious. It’s a great hotel for families and groups.
Highlights include a large sun terrace and restaurant, a wellness center, an indoor and outdoor pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, and gym.
11. Grossarler Hof
We have included a bonus number 11 in our listing as there are so many great ski hotels in Austria. Grossarler Hof is a sanctuary of Austrian warmth, style, and individuality, set in stunning scenery in Salzburger Land. Try the finest of fine wines in the atmospheric vaulted cellar at a rustic wooden table with your host and his exceptional collection of wines.
In the morning, the mountain air will refresh your head. Step out onto the balcony with your morning coffee. In winter, Grossarler Hof has direct access to Austria’s largest ski region, Ski amadé. In summer and autumn, the Hohe Tauern National Park and The Valley of Alpine Meadows await. You can bike along forest streams, along cycling paths and return to the Grossarler Hof Spa for pampering and a swim in the alpine outdoors.
You can read our more in-depth reviews of some of these hotels here:
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