24 Hours at the Sacher Salzburg

When you are thinking of famous cakes are you also thinking of luxury hotels? Well, if the cake is a delicacy from Austria and called "Original Sachertorte" then you might be thinking of Hotel Sacher. Actually the original "Hotel Sacher" (where the cake comes from) is situated in Vienna - the beautiful Austrian capital. Only a few non-Austrians know that there is another Hotel Sacher (the sister property of the Hotel Sacher in Vienna) in the wonderful city Salzburg. Yes, exactly! SALZBURG - where the movie The Sound of Music was filmed. So what is the best place to stay in the center of this picturesque city? For us there is no doubt, it is the Sacher Salzburg, directly on the river Salzach, floating right between this high end luxury property and the ancient old town where already Mozart used to live in his first minutes. Alright, driving into the city is a small odyssey - many streets go one-way only and the old town is an all-pedestrian area. 

When we drove along the entrance of the Sacher Salzburg, we were greeted by a bellman with uniform in typical Sacher colors - a kind of Bordeaux red. He accompanied us to the Porter desk (this is one of the most unusual front desks we have seen yet) where we were welcomed with a smile and a typical "Grüß Gott und willkommen im Sacher!" - literally he could have said: "Welcome to the best hotel of Salzburg!" Puh, now that was the moment when we began to fall in love with the old-school perfection and the ancient style of this old grand hotel. The airy Lobby was flooded with daylight due to the high ceiling going up towards the fourth floor. It reminded me a bit to the Four Seasons Milano - they have a covered courtyard as well. Soon after doing the paperwork, a kind lady showed us to our spacious and very modern Deluxe Room - I guess it was one. Opening the doors of a hotel room always is like unveiling a surprise. I was so flashed of the modern and fresh look of our room, not yet recognized we have one of the best views in Austria. Two small Sacher cakes in form of a square and fresh fruits were waiting in our room as a welcome of the house.

This spacious room offered a very comfortable double bed with two separate blankets, a seating area with sofa, a spacious working desk with very chic mirror wall, balcony with river views and a super cool electronic fire place with a pretty small tv (which could have been an inch bigger ;-) ).  The gray-brown design of the room met exactly my tastes of interior design and I have to admit that the bathroom looks super luxe as well, reminding me of my stay at the top-favourite Corinthia London. I did not expect to find such a big marble bathroom, offering a walk-in shower, bath tub with speed filling, upscale chocolate toiletries by Sacher Spa (not branded ones but of high quality), separate toilet and bidet area as well as double sinks and an en-mirror tv with many channels. We had absolutely no issues during our stay - the air conditioning worked properly, the rooms are completely soundproofed, the beds heavenly and the water pressure in the bathroom excellent and went warm extremely fast. Also the towels were new and never looked used. A nice touch would have been a bottle of water at turn-down service. Everything inside the room did not only look elegant, the furniture was also comfortable and luxurious.

After we settled in the room and enjoyed the breath-taking view, the Sales Manager waited for us to show us around the property. We were visiting some newly renovated suites and the food outlets. The wonderful winter garden and the elegant Sacher Bar are lovely places to relax and read a book or take a break from sightseeing while sipping a whiskey or one of their signature cocktails. At the end of the tour we had coffee and an original "Sachertorte" in the famous Café Sacher. As many Austrian sweet dishes, also the Sacher is heavy but well worth the calories. In fact the Sacher Salzburg is a traditional property with mostly modern rooms. There are also rooms which are not yet renovated (facing the street and the Theatre), so try to get a modern room facing the castle and the old town or treat yourself with one of their upscale luxury suites - they are really worth the surcharge. We have not been dining at the hotel so we cannot rate the service at their Gourmet Restaurant. 

Before we headed back to the hotel in the early afternoon, we had dinner at a local Restaurant which cuisine is very innovative and creative but due to the location far from the center not worth mentioning. At the next morning we were ready to explore breakfast. While the breakfast room is not large, the buffet had everything we wished to find. From truffle ham, cheese, Austrian sparkling wine, original Sacher cake and three more cakes, fresh bread and nice fruit selection to hot dishes to order, like scrambled eggs and omelettes with everything you want. Unfortunately the cappuccino was not as strong and good as in Italy - we expected it to be better due to the reputation of the Café Sacher. Also the glasses for orange juice were really small, sipping at most two times until the glass was empty. Absolutely happy, we started discovering the old town, went along the Getreidegasse towards the Dome and afterwards we climbed up the castle hill and took the funicular back into town. The location of the Sacher Salzburg is extremely good, only needing to walk 3-5 minutes to be at Mozart's birth place - literally the center of Salzburg.

