48 Hours at the Alpenpalace in South Tyrol

As one of the latest additions to the five star luxury hotel segment in South Tyrol the "Alpenpalace" in the Ahrn Valley is the only potential candidat to be a member of the world renowned "The Leading Hotels of the World".

Having stayed at the "Hotel Castel" in Dorf Tirol and at the "Castel Fragsburg" in Merano, the two competitors of the Alpenpalace haven’t had so much potential to be a real Leading Hotel. While we missed the warm heartening customer care at the "Hotel Castel" and a huge spa at the "Castel Fragsburg", there was absolutely nothing we missed at the Alpen Palace.

After a picturesque drive through the beautiful south Tyrolean scenery, we found ourselves in a calm century old valley, full of ancient castles. Having thought we took the wrong road we were surprised to find a hotel of such caliber in this remote location.

Upon arrival we were warmly greeted by no one else than the owner himself – Mr. Mairhofer. We were served a nice aperitif while we waited for our room to be ready. In addition to the nice welcoming chat with the owner the very kind receptionist showed us to our room and gave us a brief introduction to the in-room facilities.

The Suite upgrade, the bottle of Moet et Chandon as well as the enormous fruit basket made our arrival even more pleasant than it already was. With a separate entree, a huge and light filled living room with sofa, writing desk, dining table and fire place, a very nice bedroom with heavenly bed sheets (Loved them!) and a bathroom with a single vanity, separate shower, toilet and bidet as well as a Jacuzzi tub with built-in television. Beside this TV in the bathroom,we also loved the Bulgari amenities, and the floor heating. At turn-down service they even prepared the sofa bed, due to the fact that we requested twin beds and they only have king bedded rooms. During the day, the housekeeping put the sofa bed away and we had a very comfortable seating area.

The most amazing part of our stay was the "Alpine Spa", the real heart of the Alpenpalace.

What we liked best was the heated outdoor swimming area including a vast outdoor pool as well as a hot Jacuzzi at comfortable 32°C. The 2000 m² indoor Spa area offers a wide variety of saunas and steam baths as well as a relaxing salt bath. Fortunately, the brilliant weather made our stay even more unforgettable. Think of swimming in a wonderfully warm pool under the stars in the night, while the snow falls in your face. Can it get more romantic? Yes, probably with a perfect treatment by the so kind and excellent therapists. The product range of La Prairie rewards this spa with a very luxurious touch. Although the hotel was fully booked during our stay, we always found an available lounge chair, and there were always plenty of towels. Throughout our stay, the Spa was in perfect condition.

Worth a special mention is the excellent service – every staff member has been kind, attentive and personal all day long, especially our waiters. They have been the same throughout the whole stay, Salvatore (the server at the evening) and Maggy (the breakfast waitress). Both knew all our preferences since the first day. Every time we sat down at the table a bottle of sparking water at dinner and Cappuccino at breakfast were already prepared for us without even asking. This is the kind of service you should receive in every leading hotel of the world, which this one is unfortunately not part of yet. Of course, this is not the case in all member hotels e.g. the Grand Hotel Stockholm.

The best way to start the day is of course with an extensive breakfast buffet. So we started our day with one of the best breakfasts in the region, offering a live cooking station and a vast selection of breads, croissants, ham, cheese, and fruits. The cook Martina has always been very kind to us and prepared excellent scrambled eggs, served directly to our table. A very nice idea is also the etagere with a smoked trout, prosciutto and slices of brie cheese. 

On the second day, we were ready to ski. After breakfast, the Alpenpalace brought us to the nearby Speikboden resort - only 5 minutes by VIP Shuttle Service (included in the room rate and departing upon request). Due to the fact that this ski resort is less popular than the "Kronplatz" in Bruneck, there were nearly no waiting times on the lifts. The slopes were nearly empty and we could enjoy the day at its fullest. The weather was brilliant, which also gave us the opportunity to overlook the whole Dolomites area. When we were finished with skiing, we simply called the hotel and they immediately sent a shuttle again to pick us up. 

All in all we would say that the "Alpenpalace" is a truly luxurious Ski and Spa resort in a serene area of South Tyrol, one of the most beautiful areas of Europe. The room rates are completely fair for what you get. At 300 Euros a night, the rates includes a breakfast served all day in-room, a light snack and cakes in the afternoon as well as a 8-course dinner.

A very special thanks to the owner of the Alpen Palace, Mr. Mairhofer and Mr. Colin Service for organizing our stay. The test stay was completely sponsored by the Alpen Palace Deluxe Spa Resort.

