Restaurant-Check - Innsbruck - Lucy Wang

Yesterday, we have been to Innsbruck's latest Restaurant addition - Lucy Wang - a completely new concept and extremely cool design in the capital of the Tyrolean Alps. Recently, many new restaurants opened in Innsbruck during this season (Ludwig's Burger, L'Osteria, Ebi's, just to mention the best ones), but after our experience at this extraordinary place, we are sure that this is by far the best place to be and to-be-seen in Tyrol. 

Upon entering the glamorous restaurant you are welcomed by an elegant smell - reminding us of a luxe London Restaurant in Knightsbridge - and a kind staff member who takes care of your jackets and accompany you to the main restaurant. We decided to take two non-alcoholic cocktails. One was a Mango Colada - excellently tasty with a taste of coconut - and the other was called Lipp Gloss, very refreshing with ginger and berries. 

As starter we had excellent Sushi with salmon on top, lobster, spinach, avocado and wasabi in the inside. It might not sound tasty at first but it was gorgeous! Simply the best sushi I have tasted outside Japan. It was also very fresh, not like we were used to at Sushi Shop in France, where we had good Sushi, too. 

Our next course was probably one of the most expensive dishes in Innsbruck at this time: US Rib Eye with mashed potatoes, vegetables and a excellent red butter jus. The presentation of the dish was completely different from how we imagined, but therefore the taste exceeded by far our expectations - we were impressed! On the other side, I would say it was exactly what should be expected for 28 Euros per dish.

One of our favorite things at this marvelous place is of course the design, the color scheme as well as the atmosphere and the smell. All guests of this restaurant made the impression to be really wealthy and belong to the upperclass of Innsbruck. The whole restaurant goes a heartwarming feeling and you think like dining in a In-Restaurant in Central London or New York City. We believe that this restaurant fits perfectly into the Alpine landscape of Tyrol and we are sure that this place can make it to the Top place of the Best restaurants in Innsbruck.

All in all, 90 euros for two courses with water and cocktails is a lot of money. If you take a bottle of wine and a dessert you will be spending 150 euros for the two of you! Well, not something for the everyday life, but really a place to be when you are seeking for something sophisticated and very elegant in Innsbruck.

Our test dinner at Lucy Wang was not sponsored by anyone. We paid for the food and beverages by ourselfs. Our above written review is our personal opinion and hasn't been influenced.

Restaurant Check - Innsbruck - Part VI

Dining at the "Sitzwohl"

Presented as Innsbrucks finest restaurant with the 15 points by Austrian based restaurant guide "Gault Millau", the Sitzwohl is the first address to have an elegant dinner or to celebrate a special occasion.

In fact it was my birthday and my friends and me had decided to choose this restaurant for this occasion. First we had a very special apertif, a Prosecco with a Sorbet of basil and Ginger Ale - tasty and refreshing, and of course very green! One of the girlies chose the foamy soup of rocket salad with an italian tramezzini on site. Our main courses were pork with mashed sweet potatoes (unfortunately not my taste) and an inovative "Sitzwohl" burger with duck breast instead of simple beef and french fries as well as Ananas-Ketchup.

Last but not least we had Panna Cotta with a rasberry macaron on top of it. It was nice, too but not more than that. We paid 24 euros for the pork and 23 for the "Sitzwohl" burger, which is on the expensive site for Tyrolean standards. The wines were adequate at rates from 25 up to 75 euros per bottle.

In total it was a funny evening, in an elegant and sophisticated atmosphere. The service was very kind and attentive, the food tasty but not better than our dinner at Lichtblick Restaurant on top of the Town Hall.

Restaurant Check - Innsbruck - Part V

The Privilege - Innsburck's first dinner club.

First of all I have to say, that this is a kind of new concept to the Tyrolean food branch - the dinner club. What to expect from the Privilege Club?

The Restaurant and Club Privilege is perfectly situated meters from the Golden Roof, directly in the pedestrian area of the old town of Innsbruck. When you enter the restaurant, you will be in the Lounge. Upon walking up the stairs you reach the main part of the restaurant with a show kitchen.

The 4,50 € aperitif was not my taste although it is complimentary for all female guests, when they have ladies night! The food was quite good and nicely decorated. I ordered a Vitello Tonnato (12 euros) followed by a Truffle Risotto (about 17 euros). The accompanying wine was good as well and with 25 euros not too expensive. I would have loved to order one of their delicious desserts, but due to the large portions I was completely satisfied. 

