Best of Arlberg - Hotel Zürserhof, Zürs
“In TikTok & Instagram words, this Grand Resort would be Old Money Perfection”
It was the third advent weekend and I was definitely up for escaping the hustle and bustle of the Christmas stress. Since the temperatures were cold enough and thanks to fresh powder, I was open for a relaxing weekend in the alps enabling us to hit the slopes as well. Only a handful of ski resorts were open yet (most ski resorts here started their winter season a week later), so the decision fell for the Arlberg region. Besides being a pretty destination with excellent gastronomic offers, the hotel selection is among the best in Austria. Having stayed at almost all five-star properties on the Arlberg, still one of the most famous properties was missing: the highly-celebrated Zürserhof. So I took a good friend of mine, left Munich around noon and within 2,5 hours (the motivation to sit in the steam room by 3 pm was high) we were already driving up the stunning driveway of Zürs’ finest place to stay. As pictures speak for themselves, the location is simply the best in the Arlberg region, sitting enthroned high upon a hill, overlooking the entire Zürs and the surrounding ski resort. Personally, I would say that from the outside, the Zürserhof is by far the most majestic property in the Arlberg region and definitely one of the best-situated five-star properties in Austria.
Upon arriving in front of the main entrance, we were helped with the car, baggage and ski equipment immediately. I should mention at this point that it was the coldest weekend I remember in my life with temperatures of more than minus 12 degrees Celsius. Never ever have I hoped for cosy interiors more. So when we entered the wooden lobby with lots of heavy carpets, we both felt we arrived in winter heaven. Check-in was super welcoming with no documents nor credit card needed, however they didn’t note the name of my friend even though I informed them beforehand. Within five minutes of arrival, we were already stepping foot inside our upgraded Superior Suite. Measuring 65 square meters, these suites come with a real fireplace and stunning vistas over Zürs. Upon entering, we both were impressed by the warm interior of the allocated room. There was a separate guest bathroom that actually had a shower toilet by Geberit, right next to the entrance along with some storage for winter clothes and bags. Moving on there was the main living room with a sofa, two armchairs, a writing desk as well as a handwritten welcome note with some fruits and pastries as well as a fresh flower bouquet.
Of course, the highlight of the living room and the suite, in general, was the open fireplace which we used on the second evening of our stay when we were almost snowed in due to heavy snowfall. Right beside the living room was the bedroom with a massive amount of wardrobe space. I would say there are better hotel beds out there but on the other hand, the blanket and pillows were top notch and we, therefore, had a very good rest. I appreciate that there were two individual blankets and that the size was big enough for tall people, too. Overall the serene atmosphere up there and the fresh air are unbeatable and anyone will have a perfect rest in such a setting. While part of our suite was recently refurbished, e.g. the floor was brand new, the bathroom still had the classic Zürserhof look. Even though I would not design my bath this way, it fits perfectly with the classy look of the property’s public areas and our superior suite. Hands down, the housekeeping was flawless and so it is no wonder that the bathrooms are in perfect condition. Not just is everything polished perfectly, also there were plenty of toiletries by La Biosthetique (replenished daily) and fresh towels whenever we entered the room. Plus the bathroom had everything we could wish for: double vanities, a walk-in shower and an additional toilet.
Right after we inspected the suite, we were ready to explore the hotel’s two wellness areas. While the older spa area is now targeted to families and their loved ones, the newer Aureus Spa is an adults-only area and there is no shortage of spa highlights. Zürserhof’s family spa hosts the indoor pool with an adjacent jacuzzi as well as a textile sauna and steam bath specially dedicated to youngsters and teenagers which is a great idea - even though we didn’t see any kids staying at the hotel when we were there. On the other side of the hotel lies the real gem. Spreading over 1700 square meters, the Aureus Spa was the second highlight we encountered that afternoon at Zürserhof. On the ground floor, there is the hairdresser, spa bistro, front desk and shop along with treatment rooms and the alpine Hamam (which can be accessed when making a treatment booking). Moving up to the first floor, there is the main spa area accessible for all hotel guests coming with a relaxation room, a bio sauna, a Finnish sauna, a cold pool, a steam room, various spa showers and the infinity pool. Speaking of the latter one, the infinity pool was a real treat after a day on the freezing slopes of Lech-Zürs. I am one of those persons freezing after a day of skiing so I much appreciated the hot temperature of the stunning indoor infinity pool. Right adjacent was the ladies’ spa and at the end of the hallway the highlight of the Aureus Spa: the Aureus Panorama Lounge. Honestly, this is one of the most spectacular relaxation rooms I have seen so far.