The Sacher Salzburg has always been the best place to stay in Salzburg and after the expensive renovation it will remain the number one, and now be our favorite place to stay in Salzburg city. Forget the Hotel Goldener Hirsch (we don't like this hotel due to the very old and come down rooms) and spend a little more money to have an unforgettable experience at the Sacher!

We were guests of the Hotel Sacher during our trip to Salzburg. A very special thanks to the Sales Manager Ms. Stotter for being so welcoming. However this review expresses our personal opinion and has not been influenced. 

24 Hours at the Villa Arcadio - Lake Garda

Nestled on the real bottom of Lake Garda, in the town of Salò, the Villa Arcadio is located in one of my favorite regions of Italy - Lombardy! Not only famous for its excellent scenery, lakes, cities, no - also because of its excellent food, especially Pasta and Risotto (That's something I learned in Milan.). Although we were driving towards Brescia, away from the lakeside, we never missed the Lago di Garda - you are looking towards the lake from everywhere in the villa. After driving up the driveway, we immediately arrived at the Villa Arcadio. This means the hotel is near the main street, which can cause some noise on the pool. We were greeted by the two very quiet and well-behaved house dogs and one nice front desk lady. 

Check-in went really smooth, without even asking to do the paperwork (she just collected our passports) and within 5 minutes we were standing in our Junior Suite, flashed by the amazing 90 degree views of the lake, the town and the hills surrounding Lago di Garda. The rooms are mostly on the cozy side - that's the reason why there is no real open living room nor a sofa inside our Junior Suite. There is also a higher category in the house, the Suite with separate living- and bedroom - honestly we haven't spent much time inside our room as the lake is one of the most wonderful in Europe and Lombardy has got a lot to see, eg. Lago di Iseo, Brescia and Bergamo or you change regions and head to Verona and the other side of the lake - being in Veneto. So, get out of bed and discover Bella Italia!

As already mentioned, our Junior Suite had lake view, but otherwise the room was designed in a minimalistic style, offering two lounge chairs, one writing desk with television (many TV channels in german and some english ones), a minibar with affordable prices and a comfy King bed. The bathroom was generous, although it only had a walk-in shower and no tub. Toiletries were not branded ones, although not bad ones - with olive oil of Tuscany. A personal wish of mine would have been a working air condition - I guess they turned it off due to low season (normally it is not that hot in April, but the room was under the roof and pretty hot during the sunshine all day).

The pool looks really nice on the pictures, so I did expect a slightly differently prepared garden: Unfortunately the lawn wasn't mowed, which is not a problem at all - it would have looked lovelier while enjoying the amazing lake views from the infinity pool. Another issue was that we couldn't find a towel at the pool - which was because the hotel was still in low season and not yet operating full. The pool is opened from April to October but is not heated, so you need to be really tough when you want to swim in April or early May! We weren't as tough as we were at the Arts Barcelona - maybe because it was already 5 pm, although it still had 23 degrees celsius. 

Dinner and breakfast are served in the wonderful dining rooms just next to the pool and the bar and the lake view terrace. We had a wonderful evening with excellent dishes, from a wonderful amuse bouche to classical italian "Battuta" (kind of steak tartare), scallops carpaccio and risotto of broccoli and parmesan cheese. Furthermore we had sole with spinach (I'm not into spinach) and excellent sorbet of grapefruit.For wine pairing we had an excellent wine from the nearby Valpolicella. Throughout the evening we had two servers who where very kind and attentive, always willing to offer everything we desired. Breakfast was taken on the terrace and we could choose from a selection on the buffet (typical italian with homemade bread) and a menu with egg meals. We took scrambled eggs and omelette, which was both very good. It's hard to beat an italian cappuccino!