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 Augustine Hotel Prague

As the newest high-end five-star hotel addition to Prague, I really felt in best mood when arriving. The check-in was smooth and we got a welcome drink, what I found a nice touch. Afterwards we got a tour through the public areas, followed by an inspection of the room. We were lucky and got a parking space in their courtyard, otherwise when you prefer parking in a garage, they park your car in the garage of the nearby Aria Hotel.

The room itself was spacious, the bathroom on the other side not – with a bath-tub-combination (I normally hate this most in a hotel). As the toiletries were upscale ones and filled up every day, I was not that discerning. Just to let you know: they do have rooms in the standard category with larger bathrooms and even separate showers as well. The bed was very comfortable as the whole room. Unfortunately we did not have a view over the Castle Hill, but therefore we overlooked a church and a courtyard. One afternoon there was a wedding going on in this courtyard but happily for the hotel they finished in the early evening. Otherwise it could have ended like at the Grand Hotel Stockholm – see previous blog posts.

Breakfast Buffet was on the small side, although everything can be ordered from your table and will be prepared in the kitchen at your disposal. The scrambled eggs were really good and in my opinion everything else was of good quality, too. The service was perfect and very attentive, we felt very welcomed.

The bar is also a nice place to relax in the afternoon, as the Augustine Spa is: A small spa indeed with a sauna, hamam, steam bath and relaxation room with experience showers. The products were really good – Kerstin Florian, Ila and Ex Voto are predicted to be world-class.

All in all, I like this hotel because of the generous layout combined with the chic italian style, the location and the wonderful ambience of staying in an old monastery.

Staying at The Grand (Hotel) Stockholm - Part 1

After some stressful weeks it was time again for me to take a little break and hide away from everyday life. I decided to visit the deep North of Europe, a place where I have never been before. I booked Lufthansa return tickets from Innsbruck to Stcokholm via Frankfurt and from Oslo back to Innsbruck also via Frankfurt. I was very satisfied with all flights, except the SAS flight, where you have to purchase your drinks and snacks, otherwise all other flights served free drinks and snacks, as usual with Lufthansa. Unfortunately the Business Class seats were not different from the ones in Economy Class, you just get your neighboring seat in addition, which is nice but not necessary. 

After a two hours flight from Frankfurt, I arrived at Stockholm Airport, which is originally in Arlanda, 40 km outside of the city center. I took a taxi as this is the most convenient option, which brought me to the Grand Hotel within 30 minutes. The arrival was not very special and I was not even guarded to the room. The booked Single Room was also very nicely decorated and furnished in a modern way with new furnitures. The bathroom was held in white marble and everything was brand new inside my room. Unfortunately the room as very small for my kind of expectations and also the view was not really "Grand"!

On the above pictures you can see my suitcase in relation to the room size. Not really what I expected from such a renowned hotel and from a member of Leading Hotel of the World. After a while I started exploring the city and left the Grand Hotel behind me. On the same evening I had dinner at the Verandan Restaurant overlooking the Royal Palace, which is open to public for free on National Day (6 June). The food was very good for Sweden's standards and the views were just impressive. I really loved the dessert: "Chocolatnepumuk" or something like that.

Staying at the Beau-Rivage Palace

Last weekend I had the chance to stay at one of Europe's best hotels and I was so excited to this world-class property. Now, after a weekend full of stunnig impressions, I would like to share my experience:

From the moment I arrived to the last greeting at check-out, my stay at this picture-perfect and movie-scene like palace hotel, was absolutely outstanding. 

We got an upgrade to a fascinating and eye-catching Junior Suite with lake views in the recently renovated part of the hotel, and I was flashed by the design, the views, and of course the state-of-the-art technologies. The bathroom was enormous with luxe Bulgari Eau Thé Rouge amenities, separate shower, double vanities with en-mirror tv and partial lake view. The walk-in wardrobe was simply amazing, I felt like on-set of a new movie! 

After a heavenly night in the extraordinary beds with pillow spray by Cinq Mondes, I have already been awaited for breakfast at La Terrasse. The buffet was not enormous but everything was of high quality and the service was very kind. They brought us coffee, a bread basket and of course fresh fruit juices together with a glass of water. 

The Cinq Mondes Spa is a nice place to relax, although the layout of the pool area was not my taste and the pool was a way too cold for this time of the year. 

I can warmly recommend this hotel to everyone seeking for an unforgettable experience!

Thank you to the Beau-Rivage Palace for the amazing Upgrade and this opportunity to test the hotel!