Needless to say that a spa weekend is not complete with a sumptuous dinner. And to be honest, at Zürserhof there is no shortage of culinary highlights. This might also be due to the fact that the owner family, the Skardarasy family, joins for dinner each evening. We got dressed up for dinner and thanks to the daily live music, we stopped at the bar for a good glass of red wine where we enjoyed the majestic setting in front of the huge fireplace, next to the very interesting mix of international guests. At some point, the doors to the restaurant opened and the guests were asked to take their seats. For dinner, every room has a dedicated table, whereas there is free seating during the breakfast service. On the first evening, we had the choice between a Heurigen buffet (typical Viennese dishes) or a Fondue Chinoise (similar to a hot pot). As it is very unusual to serve fondue as part of the half board, we went for the full Zürserhof culinary experience and were served French fries and garlic bread while we grabbed various meat and fish to cook in our hot pot. Service at the restaurant was flawless, might it be our very attentive server Luka or the sommelier who suggested an excellent Barbaresco by Prunotto.
On our second evening, after a day of skiing and trying various wines at the huts of Lech, we were ready to get dressed up once more. Saturday evenings are for Gala Dinners at Zürserhof, so we got into our classiest looks and headed towards the cocktail reception downstairs at the bar. While being served delicious drinks and Edition Tattenbach wines exclusively produced for the Zürserhof by Austrian winemaker Clemens Strobl, guests have the chance to mingle in front of the open fireplace and connect over their ski adventures of the day. According to Mrs Skardarasy, the highlight of the gala dinner remains the sumptuous dessert buffet. Although the dessert buffet was nothing but spectacular (with the best raspberry Kaiserschmarrn I have ever tried), I found the three served courses extremely tasty as well. We started with excellent beef tartar and salmon sashimi then tried both the duck consommé as well as the cream soup of cauliflower and finished off with the veal fillet with artichokes and truffles. Our server was so caring that he brought us a portion of the cheese ravioli so we have the best insight into their mouth-watering cuisine.
What better way to end this perfect weekend than in front of our own fireplace in the living room of the suite with a good bottle of red wine? A ski holiday hardly gets any more glamorous. A few hours later, we were already packing our suitcases again but yet up for one last surprise. Breakfast is served buffet style and one can pick anything from the buffet and take it to the table wherever comfortable. While coffee and tea are to be ordered by the staff, the Bollinger at the buffet is free-flow and definitely only for the faint-hearted ones. But again why not toast with one of the best bubbles to end this amazing stay? No reason to judge when sitting on the huge windows overlooking a picture-perfect ski resort with a table full of freshly prepared egg dishes, sumptuous bread selection, freshly cut fruit and graved salmon. That’s the only and most perfect way to start a day on the slopes of the Arlberg region.
To conclude the story of our amazing stay it is to say, that once more, it’s the guests that make a hotel in such a location. Wealthy families from Vienna and the Netherlands coming for more than just one generation, dominate the target group of Zürserhof. This leads to the fact that this Grand Resort is calling out for the Old Money vibe which currently goes viral on Instagram and TikTok. So in case you are wondering what to wear when vacationing here, I can assure you there is no such thing as being overdressed. Thanks to the many returning guests at the Zürserhof, we felt like staying at a private club that is normally hidden from the public and therefore dress to impress should be the decent reminder whenever not in a bathrobe or inside your suite that is so cosy you wouldn’t mind spending the entire evenings in front of the fireplace. Honestly, we had an amazing weekend at one of the best hotels we have stayed at in Austria so far and definitely one of the most comfortable properties in the world. Because there is no better feeling pre-Christmas than listening to Christmas sounds, eating cookies, sipping excellent red wine after a sumptuous dinner and just watching at your own fire that you just lit in the living room of your suite in one of Europe’s leading ski resorts. Life is too good to be true!
Disclaimer: The stay was provided by the Skardarasy Family and we were guests of Zürserhof for editorial purposes. However the above written has not been influenced and represents the author’s own opinion.