Although the dinner was truly excellent, everyone is so welcoming and personal and the Villa represents completely my taste of Interior Style with CasaMilano furniture, the true highlight simply was the hotel's own "Riva Aquarama Special". Having had an appointment at 11 am, we left the hotel 10 minutes before to arrive on time in the center of Salò. As soon as our driver arrived, he began driving the very elegant wooden motor yacht. Our tour started with a view of the pedestrian area of Salo then we drove along the western side of Lake Garda until we arrived in Gardone Riviera. From there we could spot the Grand hotels of this famous tourist town. Soon after we were driving further up north to Gargnano where our skipper showed us the world famous Grand Hotel e Villa Feltrinelli - home to superstars and upscale celebrities such as George Clooney. From there we crossed the whole lake and after 20 minutes we reached the east side of the lake. There was a old villa and another ancient hotel with a wonderful café. Before our tour came to an end, we passed by a private owned island with an impressive and totally chic luxury villa. It was a really special experience and I would say THE top reason to choose Villa Arcadio for your next trip to Lago di Garda.

Personally, we would like to recommend the Villa Arcadio to everyone seeking for a perfect luxury hideaway with a truly personal touch and real costumer care. While it is just that perfect for couples and single travelers, we can imagine that children can be bored easily(According to one of our readers Villa Arcadio is truly child-friendly and perfect for families as well).

We were guests of the Villa Arcadio. All our reviews expresses as always our own opinion. We would like to thank the owner Mrs. Jaana Nakari for the generous invitation and the wonderful stay.

24 Hours at the Hotel La Mirande, Avignon

First of all, YES, La Mirande in Avignon is extremely expensive. And YES for 490,00€ per night in a simple Double Room, you could stay at the Corinthia London or the Plaza in New York. That's a part I do not understand either, but it is not something I can decide.

On the other side, if you think honestly, you are staying in front of, or better, inside the world famous and spectacular Pope's Palace of Avignon. And that's something you can't get in New York or London or even in Rome. By the way, this is also what I would describe as a Unique Hotel.

First of all, you should know that arriving by car is NOT a good idea. The street becomes extremely narrow and if you are travelling alone it gets even more stressful. Finally when we arrived in front of the Pope's Palace we also recognized the La Mirande, and were already awaited by the bellmen, the front desk staff and the Sales Manager what I found quite welcoming. Check-in was smooth although I found it incorrect not to inform you that breakfast is extra at 28.00€ per person (I will come on this issue later)!

The room, a Grand Deluxe Room, was overlooking the Pope's Palace, and was situated on the second floor in the main building. The beds were quite comfortable as the whole room furnitures. I found the carpet a bit uncomfortable but this is just a small issue. The bathroom was very well maintained with a huge seperated toilet, double basins and a tub with a shower head - something I do not like in fact. BUT the luxurious toiletries by Guerlain came up to it all!

We wanted to make a dinner reservation, but our favourite restaurant was closed on Monday, so we asked the receptionist for an alternative. Unfortunately the choice did not meet our expectations and the standards of the hotel in general. For all those who do not want to leave the hotel for dinner, they have an amazing michelin-starred restaurant in the old cardinals room dating back to the Renaissance century - just in case you do not know on where to spend your money (the menu costs 111 Euros per person)!

After a glamorous sleep in the old guest house of the Popes, we were ready to have breakfast. Unfortunately, the breakfast made not the impression to be ready for us: This was the worst breakfast I HAD to experience during my whole three week summer holidays, where I only stayed at worldclass properties. It is a real shame to charge 28.00 euros for such a lousy buffet like at the La Mirande Avignon. The Baguette was not replaced after I finished it at 9.00 am, when the orange juice was finished it was also not replaced, no eggs were offered nor were we asked if we want to have some egg dishes, and the staff never smiled, although our server was called "Angel" by the other staff members. Always when I remember on this situation I get a bit angry, this was one of the worst ivestments I have ever made!

All in all I fell in love with the design, the atmosphere and the location of the hotel, but definitely NOT with the breakfast! Next time I will look for an excellent French Café where I will pay at least 10€ for a full breakfast.

Our stay at the La Mirande Avignon was sponsored by the hotel, but we had to come up for all extra expenses by ourselfs. Our above written review is our personal opinion and hasn't been influenced.