After our dinner we found ourselves downstairs in the Club area. There we got some tasty drinks and good beer. I would say the atmosphere is a kind of cold, and we have been some of the only guests, there were only four other tables occupied.

All in all we did not pay high prices and in my opinion the Privilege has a good value for money. 

The best Sites to become an Insider

If you ever wondered how it is possible to become a high tier status at a hotel or airline milage program without even staying there, then you should definitely check out these blogs and websites.

In case you are planning to reach Platinum status at an InterContinental Hotel or any other IHG property, then you should be following: www.travel.bart.la

My personal goal is to reach Diamond status at Hyatt Gold Passport, not as easy as at IHG but with the right strategy, there is nothing against becoming the highest tier of Hyatt Gold Passport loyalty program. www.loyaltylobby.com

Furthermore there is also the possibility to match your status. Which means if you are Platinum member at IHG or at LeClub Accor, then can reach the same tier at another loyalty program. I did this with my Starwood Platinum Membership Level, and I soon became IHG Platinum member without ever staying at an InterContinental or other IHG property. Furthermore there are Promotion Codes to get a free Platinum status at LeClubAccor. www.statusmatcher.com

Another good option to get an overview of more informative blogs, just check out www.boardingarea.com

If you are looking for the best deals, promotion codes and error fares, this might be the right page for you: www.travel-dealz.eu

Happy New Year!

Goodbye 2013 - Welcome 2014! 

2013 was a year full of new experiences and a lot of fun. Besides discovering new places I met new people and learned a lot of new things.

What about your travel plans for this year?Will you be going this summer? Asia, Australia, Africa, America or to Europe? Côte d’Azur, Costa Brava, Amalfi Coast or Santorin? 

Normally I am the person who does an extensive research, before choosing the right holiday destination, but sometimes even I have to act fast. So I did, when booking my ski holiday for 2014 in the newly Chedi Andermatt. 


At this time I do not have any concrete plans for the summer 2014. I am thinking about spending some days on the Côte d’Azur, Amalfi Coast, Capri or on the island of Vulcano (as I reported in recent posts). I know that there a beautiful places in Spain, Turkey or Greece, but I do not want to miss the undoubtedly excellent service, you can expect of a world-class hotel in Italy or France. Further interesting places such as Marrakech or Beirut, are not as safe as they have been a few years ago, due to terror attacks and political problems. 

The weather could not be better in Austria, so there should be no day without being on the slopes of a vast ski resort. My favourite place to ski is the ski resort of "Obergurgl-Hochgurgl" which got more crowded over the last three years, but due to the enormous scale of the resort there is no need to worry about tons of people.

I would like to thank you for reading my posts and your interest in my Luxury Travel Blog.

Last but not least I wish you all a happy and successful New Year 2014, may all your wishes come true!

Restaurant Check - Innsbruck - Part IV

The restaurant „Das Schindler“ is situated next to the main entrance of the shopping center “Kaufhaus Tyrol”. The atmosphere is casual and the service is average. They have a lunch menu at a set price of about 13 euros for two courses. There are also 3- and 4-course menus. The menu is changing every week and I go there very often with friends to have breakfast as well as for lunch. 

Last Friday I went there with a colleague and I ordered thinly sliced Carpaccio followed by risotto with mushrooms. In addition, my colleague had mixed salad and thai chicken with risotto. 

The quality was good and the portions not large but enough as a lunch menu. The best about the set lunch menus is that they are served fast and the price is reasonable.

Restaurant “Das Schindler”

Maria-Theresien-Straße
6020 Innsbruck

Austria

Restaurant Check - Innsbruck - Part III

Today me and my colleague tested one of Innsbrucks finest restaurants high above the city, more exately on the top floor of the town hall, which also accommodates a high-class shopping center. 

In general, the atmosphere is a kind of sophisticated and the interior stylish with great views of the Tyrolean capital. For such a high-price restaurant, the servers are not dressed adequate - they wear sport sneakers and a black shirt.

The first course was a soup of chestnut with a lot of foam and orange zests on top. All in all the soup was quite good at a reasonable price of 4,50 euro. The bread served with the soup was a bit dry and there was no butter on-site.

For main course we choose chicken breast with mushroom risotto and green salad with beef filet. The chicken was very good, spicy with a nice sauce and a risotto which was cooked perfectly. The salad and the beef filets were very good, too.

