24 Hours at the Wiesergut, Hinterglemm

Normally I am the one who always (and I mean always!) plans trips weeks ahead and makes sure everything is in correct order a few days before arrival. This time it was a complete opposite action: While driving from Munich back to Innsbruck my colleague Lukas and me came to the idea to test another luxe hotel in very last minute so to say. After calling one of our cooperation partners - the Public Relations Agency called "Stromberger PR", with which we are planning some test stays, they did everything to arrange a spontaneous test stay within 2 hours. After amazingly fast 60 minutes we got a positive feedback and immediately started driving to Hinterglemm, a place where I haven't been before - and I have been to nearly everywhere in Austria. So after 1 hour and 20 minutes from the motorway exit Kufstein, we arrived in the dreamy yet lifeless looking valley of Saalbach-Hinterglemm. Never would either me or my colleague have thought that there is a five-star luxury resort with the look of a Aman Resort. 

After entering the door of the Wiesergut, we were welcomed from a nice and very kind lady offering us the typical Wiesergut welcome bread with a glass of a "Wiesergut Spritzer" - a sparkling wine with fresh grape juice. We had a sit in the lounge area and the receptionist was doing all the paperworks for us. A few minutes later we were already accompanied to our room and received a small and welcoming tour through the property. Honestly, we felt welcome from the first minute we arrived until we left the wonderful Wiesergut. In fact the check-in was like coming to a friend's countryside residence. The most amazing part of check-in was that the very kind lady already answered my questions before I even asked them - really! First I wanted to request a late check out and secondly I wanted to know the opening hours of the spa. During our tour she told me that due to our late check-in, we were able to keep the room as long as we wanted to on the next day - isn't that the best kind of luxury? 

Upon opening the floor-to-ceiling door of our Gutshof Suite we immediately recognized the fresh smell of the room - which is due to the fact that the resort is operating since two years only. Our suite was very spacious with an open living- and bedroom as well as a walk-in wardrobe and an open bathroom with walk-in shower, double sinks and window overlooking the balcony and the green mountains. The bathroom products were by Susanne Kaufmann - an Austrian version of Aveda - a mix of local herbs put together to high quality products. As a welcome of the house we received a nice handwritten letter together with a bottle of water and fresh fruits. A very comfortable sofa and a modern and good looking Samsung TV are some of the ultra luxe amenities our suite had to offer, but by far the best of our room was the ultra heavenly bed with the linen sheets and the fluffy blanket. During the night we slept with open window and could hear simply nothing - make sure to do the same, as the air is amazingly fresh and clean (you are in one of the most remote valleys in the real heart of the Alps!).

Soon after we settled in the suite and took lots of pictures for the blog, we started exploring the spa. The spa is connected with the main building via an underground tunnel which is lovely when it is cold outside and you can comfortably walk there in your bathrobes - like we did. When we arrived at the spa we had to experience: There are no opening hours (!!), meaning the pool is accessible for hotel guests 24 hours - as long as you can live with the fact that the lights are not turned on! WOW, there is nothing I love more than unlimited opening hours for hotel pools! Last time we had a great time at the Stock Resort where we took a midnight swim. So there we were standing, flashed by the amazing and wonderfully designed spa of the Wiesergut, offering a long stainless steel infinity pool (where we always have been the only guests - cool!) on the ground floor, as well as a sleek relaxation area, panorama sauna, steam bath, another relaxation room and power showers with Aesop amenities (unique in Austria - love them by the way!) on the first floor. The second floor of the spa is occupied by a private spa suite, which we couldn't see during our stay, but this should be a reason to come again ;-).

Having arrived at 6pm, the time to spend at the spa was pretty short, but we managed to swim at least 30 minutes. Totally hungry we changed clothes in our suite and went down to the restaurant. In fact an airy restaurant area with lots of seating space and spaces between the tables. The owner Mr. Kröll describes this space offer as a kind of luxury and we fully agree! Space was not the only thing that caught our both breaths: the food was AMAZING. I never, in any kind expected to get such an amazing food there. The level of the served dishes was very high, reminding me to my experience at the Döllerer's Genießerrestaurant which occupies the fourth place in whole Austria. Well, the ingredients were not as extraordinary as at this mentioned michelin restaurant, but the veal fillet was really as good and soft as at the Döllerer. While I thought, that the starters and main course remain the highlight, I was completely wrong: The dessert was the best I had for months! A light chocolate soufflé and a chocolate mousse from the finest. (I am not that kind of chocolate mousse lover but this one was out-of-this-world!).

