Surreal Bio Hotel and Spa in Tirol, right at the feet of Wilder Kaiser mountain. And when I say “surreal”, guys, I mean it! The iconic hotel Stanglwirt counts more than a century of tradition and in 2016 has been listed by Condé Nast Traveler magazine among the 147 best hotels in the world (the only one in Austria) and was also voted one of the 10 best resorts in Europe. I have been there, had an amazing time and will tell you everything!

Arriving at Stanglwirt Bio Hotel (http://www.stanglwirt.com) is like being back in time, in the Alps, in great style: the staff is dressed in beautiful alpine clothes, the hotel interior is very typical (wonderful!) and even though the resort is huge, there is this family warm reception because the place has been managed and owned by the same family, the Hausers, for more than 100 years.

Our suite was very spacious and had a living room, a huge balcony with a view to the mountains and some pools, had a fireplace, two bathrooms and a big sleeping room. Needless to say we felt at home and that the staff took care of every detail to please us.

Just as it is a true temple of tranquility for the body, mind and soul, the hotel offers tones of activities for those who are very active There are many swimming pools (indoor, outdoor, warm, cold, salty, natural water, olympic, nudist, etc), outdoor and indoor tennis courts, golf classes, ski classes, horse riding classes, jacuzzis, a fancy spa, all sort of saunas, amazing restaurants serving local and international food and a cool bar open until late at night playing live music. All of that in a relaxed and exclusive atmosphere, with a view to legendary Wilder Kaiser mountain.

Each time of the year is an ideal time to relax in this paradise – I went in September, it was a little bit cold, there was snow on top of the mountains but it was still possible to hang around in the sun wearing a bikini. Nevertheless, I really want to return during winter, when there is heavy snow. I have seen some photos and it looks so fantastic. Also, I love the feeling of relaxing in a warm pool outside, observing the snow, all white. Moreover, the hotel is only some minutes driving from Kitzbühel (or “Kitz”), the super fancy ski resort in Austria, one of the coolest in Europe and Stanglwirt is THE place to be for the aprés-ski. So, warm or cold, it is worth the visit, always combined with a stop at charming medieval Kitzbühel city and a ride to the top of Hahnenkamm mountain, where the Streif – the most dangerous ski slope – is located. But this will be a topic for another post.

So, let’s talk about food? There are many restaurants and I have been to all. Honestly?! Hard to choose. Your meal can be à la carte, a tasting menu or a buffet. It is possible to reserve VIP rooms, which are carefully decorated with flowers and personalized items – this is was our option for our first night when we enjoyed the 8 courses menu with friends. Food (mainly Austrian) was superb, service sympathetic and  the setting of the table and place beautiful.

I also loved the Cow Barn restaurant, a trademark for Stanglwirt for many years, where you dine as close as it gets to the cows and calves. What an experience! (Note: the cows are not there full time, check in advance).

After dinner there was always live music in the main bar, which was a lot of fun. This bar, as the restaurants, are open to non-guests and one night even a bride showed up to dance a little bit.

For those who like riding horses, this is just like the perfect place – the Stanglwirt hotel holds the first private Lipizzaner riding school in Austria (the famous white horses associated with the Spanish School in Vienna) and it is possible to explore the hotel and surroundings riding a horse. But attention! Book that a way in advance.

We spent some wonderful days in this resort, very relaxing and energizing. After all I wrote there is no need to say that I fell in love. Hospitality, structure, services, restaurants… all as it should be.

Below some more photos of an amazing time:

You know those places you are sure you will always be back? The Stanglwirt Bio Hotel is certainly one of them!

Let’s shine!