Hotel Goldener Berg, Oberlech

With more gold medal Olympic skiers than any other alpine village, a bevy of royal and aristocratic guests, and a reputation for the best food and wine in the Austrian alps, it’s surprising that more people haven’t heard of Lech – but that’s the way those who have prefer it. While the glitz-seekers flock to flashier resorts, in Lech things are done with traditional Austrian elegance.

For those in the know, however, the charming hamlet of Oberlech, perched 1700 metres above sea-level, just five minutes by bubble lift from Lech is home to one of the mountain’s best-kept secrets: The Hotel Goldener Berg. It’s a lovely chalet hotel perched on a sunny terrace all on its own, with idyllic views across the valley and the town below. In winter no cars are allowed, so it is both peaceful and safe for children. The hotel has been run with panache by generations of the Pfefferkorn family, who take genuine pleasure in looking after their guests, many of whom return every year. Serious skiers will relish the hotel’s ‘ski to the door’ position right on the slopes and the chance to ski with Daniela Pfefferkorn, the hotel’s disarming current owner, who represented Austria in the Downhill a few years ago, The hotel’s proximity to the Oberlech lift (which runs from 7am to 1am daily) means that it’s incredibly easy to get around.

The hotel’s 40 rooms and suites have now been built or renovated and each has a balcony and superb mountain views. For families, the Goldener Berg has a fantastic complimentary supervised kids’ programme – the ‘Kiddy Club’ - with indoor and outdoor fun (including meals) scheduled for small guests from the age of 3.

Whilst the kids are being entertained, the grown-ups will appreciate the sensational Alpin Spa. The main wall of the spa building is floor-to-ceiling glass, offering breathtaking views of the mountains, and the pine wood and stone meshes seamlessly with the external environment. The mezzanine level relaxation area, part of which is embedded in a snug grotto – replete with cradle-like, rocking sunloungers – is one of the cosiest I have come across. The Spa contains two saunas (bio and Finnish), a steam room, pool and wonderful large outdoor Jacuzzi. A plethora of treatments are available to soothe aching muscles after a hard day’s work on the slopes – I had a brilliant aromatherapy massage with Barbera, and my boyfriend was ‘manhandled’ (in a good way, I am told) by the spa’s excellent resident physiotherapist, Marc Shrader. The homemade ‘Almstern’ product line – employing high-grade extracts of Edelweiss and other nourishing mountain-sourced substances - is used both in the spa and the hotel toiletries. For those in search of more exotic massage techniques, the hotel boasts a Bangkokian practising Thai massage. The spa also houses a small yoga studio-cum-gym, and the hotel is a member of Welltain, a new healthy mountain lifestyle programme that makes the most of the alpine environment to achieve greater fitness.

A workout in the hotel’s gym might be advisable, because the hotel’s Gault-Millau award-winning cuisine is home cooked and delicious, with lots of Austrian specialties such as Strudel, Schnitzel and Kaiserschmarr’n (a caramelised, chopped up pancake), which can be enjoyed in any of the hotel’s four restaurants. As in the spa, so in the kitchen, stress is placed on local sourcing – the menu lists the nearby farms and suppliers from which the products derive. This emphasis on indigenous products forms part of the hotel’s eco-ethos, which is also manifested in its use of solar panels bio heating system.

The hotel operates a ‘Dine Around’ policy to enable guests to dine in each of the restaurants. The Alter Goldener Berg restaurant dates from 1430 and has handsome dark wood panelling and candle lighting. The family has been amassing a fine wine collection for the last fifty years and the result is a veritable treasure trove of vintages, considered one of the best wine cellars in the region.  

Relaxed, yet refined. The Goldener Berg is perfect for those seeking a first class ski holiday in supremely comfortable surroundings with a classic Austrian atmosphere. The Pfefferkorn family has created a place with that inimitable gemütlichkeit – meaning warm, cosy and hospitable – that puts it in a class of its own.

 

Hotel Goldener Berg, Oberlech 117, 6764 Lech/Vorarlberg, Tel. 05583/220 50