Hotel-Check: Aqua Dome Spa Resort Part 3

The night was very peaceful and we had a great sleep! Before breakfast I went to the public spa pool and it was amazing. At 8.30 am, I was the only one swimming in the large pool, which is open for public every day from 9 am till 10 pm. 

I then took a shower with the shower gel from the dispenser and went to the breakfast room or "hall"! The buffet war larger than my expectations were, so I was impressed. The service at breakfast was very nice although the cook was not able to prepare me some scrambled eggs, instead she advised me to take some cold scrambled eggs of the buffet. If I want freshly cooked scrambled eggs with ham I only want to get them and not to discuss with a not native speaking employee! Nevertheless  the buffet with the orange machine was excellent by 4-star standards!

The check-out was at 11 am, but we wanted to leave at 10 am so we did not have to wait in the typical queue. As a present, we got a nice cake, which is home-made. 

All in all this hotel/resort is not that perfect retreat for us! We think there is a large group of guests which love to stay at such spa resorts and to move around without any textiles as well as to lie to each other without any privacy! 

If you look for a luxurious wellness hotel in Western Austria, then check-in at the Grand Tirolia or the Kempinski Das Tirol in the area of Kitzbühel, where everyone seeks for privacy!

In my opinion, 380,00 Euros per night for the old Classic Room is more than impolite for the offered facilities!

Hotel-Check: Aqua Dome Spa Resort Part 2

Sorry for being offline the whole day, but it was more stressful than it should have been. 

 1 hour after my last blog, I wanted to pick up the keys for the reserved Alpine Room. Of course they tried to give me the standard room in the old wing! So I went the whole way to the room and then back to the reception to claim about the room. They did not apology and immediately called the housekeeping to prepare a new room. After 15 minutes waiting on the reception without offering a drink or a seat, they gave me the keys without any comment. 

The new room is nice, the smell is fresh, the balconies and bathrooms are modern and new, too! Although the bed sheets are dirty and used! YES - All-over Shampoo comes out of a dispenser - very exclusive :-(( ! They are not even branded ones!

Back to the Spa, some tyrolean citizens tried to get our loungers as they were not able to got some by theirselfs! We shouted at them and they left us alone - horrible if you're paying 380.00 Euros for that one night in the low season!

We went to a local restaurant as we are disappointed of the overall service at this property! This was probably the best decision we did the whole day - the Pizza was absolutely great!

To be honest, everything I wanted is to sleep, but this was impossible as the materess felt extremely cheap and unconfortable, a bit like in a youth hostel or in a boarding house!

After replacing the mattress protector, the beds felt more comfortable and sleeping was no longer a problem. :-)

We will see what tommorrow brings, we will for sure no longer stay the afternoon at this chaotic place! Sorry but this is a true hotel-fail for this price!

Hotel-Check: Aqua Dome Spa Resort Part 1

I am just sitting in the newly reopened "Spa 3000" in the Austrian town of Längenfeld, which looks more beautiful on the website than it is in real. The check in was okay but nothing more! The room was not ready at 11.00 and so we went to the Spa 3000. All in all there is no real pool, just one indoor Jacuzzi and 4 small whirlpools for up to 2 persons each! As the hotel is fully booked, the spa gets more crowded and the best loungers are occupied. We were lucky and got some at the window facing the town. Unfortunately, our loungers are more than uncomfortable. 

Personal opinion: The service is kind and does fit perfectly to their guests. 

                                                         
To be honest, this is not the type of guests which is found in the top-notch properties, so I feel a bit uncomfortable in here. Nearly all of them love to be naked and to lie next to each other. Privacy does not exist! 

First impression is not very impressive!

Time to escape the winter blues!

The weather in Austria could not be worse. Heavy rain, cold wind and temperatures of at least +8.00 celsius!

As I do not want to stay at home and enjoy the bedside, I decided to stay the bank holiday tommorrow at the Hotel of the Aqua Dome thermal bath in the Austrian valley of Ötztal. 

I also checked everything in advance, but they were not yet very flexible with early check-in and upgrade as I got a deal for up to 70% off the nightly room rate! 

To be said in advance, I do not expect a perfect service and a exceptional hotel. Nevertheless I am very looking fowrard to some relaxing days within one hour driving distance!

Have a great day!

Restaurant-Check Innsbruck - Part 1

It is not very hard to find a restaurant with a varied lunch menu, but restaurants with a good value are very difficult to find. Here are some of my favourite spots in the capital of the Austrian Alps:

1.) Die Pizzerei

My absolute favouirite place to have lunch or dinner! New restaurant with small lunch menu and huge choice of all kinds of Pizza for lunch and dinner. Although the restaurant isn't on the small side, getting a table on-site is nearly impossible. Make sure to reserve a table in advance when you are going to Innsbruck! Open for lunch from 11.30-14.00 and for dinner from 17.30-1.00. Closed on Sundays. http://www.diepizzerei.at

2.) Café Sacher

My favourite spot for All-day dining! A top notch Cafe with exclusive dishes and a Michelin Starred Restaurant open for dinner only. This is one of four Café Sacher in Austria while the main property with the Hotel Sacher is located in Vienna. If you do want to dine in tradition, then treat yourself with a piece of an original "Sachertorte" for 4,70 € (!!). My favourite dessert: the "Sacher Würfel" for 2 € only. This is the perfect spot to have a late lunch, in case you missed lunchtime in Innsbruck! Open daily from 8.30 am till midnight. Café Sacher Innsbruck

3.) Das Schindler Restaurant

Dazzling restaurant with a weekly changing lunch menu. Prices are average for lunch, while they increase bout 30 percent for dinner. The location is perfect for all shoppers, as it can be found next to the main entrance of the "Kaufhaus Tyrol". This is also my favourite spot for a lavish à la carte breakfast whenever I am in Innsbruck at the morning! Open for breakfast: 8.00-11.30 am, lunch 11.30-14.00 and dinner from 18.00-22.00. Closed on Sunday and bank holidays.

 Das Schindler 

Travel Diary - Part 5: Driving the night away!

Shopping was very interesting today with some real bargains and some excellent Prosecco! After having three degustations at different wineries, the best ones in the Valdobbiadene region, we are happy to find ourselfs in our own beds tonight! It was a nice trip and very interesting as well! We are now equipped for the summer holiday and are looking forward to visit Italy again in less than 3 months! Enjoy the weekend!

Friday evening on the A22 Modena-Brennero isn't as busy as yesterday!

Travel Diary - Part 4: Day 2

Good afternoon!

After a Vegas-like stay at the G Hotel Vicenza with a rich buffet breakfast in the Italian saloon and a purchase of some nice Malin+Goetz toiletries in full size, we went to another high-class outlet just 15 from Vicenza! We got some accessoires for 50 percent off the retail price.

As we know that also bargain shopping can be very stressful, we are just sitting in another local restaurant. 

After lunch we will be on the way to Valdobbiadene, where the Prosecco comes from!

Enjoy your meal!