Seconds away from the ski lifts, Kesselspitze Hotel & Chalet in the Obertauern ski resort is a charming Alpine-style stay, and a stylish retreat from the slopes for all ages.
Located under the snowy slopes in the Salzburg Alps, Obertauern has a fun claim to fame: in March 1965 The Beatles – then the biggest band in the world – came to town to film winter and ski scenes for their music video Help!
The Vibe
The fires are roaring when you enter Kesselspitze Hotel, part of the Valamar Collection. Sheepskins cover wooden chairs and the staff are just as warm and welcoming. It’s a relaxing – but chic – atmosphere that encourages you to sink into a bar chair with a drink after a day on the slopes, or relax on loungers in the impressive indoor pool looking out at the mountains outside. The décor strikes a balance between modern and cosy, with lots of natural materials giving off a warm vibe, without veering too far into twee.
The Rooms
Rooms here are decorated in a chic, snug style, with stone walls, wooden floors and ceilings, cosy throws on giant (extremely comfy) beds, and plenty of space to sit by the windows and gaze out at the slopes. There’s a range of room types to suit your trip, from cosy rooms ideal for couples to combinations of suites that you can build up to suit families or groups of friends – such as a the Superior Triple, which has twin beds and a sofa bed, or the generously proportioned Junior Suites which can sleep up to four.
The Food + Drink
Kesselspitze Hotel takes its food seriously. Its Momenti restaurant offers refined dining with regional delicacies (think elegant version of schnitzel and fondue nights). Breakfast is a huge cooked buffet to set you up for the day; those around for a light lunch can expect salad, soup and pasta, then there’s the après-ski snack served from 3pm, before the six-course fine dining dinner, featuring locally sourced food. For drinks and casual snacks, there’s also the lounge bar and the stunning lounge terrace, with incredible views, which serves an à la carte lunch menu.
The Child’s Play
There’s an excellent indoor playroom and “Maro Club” for children aged three to 12, set up with toys and games and offering a variety of supervised activities. Then there’s the game lounge for teens, complete with a Sony PlayStation, a Nintendo Wii, and bean bag seating. Outdoor activities include the snow park with a ski carpet lift to help beginners learn on easier slopes, an entertainment area for children near the hotel, and a ski school where you can drop little ones off for lessons. Babysitting services are also available at the hotel.
The Spa
The large spa is one of the main selling points of Kesselspitze Hotel. The large indoor pool is best enjoyed before an hour (or two) relaxing on its poolside loungers, all with a view to the snowy slopes outside. There’s also a steam bath, infrared sauna, Finnish and bio saunas, a tranquillity room, and a snow grotto. Children are allowed in during family hour, which means for most of the time it’s a place of peace. Treatments – which include massages, facials and treatments for children and teenagers – are exactly what you crave after a day skiing. For those who want to push themselves a little further, there’s a very well-appointed gym with high-tech equipment.
The To-Do List
In winter the skiing and snowboarding are the main draw. Obertauern is excellent for skiers, with around 100 kilometres of pistes, and plenty of open terrain catering to winter sports enthusiasts of all levels and abilities. Sixty-one kilometres of slopes are classified as easy (blue slopes), 35 kilometres as medium (red slopes) and four kilometres as difficult (black slopes) – and Kesselspitze Hotel is perfectly positioned right next to the ski-hire shop and minutes away from the nearest lifts, meaning you can ski-in and ski-out. Obertauern offers a range of nursery slopes including a high-altitude beginner area accessible on the Schaidberg chair, with easy runs back into the valley. For those who fancy night skiing, the Edelweissbahn is open for night skiing every Monday and Thursday until 10pm.
For non-skiers there is snowshoeing and guided walks – or simply sight seeing: taking the cable car up Dachstein Krippenstein Mountain reveals stunning views.
At the end of their trip, The Beatles performed their only concert in Austria. The town is rightly proud of its touch with fame and you’ll find tributes to it across the slopes and in the town, which is buzzing with bars, shops and restaurants.
In summer, there are hiking and biking trails, such as an easy hike to the Wasserfallwand (waterfall wall), the more challenging hike to Simony Hut, and the nature trail across the Dachstein plateau and off-road biking tracks in the region, and swimming in Lake Hallstatt, or the beautiful Gosau Lakes, which are about 14 kilometres away.
All image credit: Kesselspitze Hotel & Chalet
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