Yodeley hey ho! (Hotel Bergrose (Strobl, Austria))

Member Name: cmh4135

Product:	Hotel Bergrose (Strobl, Austria)
Date:	31/10/06 (614 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Live out those "Heidi" moments in a family run hotel

Disadvantages: A little remote

My husband and I are not renowned for going on holidays to traditional places but for our last trip abroad we didn’t want to travel too far and were at a loss for where to go. Trawling through travel guides both on and off-line I decided that I quite fancied going to Lake Bled in Slovenia but unfortunately I couldn’t get the accommodation we wanted for the dates we were travelling. The quest was then on to find something similar away from Bled so that we could save that pleasure for another time.

That is how we came to select the Hotel Bergrose in Strobl, Austria.

The destination itself is probably not top of most peoples’ wish-lists but the lure of mountains, a lake and spa facilities sold it to us.

The hotel is situated about a five minute walk outside of the picturesque village of Strobl am Wolfgangsee, Wolfgangesee being the lake in question. The building is a traditional Austrian construction with carved wooden balconies and gently sloping roofs. It’s the kind of building that really wouldn’t look out of place on a chocolate box! The interior is similarly attractive. In the communal areas stone floors with pretty rugs meet whitewashed walls which in turn meet wooden ceilings.

The bedrooms are not spacious but more than adequate. Décor is simple and reminded me of “Heidi” with plain pine furniture and pretty checked curtains. The rooms were clean and functional furnished with a small sofa, a couple of chairs with a tiny table and a bed with bedside cabinets. The rooms open out onto small balconies with views of the surrounding mountains.

For such plain rooms, the hotel felt surprisingly comfortable. Maybe it was all the fresh air we were getting or maybe just the feeling of well-being that enveloped the hotel. Whatever it was, it was good.

A few toiletries were provided in the adequate but “nothing to write home about” bathroom.

The hotel is owned and run by the Zopf family and this is clearly a labour of love. The family really do go out of their way to ensure that you have a great time.

Our first encounter was at Salzburg airport where we met, unknown to us at the time, Herr Zopf. He drove to the airport to collect us from our flight (which was very late due to poor weather at the airport) and drove us back to the hotel pointing out some of the area’s highlights on the way in very broken English. We helped things along a little with our own broken German.

Frau Zopf then checked us in and made sure that we had everything we required before Frauline Zopf showed us to the room. At dinner that evening we were served by Herr and Frauline Zopf and, I understand that the family’s son was the chef! At breakfast in the morning, the breads were replenished by the Zopf’s grandchildren. A true family affair.
Dinner at the hotel was good. We were booked in on a dinner bed and breakfast package and as such had a set menu each night (although I suspect we could have dined a la carte had we so desired). The menu consisted of four or five courses of traditional Austrian food, depending on the day, each cooked to order meaning that we were never rushed through our meals. I enjoy this way of dining as it often means that you get to try some dishes that you might not pick off an a la carte menu. The taste and presentation of the food would have put some higher establishments to shame.

Breakfast was similarly good with a good variety of continental-style items to choose from. Bread was freshly baked, as were the cakes and pastries. Jams were homemade and available to buy to take home too!

The dining area was comfortable and had a very homely feel to it. We travelled in October right in between their seasons (too late for the summer but just too early for the skiers) and as a result the hotel was very quiet. This was a shame as on most nights there were only three couples dining, us and two German couples. I felt that the atmosphere would have been further enhanced had it been busier.

Ironically, one of the things that attracted me to the hotel was the one feature I was unable to partake of: the Spa. The package that we booked included spa treatments in the form of massage therapies which could be taken in the hotels leisure complex. Having found out that I was pregnant just four days before travelling I decided that I wasn’t going to risk anything by partaking of this treatment, particularly as there was a language barrier! Frau Zopf was keen, however, that we should not miss out and, in place of the treatment, she gave us some of the toiletries that would have been used so that we could treat ourselves later at home.

The leisure facilities were very good for a small hotel. A largish pool, Jaccuzi and sauna were available for guests use at any time during the day, the only requirement being thirty minutes notice for the sauna so that it could heat up! The perfect way to unwind at the end of a long day’s walk (well, it would have been if my condition allowed for it!). A Rasul bath was also available for treatments.

The Hotel Bergrose is set amidst some wonderful gardens nestled in a valley next to the Weissenbach river. There is an ample terrace and plenty of seating on the lawns.

The family also own three chalets, one within the hotel grounds and two within a short distance. The brochures for these properties look nice but not having seen in them for myself I cannot comment further.

In my opinion this is a hotel that is ideally suited to outward-bound couples and families. In the summer there is plenty of walking to be done in the mountains (most of it clearly mapped and signed) and around the lake and in the winter, of course, there are some good ski runs. There is a shuttle ferry service on the lake and for a few pounds this is an excellent method of transport enabling you to visit many of the nearby towns and villages. There is also a local bus service which runs near to the hotel but do check the timetables as many of the busses are of the “once a day” variety!

We stayed for five days and, for us, this was about the right length of time to explore the area. Had we stayed for longer a hire car would really have been needed to get the most out of the stay.

I would heartily recommend the hotel and wouldn’t hesitate to return, next time with child in tow!

Further details are available at www.bergrose.at. Packages with flights are available through Austria Travel (part of The Travel Club of Upminster).

Summary: A great alpine family hotel