Hotel Nesslerhof

Hotel Nesslerhof

In winter, guests at Hotel Nesslerhof step out of the hotel and onto the slopes of Ski Amadé, skis already on, no shuttle bus required. Come summer, the same ground opens into Großarl's valley of alpine pastures, better suited to long hikes and mountain biking than to lounging by a pool. Behind its 86 rooms sits a proper spa: sauna, steam room, massage, beauty treatments, a fitness area and a yoga space for those who want to move before they rest. What sets Nesslerhof apart is its Living Garden, an 800-square-metre natural swimming pond beside a 25-metre outdoor pool heated year-round, the kind of water feature that ski-in, ski-out hotels rarely also offer. Families get a playroom and babysitting; those travelling without children can retreat to the library or the terrace instead. A restaurant and bar cover meals, breakfast is buffet-style, and there's a snack bar and packed lunches for early starts. A conference hall and meeting rooms are on hand for anyone mixing work with the mountain air. Rooms range from a Standard Double with mountain views to a high-floor Standard Suite, a garden-facing Family Suite and a city-view Deluxe Studio, each fitted with cable TV, a shower and proper wardrobe space. Small pets are allowed for a fee, but only in the annex, which has no lift, worth knowing if you're travelling with an older dog. This isn't a hotel for anyone wanting nightlife within walking distance; the centre of Grossarl is a kilometre away, and the point here is the mountain access, the water, and the space between the two. Hotel Nesslerhof pairs ski-in, ski-out access to Ski Amadé with an 800-square-metre natural pond and year-round heated pool, plus a full spa and 86 rooms in Großarl. It suits skiers who want water after the slopes, less so anyone chasing nightlife a kilometre away in town.