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 Grand Hotel Stockholm

After an unbelievable trip to the capital of Catalonia where we stayed at the Arts hotel in Barcelona, we have had the honour to go to the City of Islands, Stockholm. The flight has been short and comfortable and the pick up from the airport to the famous Grand Hotel Stockholm was incredible. Upon arrival the bellmen brought us to the back entrance because the main entrance was due to open on the same evening (there was a renovation ongoing). The employee at the front office was a bit unfriendly and did not give us the feeling to be welcome. Although he insisted on the fact that our room was a newly refurbished Deluxe Room, he sent us to the hotel room. In fact it was one of the older double bedrooms with a stunning view over the harbour of Stockholm.

 When we arrived at the Deluxe Harbour View Room we were amazed about the style and the lovely details of the 45 square meters big room. The main area, which includes the bed and a small seating area, was in a beautiful colonial style. The bathroom was extensive and modern designed. A big rainfall shower and a bathtub are there to hang out and relax from a stressful day of sightseeing. The Molton Brown toiletries are a nice touch. 

 At the first evening, we did a short walk through the Östermalms quarter and went to the market in this part of the city. At the beautiful little shops, you could buy everything you could imagine from Fruits to meat over cheese and jams to fresh fish and shellfish. We went to a small fish restaurant in the back of the market and ordered a shellfish platter for two. We got a big cold platter with Lobster, King Crab, two crawfishes and two sorts of shrimps served with a delicious glass of Chablis white wine.

 After this delicious dinner, we went back to the Hotel to relax at the world famous Spa area. When we arrived at the front desk, the friendly lady asked us if we want to book a massage. We did not had that much time so we decided just to go to the pool. After swimming in the well-designed pool we went to the steam bath witch was a little too hot for us so we decided to go to the whirlpool, which was so amazing and relaxing. You have to try it!!!

 The breakfast at the “Veranda” was delicious with a big choice. A young woman brought us a good cappuccino while we were eating fresh scrambled eggs. The buffet offered us a huge selection to choose from various meals, such as salmon, bacon, different sorts of cheese and jam. The location is one of the best in Stockholm. You can enjoy a beautiful view over the harbour and the royal palace.

We have been invited for one night by Mrs. Madeleine Brack, the General Manager of the Grand Hotel Stockholm to experience the full "Grand Experience".

With my best regards,

Beverage Executive

72 Hours at the Hotel Il Pellicano

First of all I have to admit: the Il Pellicano is on every luxury taveler's top list. So of course I had certain (high) expectations and of course I was preparing myself for the stay by reading some reviews of recent guests on tripadvisor. Due to the fact that a very bad review of 2014 showed up, I immediately contacted the hotel not to get a room in a cottage. 

As mentioned on the previous post, we were staying in the luxurious, yet more romantic, Il Salviatino above the majestic city Florence - by the way my favourite place in Italy! After a two hours drive through the Chianti and Maremma regions we finally ended up driving a winding country road from the unspectacular Porto Ercole to the amazingly located Il Pellicano. The iron gates opened and we entered a very different world. A very nice lady greeted us, checked us in and offered a glass of ice tea. After a few minutes, one golf cart finally arrived and brought us to our cottage (Right, I did NOT get a room in the main building!!!). 

The room was really really small for a beach resort and also very dark. The only highlight of our room itself was the very huge garden and the half meters of sea view. Inside the bathroom, the smallest and narrowest I have experienced all summer long (where I mainly stayed at Leading Hotels) there was a shower without any glass door nor a curtain. It might look nice but after using it, the whole floor was under water and the toilet was full of water, too! The bathroom toiletries were quite nice, but remember more like medicine than a fresh summer breeze. Also the wardrobe made a very used impression and did not invite us to put our things inside. I would have wished to find a welcome present like a wine or something like that. 

