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. 

Breakfast with Angela - Restaurant Käfer Berlin

Restaurant Käfer im Bundestag

Frühstücken im gleichen Gebäude wo die deutsche Bundeskanzlerin arbeitet? Stimmt! Hört sich im ersten Moment komisch an. Zugegebener Weise, sie ist nicht immer im Bundestag aber an manchen Tagen kann man sie bei einem Kaffee im Dachgarten Restaurant Käfer treffen.

Aufgrund der hohen Sicherheitsstandards mussten wir bei der Reservierung die wir über Mail gemacht haben unsere Namen mit Geburtstort vorher angeben. Mit hohen Erwartungen und viel Vorfreude machten wir uns Mittwoch früh auf dem Weg vom Hotel Adlon zum Bundestag. Empfangen wurden wir gleich mehrmals. Die erste Station war der Außenbereich des großen Gebäudekomplexes. Hier warten zwei sehr nette Damen auf die angemeldeten Gäste.

Bemerkenswert ist der Extra-Eingang  weil zu Stoßzeiten sehr viele Leute in den Bundestag wollen und sich so lange Schlangen bilden können. Nach der Anmeldung ging es weiter zum Sicherheits-Check, der exakt wie beim Flughafen abläuft – ähnlich nettes Personal versteht sich von selbst. Eine Aufzugfahrt später sind wir dann im Restaurant angekommen. Nach einer sehr netten Begrüßung wurden wir zu unserem Tisch, in der ersten Reihe mit wunderbarer Aussicht auf Berlin gebracht. Vielen Dank an dieser Stelle für die 2 Tassen die als Geschenk verpackt auf dem Tisch standen.

Das gut besuchte Restaurant präsentierte sich mit stilvollen Ambiente .Lobenswert und leider eine Seltenheit heutzutage ist die einheitliche Kleidung die von den Mitarbeiterinnen getragen wird.

Wir entschieden uns für das Wohlfühlfrühstück für 28,50€ pro Person. Innerhalb kürzester Zeit wurde der Cappuccino wie das Rührei, Trüffelpaste, die 4 verschiedenen Käsesorten, der Joghurt, der frischgepresste Orangensaft, der Sekt, der Wurstaufschnitt und der hausgebeizte Lachs an den Tisch gebracht.  Was bei solch einem exklusiven Frühstück nicht fehlen darf, ist das Glas Prosecco. Dieses Frühstück hat den Namen Wohlfühlfrühstück wahrlich verdient.

Das Preisleistungsverhält dieses Restaurant ist aufgrund der tollen Lage und der noch besseren Aussicht meines Erachtens angemessen. Man muss ja nicht gleich das Frühstück für knapp 30,00€ aussuchen. Die Karte bietet mehr als nur dieses Frühstück.

Mit den wärmsten Empfehlungen,

Food Executive

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.

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.

Travel Diary: My Summer holidays Part 3

My second week of travelling through the very Southern Italy and I am still very impressed of the beauty of the Amalfi Coast! Now I am on the way to Calabria and I just left the Peninsula of Sorrento, Vico Equense and the Capo La Gala hotel!

The hotel itself did a small change from the morning after my last blog entry! The requested and promised Lorenzo Villoresi toiletries were not in the room, but after I asked one of the super-friendly front office ladies, she immediately called all departments to get me the last products they could find! To top this service she also gave us a restaurant recommendation for a really wow-experience- we had the best dinner with locals only during this week!

The room itself was bright, with sea view window, comfy bed and nice bathroom with very small and old-smelling Palais Jamais Etro toiletries!

Furthermore there is a Spa with indoor pool, which is beautifully designed but not good managed (empty Ortigia soaps and terrible smell of dirty water in the corner o the relaxing room), as well as very nice Carthusia toiletries if you book a Prestige room or a suite! I do not like these hotels which make two-class system with the toiletries, this gives me more the feeling of a cheap hotel than a five-star property, but the front desk told me that they will have Carthusia everywhere soon! Again I have to mention the four ladies at the front desk, who are more than very helpful and they are so friendly - they greeted us like friends!

The breakast is a nice Buffet of a 5-star hotel and the service is friendly.

Although they try to be luxury in some aspects, which have to be improved for this price category, they get 8 Points out of 10 for one of the best front office staff I've ever had as a hotel guest!

Yesterday I had a great day in Capri! I went there with the Speed Ferry from Sorrento and experienced one of the most beautiful islands I've ever been! The streets are narrow and you can find every world-famous Designer you can imagine: there is a Prada store next to the funicular, a Louis Vuitton shop in the luxury shopping street and of course the Carthusia factory with the factory store around the corner - a MUST for every Capri visitor!

I have bought a nice 50ml perfume called 1689, which is a great male perfume mix by Carthusia! The price was 55 Euros for 50ml, which is not too overpriced for a nice holiday souvenier! Afterwards I strolled into the shop of the famous Qvisisana Palace, where they have beautiful accessoires in cool beige and brown colours.

After the shopping tour I passed by a very chic restaurant called Edodè, which serves excellent sea food! The only problem or shok for me was the service charge of 14 Euros!!! It was a nice lunch, but not really worth such high obligatory tip or service charge!

Travel Diary: My Summer holidays Part 1

It is more than wonderful at the place where I am relaxing now. In fact it is the Costiera Amalfitana, I would say THE most beautiful place in Italy. To be more correct, I am sunbathing at the world famous and often renowned Santa Caterina Property. The Condé Nast Traveller rated this hotel as the 20th best hotel in the Gold List Worldwide, and I can only proof this fact! The staff is wonderful, from the beginning everyone speaks to you by your last name and they know every wish you have. This is just the place to be, I felt never better and I can proudly say that I am as relaxed as at the 1000-Dollar-per-night Reethi Rah Resort in the Maldives. 

I even got a Double-Upgrade to a marvellous Deluxe Room with separate living room and unbelievable sea view and even better views of the town of Amalfi! The breakfast today morning was more than spectacular as the views were. The service is excellent, wherever you look!

They have a complimentary shuttle service to the town of Amalfi every 30 minutes, but it only runs unil 6.30 pm., which is really bad if you want to dine in the town!

Before I arrived at this super-luxe Hideaway in Amalfi, I was staying at the Villa Tolomei in Florence: 2 kilometres outside of Florence! We were also uprgaded to a Junior Suite, which was very nice and everything was completely new! The service there was also good, but not to compare with the Santa Caterina here in Amalfi, these hotels are completely different, although they both have 5-stars. 

Tomorrow I am going to the more picturesque town of Positano, which should be even nicer than Amalfi, but let's see. If you want to top your stay at the Santa Caterina, then you should upgrade yourself to the Le Sirenuse in Positano, where you can really Hide-away! I wanted to try a different hotel, which is called Il Marincanto. I am very exited of the views there and I will be back in two days!