For 38 euro for two, this is an expensive venue for lunch in Innsbruck, but in my opinion it was worth the money for such atmosphere and quality of food. It really has to be a special occassion if you want to go there for dinner, because the prices can be twice compared to the set lunch menu.

Restaurant Lichtblick
Maria-Theresien-Straße 18, 6020 Innsbruck
T: 0043 (0) 512 566550
http://www.restaurant-lichtblick.at/

Insider's Getaway - your perfect Spa Resort

The nights are going to be longer and the days shorter and colder. Therefore, we reccommend some days where you are just looking after your inner mind and soul. The best place to come down from the hard everyday life is heading to a spa resort, where they completely let you feel relaxed.

Our favourite places to go for some relaxing days, not to miss the excellent food and of course perfect service with a touch of elegant design, are following resorts:

1. Grand Tirolia Golf- & Spa Resort, Kitzbühel, Tyrol, Austria
2. A-Rosa Grand Spa Resort, Kitzbühel, Tyrol, Austria
3. Interalpen Hotel, Telfs, Tyrol, Austria
4. Schloss Fuschl Resort & Spa, Salzburg, Austria

If you really prefer some holistic and wellbeing holidays we highly recommend these places:

1. Schloss Elmau Luxury Hideaway, Elmau, Germany - High-Class Wellness
2. Spa Resort Lanserhof, Lans, Tyrol, Austria - Holistic Spa Center
3. Alpenresort Schwarz, Mieming, Tyrol, Austria - All Inclusive and Family friendly

With pleasure, we are at your entire disposal for any requests or further recommendations.

Please feel free to contact us whenever you want!

Restaurant-Check Innsbruck - Part 2

Yesterday evening I tried a completely new dining experience in Innsbruck, the new Adlers Hotel and Restaurant situated in the top floors of the new PEMA headline tower next to the main station! 

We took the elevator to the top floor and I was standing in the middle of the new and very cool bar! The wife of the owner greeted us personally and guided us together with the server to our table! She also made sure that we got the best available table - and it was an amazing table directly on the window with Innsbrucks best views!

The server was nice and efficient and brought us the menu immediately! He also asked us if we need help how to use the ipad menu, but we wanted to try it by ourselfs. It is really amazing if you can choose the meals on the ipad espacially for a town like Innsbruck!

The only problem with this system is that you cannot choose the dishes and sent them to the server immediately. You first have to choose the dish and swipe it to the Favourites and he collects them!

I ordered a Capuccino of pumkin, which was not yet perfect but above good! 

Afterwards I took the roasted duck breast with a duett of puree. The duck breast and the Bergamot sauce were very good, the carrott puree good and the green puree was not my taste!

As the portions are not on the small side we had no more space for an kind of excellent-sounding desserts. Next time I will let space for one of them!

At half past ten, we asked for the bill and paid about 34.00 Euros for these two courses, a small sparkling water and tip!

Conclusion: It is a luxurious place to dine, not cheap but the views come up to it!

Hotel-Check: Aqua Dome Spa Resort Part 3

The night was very peaceful and we had a great sleep! Before breakfast I went to the public spa pool and it was amazing. At 8.30 am, I was the only one swimming in the large pool, which is open for public every day from 9 am till 10 pm. 

I then took a shower with the shower gel from the dispenser and went to the breakfast room or "hall"! The buffet war larger than my expectations were, so I was impressed. The service at breakfast was very nice although the cook was not able to prepare me some scrambled eggs, instead she advised me to take some cold scrambled eggs of the buffet. If I want freshly cooked scrambled eggs with ham I only want to get them and not to discuss with a not native speaking employee! Nevertheless  the buffet with the orange machine was excellent by 4-star standards!

The check-out was at 11 am, but we wanted to leave at 10 am so we did not have to wait in the typical queue. As a present, we got a nice cake, which is home-made. 

All in all this hotel/resort is not that perfect retreat for us! We think there is a large group of guests which love to stay at such spa resorts and to move around without any textiles as well as to lie to each other without any privacy! 

If you look for a luxurious wellness hotel in Western Austria, then check-in at the Grand Tirolia or the Kempinski Das Tirol in the area of Kitzbühel, where everyone seeks for privacy!

In my opinion, 380,00 Euros per night for the old Classic Room is more than impolite for the offered facilities!

Hotel-Check: Aqua Dome Spa Resort Part 2

Sorry for being offline the whole day, but it was more stressful than it should have been. 