48 Hours at the Terre Blanche Resort, Provence

To be honest, I was a bit scared that the resort is no longer managed by Four Seasons (I also had bad experience with it in Budapest). Luckily I could recognize that this was just a bad illusion of me. When we arrived everyone from the bellmen greeted us friendly, took care of the luggage and the car and accompanied us to the Lobby where we were welcomed by Claire and her colleague (which name I do not know, sorry for this!). Check-in was excellent and also the welcome tour was informative and smooth.

Afterwards we were driven to our Suite (1812), a Deluxe Suite with terrace, living room, separate bedroom, bathroom ensuite and walk-in wardrobe. I was so lucky that I received a Suite with amazing views of Fayence and its landscape. The whole suite was flooded by daylight, even the bathroom was overlooking the countryside. I love the toiletries which are especially created by Fragonard for the Terre Blanche Resort. The beds were amazingly comfortble (of course it was still the Four Seasons Bed) and also the Housekeeping and Turndown Service was perfect as it should be for a hotel of this caliber. Our terrace was already bedded and offered two sunbeds with two chairs and a dining table beside. Also, the televisions were quite qood and I much appreciated the Bose iPhone Docking Station.

As we wanted to discover the countryside we decided to have dinner in a restaurant outside the hotel. Unfortunately I forgot that it was Saturday and all nearby restaurants were fully booked, but the amazing Concierge Eladia was so kind and organized a table for us in an excellent restaurant (Le Catellaras) 15 minutes away. It was a truly magnificent experience and fully met our expectations concerning the French Haute Cuisine. At the second evening she recommended the Nearby Restaurant Table d'Yves, which was more casual and therefore perfect again!

At breakfast we had the pleasure to be served by Emelie, who was truly kind and always made us welcome every morning. When the day starts in such an excellent way, there is no possibility to end in a bad way. She even remembered which coffee we want and what kind of eggs. This was truly amazing, so we always tried to sit in the area where Emelie was working to receive such an excellent service every day. 

The Spa is situated a bit hidden on the half way from the entrance gate, which is controlled like a G8-peak meeting, and the main building where the lobby and the front desk is situated. The indoor pool is very huge and there is also a very warm vitality pool in the middle of a typical Provencial garden. Beside the pool there is also a Spa Restaurant, a small fitness centre, an area with sauna, steam bath and relaxation room as well as lots of treatment rooms and impressive Spa Suites on the first floor of the Spa building. By the way, the spa is accessible by walking from the main building within 5 minutes or by Golf Cart, that's also how you can access your suites all day.

Unfortunately all dreams have an end, so I had to leave to go to Avignon. I won't forget this luxurious resort and will try to come back soon. A very special thanks to Mrs. Ripoll for the informative and nice tour around the resort and the Management of the Terre Blanche Resort, as well as all the staff members for being so friendly and helpful.

The Terre Blanche Resort provided us a special rate, due to the fact it was high season. All extra expenses were charged as full. Our above written review is our personal opinion and hasn't been influenced.

A weekend in Salzburg!

Last saturday I have been to the Austrian city Salzburg.

The reason for my trip was a dinner at the renowned "Obauer" restaurant in Werfen, about half an hour south of Salzburg city. Due to the fact that we want to tour through the old town and stroll through some shops, I decided to book a room at the Sheraton Hotel. 

Normally, I do not really like to stay at a Sheraton hotel, but the one in Salzburg has an excellent Club Lounge with balconies and stunning views to the castle hill, as well as a vast buffet with high-quality products. There has always been warm and cold dishes, cakes and n excellent choice of drinks, from non-alcoholic, coffee to alcoholic beverages. 

Although I contacted the hotel directly to allocate a room in a modern style, they did not meet my request. Nonetheless they upgraded us to a King Suite with a separate living room, bedroom and two bathrooms. 

The bathroom was in good condition, with a small bath tub, a single vanity, a separate shower with dirty shower head as well as "branded" toiletries by Frette. In fact these bath amenities are even worse than Sheraton's own "Shine" line and smell a bit cheap, to be honest. Please note that they once had Bulgari - really - when I stayed there in December 2012.

All in all, our stay was very comfortable, the staff average, although the woman in the Club Lounge was very attentive, and the location satisfying. As the Club Lounge is really worth to stay at this Sheraton, I will try to stay here again when I am back in Salzburg.