Hotel review Schlosshotel Fiss, Austria

Allergic to snow, but still eager for Alpine oohs? Best check yourself in to Austrian mountain hideaway Schlosshotel Fiss

Put away your salopettes. Pack your hiking boots, a love of fresh air and a stomach for heights. We’re off to the Austrian Alps, or more specifically, Schlosshotel Fiss. During the powder season, the hotel may be up there with god thanks to its ski-in ski-out access but this five-starrer is far more than the sum of its nearby slopes. Indeed, for those eager to enjoy an Alpine landscape in all its greenery, the magic of Schlosshotel Fiss doesn’t melt with the snow. Part of Tyrol, one of Austria‘s sunniest regions with its 2,000-ish hours of yearly sunshine, this green, mountainous corner is catnip for outdoorsy types: think hiking, e-biking, lakeside tomfoolery, mountain coasters and more.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the hotel majors in all manner of ways to while away that R&R time, too. Yes, it’s serious sauna territory thanks to its spa, but there are essential oils workshops and gourmet lessons with the chefs, too, plus champagne, wine and cheese tasting. The list goes on. In short, this once humble 1940s lodge turned luxe 135-room bolthole has ‘must-stay’ for everyone written all over it.

Rooms and facilities

Homely yet high end – no easy ask but owner Simone Domenig, who hand-picks every stick of furniture and swatch of fabric, has ensured Schlosshotel Fiss walks that line just fine. Take the low-key lobby, where bougie candles and grand bouquets play house happily alongside the traditional Alpine love of wood. That comfy riff on refinement hits its stride in the bar with its grand piano and classy glass pendants. This wood-infused spot radiates intimacy – low lighting, sink-right-in seats, whispers of chocolate and berry hues. In the main restaurant the heart-warming wood ups its style chops with artful accents, while in the day restaurant, hunky leather sofas give the Alpine tempo oomph.

Upstairs, with balconies offering front-row views of cloud-cloaked mountains, the rooms don’t have to work hard to elicit whoops. But work hard they do: ‘refined, harmonious, unique’, to quote the hotel’s own shtick which, in the boudoir department, translates as no shortage of luxury, from sprung-to-perfection beds to deep baths that make wallowing hard to resist; an absence of shouty shades, plus everything you need to feel all is wonderfully well in your world: a Nespresso machine, big telly, mini bar and GHD hairdryer. Not that you journeyed over a thousand metres above sea level just to blow-dry your hair. Which is just as well as there’s plenty to do…

At Schlosshotel Fiss, along with that shtick, throw in family friendly, for the hotel proudly is, while ticking those adult crowd boxes, too. And in IRL this means? If you’ve got kids in tow, you’ll never hear ‘What’s the WIFI code?’ – praise be to the hotel’s rollcall of fun, from a kids clubs, cinema, Splash Waterworld, complete with a 48-metre slide, plus, should they wish, sauna and steam-room time with the ’rents in the Family Spa. There’s also a kids buffet and ice-cream station to tempt them away from the main restaurant (see what the hotel did there?).

For those travelling sans heirs or spares, grown-up time kicks off in the Adult Sauna. Children-and-clothes-free (lost you at ‘clothes-free’? Come back, you can wear a towel), this vast sanctuary is a gently lit world of sauna infusions and steam baths, with a cold plunge pool, plus fireside lounges begging you to lie back and think of nothing.

Meanwhile, further down the hall, at Aqua Monte Waterworld, whirlpools and an indoor to outdoor pool leading directly into the garden and its backdrop of mountains await. While in the gym, the many cardio and weight machines, and daily activity of programmes that include guided yoga can wait – the star has to be the TechnoGym Checkup machine. BMI? Weight? Pulse? Who cares. This clever bit of kit can gauge your wellness age.

Food and drink

Let the gastronomy begin with the hotel’s generous breakfast buffet in the main restaurant. Here dinner (if you’re giving the family-friendly buffet a swerve) is a multi-course gourmet delight – dishes might include garlic soup, polenta dumpling filled with gorgonzola and foamy curry with prawn balls. As for wine – bottles will definitely be something fabulous as there are 800 vinos to choose from plus the expert attentions of the sommelier.

Over in that day restaurant, is a hearty pile-up-your-plate buffet of hot and cold dishes, from pasta dumplings to tomato and mozzarella salad, and, damn that tight belt, cakes.

Later hit the bar for live ‘modern tunes’ and standout signature cocktails – make mine a Sip Sip Hurra, a gin, hibiscus, ristretto infusion, that’s part java jolt, part moreishly smooth gargle. Also, more than worth a mention is the Beef Club restaurant. Not, sigh, open during this visit, but chances are it’s good – it has one of those Michelin stars.

Things to do nearby

Skiing, obviously, and also hiking, e-biking, the fun-packed Moseralm park, which includes an 80kmph kite-come-zip wire and a more ‘leisurely’ 45kmph Alpine coaster, plus Lake Hogsee and its waterside adventures. Then there are the 11 or so gondola routes, which are open during the summer (June to October) as well as the ski season, and are not just modes of transport but purveyors of breathtaking views as they soar high over emerald forests and take the steep climb way above the clouds to deposit you atop giant mountains.

There’s also the hotel’s busy timetable which, while seasonal, might include aromatherapy workshops, a gourmet tour of Austria with the chefs, meditation and mindfulness in nature, champagne, wine and cheese tasting.

Highlights

The views. The mountain fresh air. The spa (but, personally, only with a towel firmly on!).

Who is it best for?

Anyone who loves the great outdoors.

The cost

From around £450 per night, schlosshotel-fiss.com

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