 1 hour after my last blog, I wanted to pick up the keys for the reserved Alpine Room. Of course they tried to give me the standard room in the old wing! So I went the whole way to the room and then back to the reception to claim about the room. They did not apology and immediately called the housekeeping to prepare a new room. After 15 minutes waiting on the reception without offering a drink or a seat, they gave me the keys without any comment. 

The new room is nice, the smell is fresh, the balconies and bathrooms are modern and new, too! Although the bed sheets are dirty and used! YES - All-over Shampoo comes out of a dispenser - very exclusive :-(( ! They are not even branded ones!

Back to the Spa, some tyrolean citizens tried to get our loungers as they were not able to got some by theirselfs! We shouted at them and they left us alone - horrible if you're paying 380.00 Euros for that one night in the low season!

We went to a local restaurant as we are disappointed of the overall service at this property! This was probably the best decision we did the whole day - the Pizza was absolutely great!

To be honest, everything I wanted is to sleep, but this was impossible as the materess felt extremely cheap and unconfortable, a bit like in a youth hostel or in a boarding house!

After replacing the mattress protector, the beds felt more comfortable and sleeping was no longer a problem. :-)

We will see what tommorrow brings, we will for sure no longer stay the afternoon at this chaotic place! Sorry but this is a true hotel-fail for this price!

Hotel-Check: Aqua Dome Spa Resort Part 1

I am just sitting in the newly reopened "Spa 3000" in the Austrian town of Längenfeld, which looks more beautiful on the website than it is in real. The check in was okay but nothing more! The room was not ready at 11.00 and so we went to the Spa 3000. All in all there is no real pool, just one indoor Jacuzzi and 4 small whirlpools for up to 2 persons each! As the hotel is fully booked, the spa gets more crowded and the best loungers are occupied. We were lucky and got some at the window facing the town. Unfortunately, our loungers are more than uncomfortable. 

Personal opinion: The service is kind and does fit perfectly to their guests. 

                                                         
To be honest, this is not the type of guests which is found in the top-notch properties, so I feel a bit uncomfortable in here. Nearly all of them love to be naked and to lie next to each other. Privacy does not exist! 

First impression is not very impressive!

Time to escape the winter blues!

The weather in Austria could not be worse. Heavy rain, cold wind and temperatures of at least +8.00 celsius!

As I do not want to stay at home and enjoy the bedside, I decided to stay the bank holiday tommorrow at the Hotel of the Aqua Dome thermal bath in the Austrian valley of Ötztal. 

I also checked everything in advance, but they were not yet very flexible with early check-in and upgrade as I got a deal for up to 70% off the nightly room rate! 

To be said in advance, I do not expect a perfect service and a exceptional hotel. Nevertheless I am very looking fowrard to some relaxing days within one hour driving distance!

Have a great day!

Restaurant-Check Innsbruck - Part 1

It is not very hard to find a restaurant with a varied lunch menu, but restaurants with a good value are very difficult to find. Here are some of my favourite spots in the capital of the Austrian Alps:

1.) Die Pizzerei

My absolute favouirite place to have lunch or dinner! New restaurant with small lunch menu and huge choice of all kinds of Pizza for lunch and dinner. Although the restaurant isn't on the small side, getting a table on-site is nearly impossible. Make sure to reserve a table in advance when you are going to Innsbruck! Open for lunch from 11.30-14.00 and for dinner from 17.30-1.00. Closed on Sundays. http://www.diepizzerei.at

2.) Café Sacher

My favourite spot for All-day dining! A top notch Cafe with exclusive dishes and a Michelin Starred Restaurant open for dinner only. This is one of four Café Sacher in Austria while the main property with the Hotel Sacher is located in Vienna. If you do want to dine in tradition, then treat yourself with a piece of an original "Sachertorte" for 4,70 € (!!). My favourite dessert: the "Sacher Würfel" for 2 € only. This is the perfect spot to have a late lunch, in case you missed lunchtime in Innsbruck! Open daily from 8.30 am till midnight. Café Sacher Innsbruck

3.) Das Schindler Restaurant

Dazzling restaurant with a weekly changing lunch menu. Prices are average for lunch, while they increase bout 30 percent for dinner. The location is perfect for all shoppers, as it can be found next to the main entrance of the "Kaufhaus Tyrol". This is also my favourite spot for a lavish à la carte breakfast whenever I am in Innsbruck at the morning! Open for breakfast: 8.00-11.30 am, lunch 11.30-14.00 and dinner from 18.00-22.00. Closed on Sunday and bank holidays.

 Das Schindler