We really appreciated the fact that all soft drinks and snacks from the minibar were free of charge, they refilled it every day and the products were of high quality and very generously filled. They have excellent lemonades, chips, nuts and chocolate. I also feel that the housekeeping does a good job and they are very correct, towels and amenities have been replaced twice a day. We had also a loggia next to the garden with two chairs and a table as well as two sun beds in the garden. We were really spoilt by the excellent beds of Il Salviatino, so we did not like the pillows and the sheets of Il Pellicano. In my opinion they should offer a pillow menu or duvet sheets!

On the first morning we all got surprised when we wanted to have breakfast. The whole terrace was full and we had to wait 15 minutes. It was no problem at all because they served capuccino and we could have had the possibility to eat inside. Personally, the buffet was of high quality (except the Mozzarella), the omlettes excellent and the service very kind and attentive. 

After breakfast we were ready to discover the resort and its facilities. One highlight was the beach with complimentary refreshments twice a day and excellent cocktails. The sun beds are quite comfortable and the staff was also very helpful. When we experienced that the entrance to the beach costs 95 Euros per Person for non-hotel guests we were quite shoked. If you think that the most famous beach in Europe, the Monte Carlo Beach, charges 100 Euros per Person/Day, then you might know that this hotel is likely to overcharge you.

When the sun was gone, we visited the pool. They have a generously sized salt water pool with breath-taking views of the Mediterranean Sea. They have towel service and lifeguards as well. In addition to these facilities we tried the hairdresser in the Spa. He was very efficient, but again 50 Euros for just 30 minutes is simply overpriced. The gym is on the small side but therefore equiptment is by TechnoGym.

We also had dinner in the PelliGrill Restaurant one day. The experience was very good and the food delicious as it should be for this kind of restaurant. We had a very special wine from Giglio in addition to excellent Octopus Salad and Lemon Risotto. The service could have been a bit more attentive but otherwise this experience was worth its price. When we did not dine in the hotel we got excellent restaurant recommendations by Alessia (She was wonderful and so kind, like the lady who spoke German - sorry for forgetting the name)!

In fact it is a elegant seaside hotel with an elderly aged clientele and high prices but high class service, well maintained rooms and suites as well as a excellent location for everyone seeking for nature and remoteness. Don't expect Porto Ercole to be like Portofino - it is a silent place.

I can rate this hotel with only 7,5 points out of 10 because I find it very rude, not to accept guest requests and furthermore it is inexcusable to offer such a room for a standard rate of 790 Euros per night in high season.

We would like to thank Kiwi Collection (kiwicollection.com) for providing us with such a special price. The Hotel Il Pellicano has not sponsored this review in any way. Our above written review is our personal opinion and hasn't been influenced.

24 Hours at the Majestic Barriere Hotel

I arrived to this hotel without any expectations as I had a rateof 75€ per night for a Two Bedroom Deluxe Suite, which would normally cost approximately 3.000€ per night. Of course breakfast was included. As always you have some second thoughts if they do not accept this rate, so it is always better to ask experts. So did I and insisted to get the Suite at the booked rate. 

At arrival we were warmly welcomed and accompanied to the Lobby. After check-in, which was very fast and kind, I was greeted by the Asisstant Manager and told that the room was ready at 2.00 pm. So we went to the Rue Antibes, the more affordable option to the La Croisette.

When I returned to the hotel at 4.00 pm I was asked for a confirmation and a very kind front desk employee showed me to the luxurious Suite. Unfortunately it was an old Suite and not like expected in the new part of the hotel, but who is discerning at this unbelievable rate? After a few minutes we got a tray of welcome amenities including Macarons, Chocolate, bottled water, apple juice and a fruit plate. The view was so impreesive that we bought some food in a local goods shop and had dinner on one of the most impressive terraces we have ever stayed at, of course with Lounge Music from the Fouquet's Restaurant and beside the breath-taking views over La Croisette and the Palais de la Festival. This might sound like a Fairytale ... in fact it was supposed to be the highlight of the trip (which was topped by the lovely and superb Byblos Saint Tropez)!

