Equal parts grand retreat and cosy mountain hideaway, Schloss Elmau invites you to slow down, switch off and shape your own version of wellness in the heart of the Bavarian Alps.
Let’s address the elephant in the room. At Schloss Elmau, they’re everywhere – stitched onto blankets and cushions, printed onto tote bags hanging in every suite and perched throughout the interiors. “The elephant is the design symbol of the hotel,” owner Dietmar Müller-Elmau tells me shortly after arrival. “They’re highly intelligent, curious mammals that exercise freedom of choice.” It’s a fitting emblem for a hotel where guests are left to do exactly as they please.
In the Bavarian Alps, Schloss Elmau stretches across two neighbouring hotels set within a 900-acre valley of pine forests, meadows and Lake Ferchensee. Across the estate are six spas, eight restaurants, adult-only pools, family-friendly spaces and sprawling terraces made for long afternoons with a book. “It’s a hotel where families can escape to, but where they can also take a break from each other,” says Dietmar. One moment, you could be moving between the outdoor onsen and infinity pool; the next, hiking through the snow for lunch in a mountain cabin before ending the evening with a piano recital.
THE LOWDOWN
I didn’t expect to become a mountain person after my first stay at Schloss Elmau, back in 2020. I’ve always gravitated towards the sea (give me salt water and sunshine over ski boots any day), but there’s something about this corner of the Bavarian Alps that converted me. Maybe it’s the serenity of the landscape, or the way the mountains’ sheer scale puts everything else into perspective. Whatever it is, I found myself craving a second trip almost immediately. Returning six years later, it was all exactly as I remembered: the cool alpine air, the breathtaking backdrop and the feeling of instantly switching off from the moment you arrive.
A refreshing departure from the more clinical wellness spaces that dominate social media, Schloss Elmau feels genuinely warm and inviting. Following a fire in 2005, Dietmar rebuilt much of the hotel using inspiration from his travels across Asia and Italy, mixing dark woods with silk fabrics and copper-toned lighting. “It’s very much a hotel in Bavaria rather than a Bavarian hotel,” he says. Despite hosting the G7 summit twice – welcoming everyone from Barack Obama to Boris Johnson – the atmosphere remains remarkably relaxed. The staff are a huge part of that: attentive and so very helpful, somehow remembering the smallest details by day two (right down to your coffee order).
THE SPA
With six spas and nine pools spread across the Hideaway and Retreat, Schloss Elmau makes it very easy to spend an entire day in a robe and slippers. There are heated outdoor infinity pools overlooking the mountains, Finnish saunas, a Japanese onsen and an impressive hammam (the largest west of Istanbul) clad in Jurassic stone. Guests can wander between the two hotels via outdoor walkways, drifting from steam rooms to saltwater pools with the snowy peaks constantly in view.
I kept returning to the adults-only Shantigiri Spa in the Retreat, where my mornings started with a swim in the heated infinity pool before stretching out on a lounger with a herbal tea and magazine. On both mornings, I had the space almost entirely to myself. On our final day, we braved a guided cold plunge in the Nature Spa (an outdoor sauna cabin beside the Ferchenbach creek). Invigorating, to say the least. For something altogether more comforting, book one of the many treatments on offer, ranging from shiatsu to deep tissue massage.
THE ROOMS
The original fairytale castle, known as the Hideaway, comprises 100 rooms. While the more modern Retreat (added after the fire) houses 47 spacious suites, the smallest measuring 60 square metres. I stayed in a valley-facing Junior Suite in the Retreat, which felt more like a lofty apartment than a hotel room. With a generous living area, walk-in wardrobe and wraparound balcony overlooking the pine forests, I found myself spending a good chunk of time feet up with a cuppa simply taking in the views.
The interiors are cohesive with the rest of the hotel, with elephant-print textiles, oak parquet flooring and red-and-gold accents throughout. Yoga mats are tucked into matching spa bags (mine got plenty of use), while brightly coloured robes replace the usual sea of white towelling found at most spa hotels. “We’re all so individual,” Dietmar tells me. “Why should everyone wear the same colour robe?” I left the balcony doors cracked open at night to hear the rushing creek below and woke each morning to birdsong and the view of hazy mountain peaks from my cloud-like Schramm bed.
THE DINING
There are eight restaurants in total. Tutto Mondo, the Retreat’s Italian restaurant, was a personal favourite (I’d recommend the creamy burrata with basil pesto and melt-in-the-mouth beef fillet), while Fidelio offers fragrant curries and warming bowls of noodles in a more relaxed, family-friendly setting. Then there’s two Michelin-starred Ikigai, where Japanese and French influences come together in beautifully presented tasting menus.
The meal I kept thinking about afterwards, though, was lunch at Elmauer Alm – Schloss Elmau’s mountain cabin restaurant, reached via a 40-minute uphill hike. Sitting outside with pretzels, dumplings and an Aperol Spritz while staring out at the Alps made the walk feel entirely worthwhile. Back at the hotel, Kaminstube is another highlight, and the perfect pick after a day on the slopes. Dip crusty bread into bubbling Swiss fondue and sip German red wine by candlelight. But do save space for breakfast: the spread of fresh juices, pastries, smoked salmon and cured meats (plus eggs cooked to order from the kitchen) is worth getting out of bed for.
THE LITTLE EXTRAS
One of my favourite touches from my first stay back in 2020 thankfully remains: cake of the day, served every afternoon in the Retreat’s lounge. On this visit, I claimed a spot by the crackling fire and sampled the apple strudel tart, almond cake and a particularly good orange cake that I’m still thinking about now. Dietmar tells me there are 14 fireplaces throughout the hotel because “people naturally gather around fires – we did this in caves.”
THE TO-DO LIST
A stay at Schloss Elmau can be as active or as horizontal as you like. Winter trips might involve cross-country skiing on the hotel grounds or heading to nearby Seefeld, Garmisch or the Zugspitze Glacier for Alpine skiing and snowboarding. Once the snow melts, guests swap skis for hiking boots, cycling trails and wild swims in Lake Ferchensee. The outdoor sauna cabin is worth seeking out at any time of year, particularly after an icy dip in the creek below. For more movement, try a complimentary yoga class – they take place daily in the pavilion.
Of course, don’t skip a concert in the original concert hall (one of the few parts of the hotel to survive the fire) which now hosts around 300 performances every year. Musicians perform as part of Schloss Elmau’s unique “play to stay” philosophy (staying at the hotel in exchange for performing), with artists including Yuja Wang, Fabian Müller and Gwilym Simcock all taking to the stage. During my visit, Canadian pianist Chilly Gonzales was headlining.
Lead image credit: Schloss Elmau
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