Hotel Bismarck

La habitación, el personal y la comida.

The hotel was family-owned and the owners greeted me on many occasions. The food was truly exceptional! The service was excellent and friendly. The room I stayed in was very generous in size and decorated in a style that was modern and elegant but still retained traditional Austrian elements. There was plenty of closet space. Every person I encountered that worked for the hotel was friendly & helpful. The spa area was really special - the walls were painted with murals of historical significance. The hotel was close to the center of town and the Alpentherme. There were plenty of walking paths to explore. This was my second trip to Hotel Bismarck and I would recommend it highly.

They try their best to be be "more", to take care of any request.

Its a concept hotel. Either you like the concept or you dont. There is a loss of flexibility in choices in this concept. The managing lady is trying her best to take care of the guests, but it involves too much "sales". Overselling becomes annoying sometimes.

The hotel is expensive, but the service, food and willingness of the staff is excellent

Price

The staff are incredibly helpful and attentive. Warm and cosy atmosphere. The room was lovely and exceptionally clean. The spa and pool facility was amazing and although the hotel was fully booked, these areas were always quite empty which allowed us to enjoy our time and relax. This was appreciated especially after having done a long hike up the Gastein mountains which was about 10-15 walk away from the hotel to the cable cars. I must mention that the dinners in the evening were amazing. The various types of steaks, whether veal, venison or fish were cooked to perfection with flavours to really compliment each meal. Bad Hofgastein isn’t too difficult to get to from Salzburg by train, however there is no public transport from the station to the hotel. The only option really is either to rent a car which would be great for roaming the Gastein valley or get the hotel pickup which is €11 each way. We didn’t drive so used this service, driver picked us up from the platform as train was delayed and helped take the luggage into the car and from car to our room. A service gratefully received after a day of travelling.

Our room was directly opposite another hotel at the front, so the view wasn’t as picturesque as I would’ve liked but this wasn’t much of an issue as we didn’t spend much time indoors. For breakfast and lunch, you are provided with free drinks. However, there is a cost for drinks with cake at the bar. The cake is free. Wherever I’ve stayed before complimentary food came with free drinks, especially tea and cake which is a traditional pairing in the UK. Again, no big deal but a note for future residents. It is the same with dinner, although there is only a price list for alcohol, with non-alcoholic drinks you are also given a bill for at breakfast which is added to your room. However, don’t let this put you off as the four course dinner is better than the Michelin meals I’ve had elsewhere.