48 Hours at the Sporthotel Stock

Nestled above the lively town of Mayerhofen, the Stock resort is perfectly situated on half way between the Hintertux glacier and the main valley. Upon driving up the windy road from Mayrhofen, we approached the town of Finkenberg where we soon ended up driving through the main entrance of the Stock resort. We were welcomed with a nice smile, refreshing hot towels and a glass of Daniel Stocks (the owner and managing director) "Mount Stock Sparkling" wine. After leaving the car keys at the font desk, they arranged everything that all our bags and stuff were brought to our suite.

Melanie, the nice front desk lady accompanied us to our Suite Tirol, a lovely suite with typical tyrolean furniture, fire place, vast balcony, walk-in wardrobe, separate toilet and bidet, as well as a spacious and bright bathroom. The comfort of the room was really good, although it is not my kind of style - I prefer the new Alpine Lodge Suites or the "Residenz Suites". While many wellness resorts in Austria offer a free minibar, the Stock resort wants to offer a more extensive selection including sparkling wine, soft drinks, water, snacks and red and white wines. Therefore there is a charge for each item in the minibar, but they have a bar of free unlimited soft drinks in the restaurant area!

The restaurant area is styled in different ways and you are seated according to availability. We were seated in a part where there were no kids - really much appreciated. Throughout our stay every staff member was extremely friendly and efficient, they were always happy to asisst and went beyond our expectations. In terms of culinary, the Stock resort offers a six course menu according to their website. We had to experience that the first two courses consist of the spread and butter as well as salad from the buffet - something we were not used to at previous stays (eg Alpen Palace, Castel Fragsburg). Maybe this is not the case during Gala Dinner where all courses are served. The quality of the food was very good, one evening we got a fillet of Black Agnus beef and the second day we had a fillet of trout and pork fillet.

As the highlight of the Stock resort, the amazingly vast Wellness and Spa area is one of the hugest we have experienced so far. Spreading over 5.000 square metres, this spa offers everything you could dream of. Our favourite places are the new 35 metre panorama outdoor pool (heated to 28 degree celsius), the hot outdoor jacuzzi next to the sauna area, the heated indoor sole pool in a rural looking cave, as well as the refreshing mountain lake situated in a cavy room, at a temperature of approximately 20 degrees celsius. In addition to the pools there are plenty of saunas, steam baths, relaxation rooms with water beds and an area with a small snack buffet and coffee.

During our stay, the resort offered a lot of activities with the retired ski star Hans Enn. Beside sport activities, there were also a lot of family, spa as well as culinary activities. We took part at the wine safari through Austrian wines in the wonderfully styled wine cellar. 

All in all the Stock resort is a truly amazing place for families, couples and friends seeking for a cool wellness and sport week. The service is great, the rooms very spacious and the spa truly world class. We can highly recommend this place. 

We were guests of the Stock Resort Finkenberg. This review has not been influenced and expresses our personal opinion.

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.

48 Hours at Castel Fragsburg

"High above the wonderful thermal town Merano, there is a dazzling star...", this would be the perfect way of how to begin this South Tyrolean fairytale. Before we headed to Merano Wine Festival we checked-in at the world class Castel Fragsburg, a place which is only known to real insider of South Tyrol or hotel connoisseurs. Recently awarded with the fifth star, this is now one of only a handful five star hotels in the most wonderful region of Central Europe (well, not THE most wonderful but it definitely made it under the TOP5 ;-) ).  

So upon driving a windy mountain road for nearly 10 minutes, we finally arrived at the gate to luxury: the entrance to the Castel Fragsburg - our autumn getaway and base for the most amazing weekend of the year! After entering the rustic door and the charming lobby we were greeted by Philip, the front desk attendant, who accompanied us to the restaurant. We were immediately offered a welcome drink, which we decided to take on the breath-taking terrace. Our server Karol was arriving with some fine finger food, a Venetiano and an excellent Rosé Sparkling wine from South Tyrol. What an excellent  start in this weekend full of Italian Wine! Beside a picture perfect view, probably the best weather of the month and excellent service, there was just one thing missing: Mr. Beverage Executive, who is normally in charge of taking the best pictures of the best drinks! So I tried myself and am not sure if it was successful or not.

When we returned to the front desk, we were greeted by the PR Manager of the Fragsburg and afterwards Philip showed us to the room, or more correct, our Suite. With 90° panoramic views, this Suite is overlooking Merano, the valley, the Fragsburg plateau and the mountain range of the hotel on the back. Upon entering we immediately fell the smell of fresh alpine air and wood. It seems that they use a very special wood throughout the property, which gives a heartwarming and traditional smell. Even more important in our today's society: we felt like we are in South Tyrol, nowhere else! This is something I hate about big chains such as Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons or Sheraton: they rarely present the local tradition inside the hotel.