The music got more silent around 11.00 pm and when we went to bed at midnight there was nearly mo noise from the terrace on the pool.

The suite itself was about 90 square metres with two bedrooms, both with spacious bathrooms ensuite and of course sea view terraces, too. The bathroom was really old-fashioned with only two large towels, hotel-own toiletries and a very small toilet room where you had to keep the door open while seating on the toilet. The worst of all was, that turndown-service has been forgotten and when they came, after I called them, they just brought chocolates and put the bed in correct order - no water, nor did they replace the towels or toiletries.

Breakfast was very disappointing for this kind of category, the normal price, reputation and location. The breakfast is served until 10.30 am but the buffet was not replaced although there were still many guest in the restaurant at 10.45. This would have been a nice touch. 

When we checked out we received a totally correct bill and a very competent female staff (sorry I did not see the name tag) was doing the check out. The bellmen did a great job and were very kind, too.

In fact it was a really great experience but when I have to pay the normal price, I would insist to get a new room or stay at another Luxury Hotel on the Croisette.

Anyhow I would like to thank the Management of the Majestic Barriere Hotel for the nice amenities, the warm welcome and hosting me at this special price. Our above written review is our personal opinion and hasn't been influenced.

24 hours at the Hotel Hermitage in Monte-Carlo

Alright, to be honest, the start of my stay was not the best and I would describe it as chaotic amyhow! When we arrived we were greeted by the whole bellmen team and directly accompanied to the front desk by a young trainee who was shouting with one bellman in front of us! Then she checked-us-in and immediately informed us that the room is too small for 3 guests! She told something from Junior Suite and then anything from Superior Room again and 130 Euros. After this chaos - we did not know what happened - she continued with filling out the passport information, gave us invalid Cercle cards and informed us that the room will be ready at 3.00 pm (it was 1:00 pm). In fact we wanted to go to the beach but this wish was gone immediately! Then she told us to leave a number, she will call us. Of course nobody did!

At 2:00 pm I went back to the hotel and I was told by Mrs. Olga, one of the very efficient staff members, the room will be ready within 15 minutes. It was indeed and we finally could refresh ourselfs and went to the beach!

The resorts own shuttle brought us to the famous Monte Carlo Beach within 15 minutes and we just enjoyed the nice weather and the amazing view of Monte Carlo until 6 pm when every guest was kicked out in a friendly way - they just closed the access to the sea!

Back to the hotel, our room, which was upgraded, was really luxurious and smelled very good! The bathroom was very generous with seperate shower and tub, Bulgari toiletries and double basins as well as seperate bidet and toilet! The beds are really good and we got some Laduree macarons and bottled water as a welcome gift!

Breakfast is served in the Mezzanine floor overlooking the courtyards and Gustav Eiffel's winter garden. The service at breakfat was excellent and the buffet large, the products excellent and very fresh! They have a live cooking and the employees serve your breakast choice directly to the table!

At check-out they gave me a bill with the accommodation including breakfast and anther 90 euros for two additional breakfasts. Upon asking why they charged me for breakfast the front desk employee told me that I invited some guests and she has to charge me know. I got really angry at this point and asked for the Front Desk Manager. When she arrived they seemed to be very rude and finally cancelled my breakfast bill. What a shame for this hotel and a Leading Hotels of the World member???

I will give the so "famous" SBM Monte Carlo Company (they own the world famous Casino, Hotel de Paris, Cafe de Paris, Monte Carlo Beach as well as the Hermitage) a second chance by a future stay at their Hotel de Paris, but the Hermitage is definitely not my kind of hotel since they seem to only employ cheap (trainees) at the most important part of a hotel: The front desk.

Next time I will also try to test the Hotel Metropole, to see if this is a common happening in the small country or if it was a unique issue. 

The "Société des Bains de Mer" provided us a very special rate at the Hotel Hermitage, but we did not feel welcomed throughout our stay. Our above written review is our personal opinion and hasn't been influenced.