Followed by this amazing dinner we had some Gin Tonics - nearly all they have - which have been created by one of the restaurant staff members (who were very nice and welcoming as well). There we also had the chance to chat with the owner and visionary Mr. Kröll. In fact it was a lovely evening in one of Austria's best hotels.

Sleeping in hotel beds is always an adventure, but sleeping in beds like at the Wiesergut is something different... these sheets... I will love them forever! What else could make us happy? Well, a breakfast would be perfect! Buffet? No, a la carte of course. Questioning ourselves why this hotel is not named Aman, the first course is already served. In Austria we say: "Pictures tell more than thousand words!" - the quality was again excellent, the service perfect and the egg in a glass with salmon caviar and sour cream was definitely the best egg meal I have ever tried. Other lovely dishes to choose from were served on a trolley - in style of "the best of a la carte".

At check-out we were given a glass of housemate cherry jam and although I do not like cherry jam, this jam tastes wonderful and I still can't await until we return to live the amazing "Wiesergut-Experience" again. I will miss this place.

Normally, it is pretty tough to convince us from a hotel in this location. Generally we always find something to make better, but this time I have to say that I couldn't find a thing. It was a perfect getaway in a perfect hideaway. My expectations have been exceeded and therefore we can highly recommend this place. Absolutely fair 10 points out of ten and another top Austrian luxury hotel can call itself: "Travel Executive's Hideaway Number 1" - well done ;-).

During our Press Trip, which was organized by the lovely and outrageous team of Stromberger PR Munich, we were guests of Mr. Kröll - the owner of the Wiesergut. All expenses were covered by the hotel. We would be very pleased to come again to the Wiesergut!

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 Stanglwirt, Kitzbühel

What the Hotel Byblos is for Saint Tropez, the Stanglwirt is for Kitzbühel. Situated on the bottom of the Wilder Kaiser mountain range, the Stanglwirt boasts an excellent view of one of the most amazing mountains in Austria. After a personal greeting with an excellent glass of rose sparkling wine, we immediately felt home. Inside the vast bar area, there are huge windows overlooking the horse riding hall - a truly unique facility of this hotel. After we finished our welcome drink, the nice front desk lady Helga accompanied us to our suites. As a surprise of the house we got one large Junior Suite and an even more amazing Sonnen Suite. 

Both, the Junior as well as the Sonnen Suite had a separate living and sleeping room with a wonderful marble bathroom, walk-in wardrobe, fire place and balcony overlooking the "Kaiser Gebirge". While the Junior Suite was equipped with a jacuzzi with glass windows into the bedroom, the view was going to the mountains and towards the spa. As one of the largest suites in the whole resort, the Sonnen Suite was truly breath-taking, offering 180 degrees views of Going, the Kitzbühler Horn, the Kaisergebirge and the resort. Furthermore the living room was very large, like the bathroom was. 

Firstly I would like to point out the Nespresso coffee machine with four capsules free of charge, which is truly amazing - although it is only available in the Imperial Suites. In addition to my perfect morning coffee, we received a very warm turndown gift - a platter of homemade pralines.  The toiletries were by Pure Herbs, a pretty common line in the Tyrollean hospitality. I could imagine that Bulgari or Blaise Mautin amenities would be way better in these luxurious bathrooms. The beds were extremely comfortable and unusually huge for Austrian standards (in size of length and broad). 

Unfortunately we had to experience that the dinner is not that amazing as the rest of the Stanglwirt. While the quality of the food at lunch was relatively good, the offered Gourmet Menu was kind of disappointing for the price and category of the resort. The scallops did just taste like coating and the real taste of the scallops didn't get through. From our point of view the lobster was not delicate. The side dishes were quite good and the service average. You, as a guest, could feel the cold atmosphere the staff members have to each other. The first two courses were not served, instead they were available to pick up at the buffet - which didn't really disturb us. 

