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 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 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

Breakfast with Angela - Restaurant Käfer Berlin

Restaurant Käfer im Bundestag

Frühstücken im gleichen Gebäude wo die deutsche Bundeskanzlerin arbeitet? Stimmt! Hört sich im ersten Moment komisch an. Zugegebener Weise, sie ist nicht immer im Bundestag aber an manchen Tagen kann man sie bei einem Kaffee im Dachgarten Restaurant Käfer treffen.

Aufgrund der hohen Sicherheitsstandards mussten wir bei der Reservierung die wir über Mail gemacht haben unsere Namen mit Geburtstort vorher angeben. Mit hohen Erwartungen und viel Vorfreude machten wir uns Mittwoch früh auf dem Weg vom Hotel Adlon zum Bundestag. Empfangen wurden wir gleich mehrmals. Die erste Station war der Außenbereich des großen Gebäudekomplexes. Hier warten zwei sehr nette Damen auf die angemeldeten Gäste.

Bemerkenswert ist der Extra-Eingang  weil zu Stoßzeiten sehr viele Leute in den Bundestag wollen und sich so lange Schlangen bilden können. Nach der Anmeldung ging es weiter zum Sicherheits-Check, der exakt wie beim Flughafen abläuft – ähnlich nettes Personal versteht sich von selbst. Eine Aufzugfahrt später sind wir dann im Restaurant angekommen. Nach einer sehr netten Begrüßung wurden wir zu unserem Tisch, in der ersten Reihe mit wunderbarer Aussicht auf Berlin gebracht. Vielen Dank an dieser Stelle für die 2 Tassen die als Geschenk verpackt auf dem Tisch standen.

Das gut besuchte Restaurant präsentierte sich mit stilvollen Ambiente .Lobenswert und leider eine Seltenheit heutzutage ist die einheitliche Kleidung die von den Mitarbeiterinnen getragen wird.

Wir entschieden uns für das Wohlfühlfrühstück für 28,50€ pro Person. Innerhalb kürzester Zeit wurde der Cappuccino wie das Rührei, Trüffelpaste, die 4 verschiedenen Käsesorten, der Joghurt, der frischgepresste Orangensaft, der Sekt, der Wurstaufschnitt und der hausgebeizte Lachs an den Tisch gebracht.  Was bei solch einem exklusiven Frühstück nicht fehlen darf, ist das Glas Prosecco. Dieses Frühstück hat den Namen Wohlfühlfrühstück wahrlich verdient.

Das Preisleistungsverhält dieses Restaurant ist aufgrund der tollen Lage und der noch besseren Aussicht meines Erachtens angemessen. Man muss ja nicht gleich das Frühstück für knapp 30,00€ aussuchen. Die Karte bietet mehr als nur dieses Frühstück.

Mit den wärmsten Empfehlungen,

Food 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.

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!