Our suite had a large entree, a living room with two comfortable lounge chairs, a big balcony with two chairs next to the living room, a separated toilet with bidet, a huge marble bathroom with double basins, bath tub and a spacious walk-in shower. The wardrobe is situated in the bedroom, which boasts an amazing panorama window with sweeping views over the valley. Beside the sofa, the television, which comes out of the commode upon clicking the remote control, there is another small balcony with seating arrangements. 

The bathroom products were - unfortunately - Relais&Chateaux branded (they used to have Etro toiletries on the pictures on their homepage and I think since they have five-stars it's another reason to keep this standard). When I took a bath, I had to experience that it was the perfect size of bath tub and therefore very relaxing - a perfect option for everyone seeking for a kind of pool. The comfort of the suite was amazing. The beds are extremely heavenly, the living room is simply a place to dream and hide away, while the bath couldn't got larger to feel like at home!

Breakfast is served daily until 10.30 but when guests seat longer they keep the buffet until 10.45, which is kind of flexible as the service team has to prepare for lunch. On our first morning we got the upscale "Fragsburger Deluxe Breakfast", which is served in 5 or 6 courses and includes champagne and oysters - yes, it has its price at a surcharge of 18.00 euros per person in addition to the normal breakfast, which is normally included in the price. I would say that's the perfect start of a day when you celebrate something, because you don't have to leave the table - very relaxing. The products at breakfast were extremely good and they offer a wide range of their extensive breakfast and their breakfast menu. 

I ordered myself the scrambled eggs with mushrooms and herbs from the hotel garden -  a special creation by michelin chef Alois Haller: It was simply perfect! After experiencing the most extensive a la carte breakfast I have ever had on the first day, we had to be satisfied with just half the selection on the departure day (because we had to leave the Fragsburg at 8.00 am due to the tourism fair in Salzburg, Austria). The kind service attendant offered us an extensive selection at 7.30 am, but as you might guess, we were not in the mood for such a breakfast - not just because the great Open Day Party the night before (a review is coming soon for this amazing event) - it was simply too early for us.

Finally we had to say goodbye and Philip checked us out in a warm welcoming way, so that we are already planning for a glamorous return one day - maybe next year for the Merano Wine Festival 2015, but then with Mr. Beverage Executive!

It was the best weekend of 2014 so far and the funniest work experience for us, as Travel Bloggers, since it was the most welcoming hotel we have ever stayed at!

We would like to thank the Management of the Castel Fragsburg for the generous invitation to stay here for two nights during the Merano Wine Festival 2014. Furthermore we have to thank the whole team of specialists, which made us feel like staying at Northern Italy's Best Hotel! Congratulations!

Restaurant Check - Paznaunerstube, Ischgl

Yesterday, Friday evening, I went to Ischgl to test one of Tyrols best restaurants - the Paznaunerstube in the luxurious Trofana Royal Hotel. As this was not the first time for me to dine at this traditional-styled restaurant, I knew what to expect. 

Honestly, after this visit, Mr. Sieberer made sure again that he is the best cook in Austria's most charming region - Tyrol! Not only was the taste of the food excellent, also the way it was served, was more then impressive! One course was served in a wooden box where smoke came out while serving, and the Foie Gras (an amuse-bouche) was simply put on a stone!

Although it is nearly impossible to cristallize the highlight of the evening, I would say it was the trolley with approximately 30 different kinds of Pralines. Heaven for all sweeties!

It was an unforgettable evening and I can highly recommend this excellent restaurant to all travelers going to Ischgl or West-Tyrol!

http://www.trofana-royal.at/en/gourmethotel-ischgl/paznaunerstube.html

Wonderfully decorated table

First Amuse Bouche - fresh cream cheese 

Second Amuse Bouche - Foie Gras on the rocks

Third Amuse Bouche - Bacon dumpling with lobster

Fouth Amuse Bouche - Salad of mushrooms

Fifth Amuse Bouche - Foam of mushrooms and truffle

First course - lobster meets tuna

Second course - warm carpaccio of veal and 24 hours cooked spare-rib

Third course - Passionfruit Sorbet

Fourth course - fillet of veal with asparagus and mashed potatoes

Fifth course - chocolate vulcano and vanilla ice with strawberries two-ways

Last but not least - An excellent coffee with housemade pralines!