After a heavenly night, we went for breakfast. My first believe was that I should have better ordered in-room breakfast in our amazing suite with this amazing view. For a few seconds, nobody was there to lead us to an available table - our table of last night was occupied due to a birthday celebration. So the restaurant manager himself - showed us to an available table between the service office, hallway and buffet. Not really bright and relaxing. Surprisingly the buffet area was full of other guests, and I felt like in a all-inclusive club in Turkey or Egypt (although I have never stayed at such, just imaging how it would be!). Nevertheless the buffet was huge and the quality of the products was excellent. They offered an open kitchen where someone can order eggs, pancakes and crepes. Our coffee was good as well and although the restaurant was way too overcrowded there was always a staff member around to clean our table, bring fresh coffee and pick up dirty plates.

Again (like at the Stock Resort), the highlight of our stay was the amazingly vast Wellness and Spa area, spreading over 12.000 square meters. Offering everything a discerning luxury traveller like us could wish: refreshing 25 meter sport pool, a vast 200sqm sole pool at 38 degrees celsius, a really cold mountain lake next to the sauna, as well as a indoor mountain pool with a connection to an outdoor swimming area. I can proudly say that this is the most spectacular wellness area in the Tyrol and definitely one of the coolest in Austria! Made out of real stone of the Kaisergebirge, the spa completely represents the local area.

My favorite place was the hot outdoor sole pool with waterproof pillows on top of the underwater loungers - I could have stayed forever. We didn't have time to book a treatment, but we made it to each and every sauna and steam bath - and there are plenty of them! From 30 degrees to 110 degrees celsius, the Spa of the Stanglwirt meets really every guest's taste.

We were guests of the Hauser Family and the Hotel Stanglwirt. All above written expresses our point of view 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

48 Hours at the Hotel Arts Barcelona

After a 15 minute ride from the airport of Barcelona, we finally drove inside the driveway of the famous Arts Hotel Barcelona. Being informed that this high end property is part of the Ritz Carlton Chain, the welcome was more than warm. Sara was the first smile we experienced at the Arts, she immediately transferred us to the main Lobby on the First floor, where we had been allocated to the PR Manager Melanie. She was the one which accompanied us to the Level 33 - the Club Level.

Upon arriving with the elevators, the whole team of the Lounge greeted us by last name and welcomed us with a glass of Laurent Perrier. After doing some paperwork we have been given a short introduction to the city with a map and Laura gave us some tipps and recommendations about what to do in Barcelona. 

Harry showed us the way to our spacious, yet breath-taking room with views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea (the Med as they used to call it at the Arts). Our vast Club Room was furnished in a very light, elegant style and had two very heavenly queen beds. Due to the situation on the corner, the whole room was filled with sunlight and offered spectacular views from nearly everywhere. 

The amazing bathroom is wonderfully designed and very spacious as well. The separated power-shower and the deep bath tub were a big plus, as the luxurious Asprey toiletries and the many guest products (like wood comb and cool toothbrush). There were plenty of towels (nearly three bath towels per person) and toiletries and the housekeeping did a great job when preparing the room. On the arrival day, they forgot to do the turn-down service. 

As the real highlight of the stay, the Ritz Carlton Club Lounge was really breath-taking and we can highly recommend to upgrade yourself to this luxurious level of finest service. Every staff member did give his utmost and went beyond the expected - we were flashed by the warm welcome and how friendly they treated us. After the first day we felt like old friends. There were five different kinds of meals at the Club Lounge: Continental Breakfast, Light Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Evening Hors d'oeuvres as well as Late nights snacks. 

Another advantage of The Club Lounge was the complimentary open-bar which included alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, such as whiskey, spirits, vodka, gin, lemonades as well as San Pellegrino and Evian waters. This was highly appreciated by us as we never needed any money for such extras in the city. In fact we would definitely say this is worth the high price tag for a Club Room. 

Unfortunately we haven't been at the wonderful Spa on the 43 Floor, but next time we will definitely go there as well. Due to the fact that it snowed in Central Europe and we were so glad to finally see some sun, we weren't shocked of the warm temperatures of Barcelona. So we went to the outdoor pool and finally jumped into the heated jacuzzi next to the pool, under the palms.

So we found ourselves under the palms in mid february with lots of sun in a heated jacuzzi, while it snowed in tons in Germany and Austria. What an amazing feeling. This and also the service is why we love the Arts and definitely will return soon in order to also test the pool and stay at one of their vast and breath-taking apartments ;-)!

We have been invited by the Hotel Arts Barcelona, a Ritz-Carlton managed property. Our review expresses our own opinion and has not been influenced.