Hotel Edelweiss. Authentic luxury ski hotel in Zurs, Austria
Authentic Luxury
Hotel Edelweiss is absolutely your authentic luxury ski hotel in Lech Zurs, Austria.
Travel at its best can be defined as something old, something new, and not necessarily something blue as although we are not getting married but for the few days you are staying in the hotel it is a kind of marriage.
Something old is about being made to feel welcome and looked after and yes if you are feeling daring a touch of love!
Something new is that travel at its best should be able to introduce you to some new things in a very gentle way.
I like to ski, and in fact just over 50 years ago I was staying at the next-door hotel in Zurs.
That was the mid 70’s, so leather boots and 4 hours of ski school a day.
I can still just remember skiing under the arches in ski school, and I can definitely remember eating chocolate cake with my mother in a wonderful small café near the hotel.
I had for some time wanted to visit for Christmas and as my life has been a rollercoaster of change for the last few years, a few days away over Christmas in the mountains seemed like an excellent idea.
Now living in Hove, Sussex, England, Gatwick is my airport and I have to confess that these days I think EasyJet are pretty good.
No, they are not a luxury airline but for me they fly more frequently to many of the destinations I want to go to and it’s really pretty easy.
Flying into Innsbruck is always a joy because you fly through the mountains and it’s really quite special.
Innsbruck
From there a car ride of just under 2 hours to the hotel and I am early.
So, you land in the Tirol, which then opens door to Aarlberg.
If you are from my generation, you might remember the famous Franz Klammer winning at the Olympics of 1976 in Innsbruck and if you are from todays generation you will be thinking of Eurovision going there.
Hotel Edelweiss
Zürs 79
6763 Zürs am Arlberg
Austria
Friendship
Meeting kindreds spirits while away is something unexpected but special.
I found that the hotel had introduced myself to a Dutch Wine Journalist, so two strangers who like to talk and drink wine from two countries with no mountains, now there is a conversation starter…anyway it was great fun and always lovely to meet new people and on the final night I sat next to a doctor and her husband from Vienna and we had a great conversation…. Totally unexpected but really added to my experience.
Smiles from the staff, who are from all over, and matchmaking yes we had some good chats with a young couple working at the hotel, both from two different countries.
It holds true to why Lech Zurs has stood for authentic luxury for so many years.
The best establishments have an ease about them and a way of bringing people together in a way that though you might be from different backgrounds and countries you have the same definition of what a friendly and civilised society should be like.
A good hotel, restaurant, café or pub is a place where you can find yourself meeting other kindred spirits and this is definitely a memory I will take home with me.
Mountain life
I am glad I returned to Hus No.8
Dating back centuries, they serve the kind of food I adore, that feeds your soul and warms my heart. I have eaten there on several occasions and never fails to please.
Sitting with my ski instructor having lunch with Christmas sunshine coming down in Oberlech, a beautiful enclave of hotels and chalets up the mountain from Lech which is driverless and everything is transported by cable car and by underground tunnels.
…..Yes the staff in The Edelweiss have 5 outfits so lovers of dirndls need to keep an eye.
….I found a very nice upmarket like bakery/cafe near the hotel where I sat and drank hot chocolate whilst listening to the chit chat. This is one of my favourite pastimes, particularly when travelling and I personally always love being somewhere where ski guides and workers go as you get a non-touristy insight into the life of the community.
If you want to feel the pulse of the town, find the locals haunt.
Not necessarily all the time but certainly once or twice on a trip.
Authentic luxury ….. Finding Peace
Lech’s focus on sustainability is a credit to the people of Lech Zurs. From supplying and powering the snow making machines with water from the lake and power to their overall stance on looking after the environment for todays and tomorrow’s generations to enjoy.
The food in the hotel in the hotel was pretty good. It’s actually rare that I say everything was fantastic as in my opinion hotels try to do too much. Breakfast was fantastic and the meats and soups outstanding, less so on the dessert but good for my stomach and too many courses for me.
Christmas in a different country..
As we sat around the Christmas tree on the 24th for Christmas festivities I was impressed, and I am fussy so that means something…. It was authentic… not staged… not fake but authentic and real…. The staff were welcoming in a way someone would welcome you into your home and the guests, many of whom were Austrian, but not all were in traditional dress and very smart they were too. Children were crossed legged and eager…. We sang carols in German of course, but the tunes are international and there was a Christmas message, Father Christmas arrived and gave presents to the children and yes real candles were lit on the Christmas tree. It was not The Sound of Music but there was definitely something very caring, very Austrian and very loving and personally I was touched as I felt I had experienced something real and I had an experience, a glimpse into a traditional Christmas.
Lech/Zurs
I have skied in Lech/Zurs on many occasions and always loved. It’s a high-end ski destination which keeps its traditions which for me is lovely.
The Edelweiss is a high-end hotel with a focus in my opinion on authentic luxury in that they are truly welcoming and there seems to be a feeling of family.
I had 3 days skiing and have to confess it was not my best ski experience. The reality is there was plenty of snow, but a bit icy for my liking, lots of the runs I wanted to ski on were closed, so although I skied, I also realised I needed to be a bit fitter and the older I have become I confess the fussier I have also become about conditions. Too many people and too much ice.
Without sounding too patronising I try to look at it from the perspective of one door closes and another opens, in that and I am talking about myself that if my heart is open to possibilities when one avenue looks not so good another can open up when you least expect and I think this is a good thing to keep in mind visa v travel.
Increasingly resorts whether they have lots of snow or not are opening up more non ski possibilities for those who either do not ski, do not want to or just want a day off relaxing in the mountains which is something very special to me. I have in the past visited during the ski season and there is plenty to do from food and shops to the beautiful church, museum, sleigh rides, walks to snow showing and toboganning which is something I have done twice and its brilliant fun.
Adapting whilst travelling
Sometimes it’s better and sometimes it’s worse than your expectations and sometimes it’s just different.
The internet is full of pictures and writing about how everything is wonderful or more luxurious and more exclusive and so on…..
Travel like life is rarely how you imagined and again like life some of the best experiences during travel can be the surprises.
Slow travel allows you to turn off the shot clock, turn off the schedule and just experience.
As I look at the concluding chapter, hopefully a long chapter of my career my overriding wish is to get people talking and talking whilst you travel can be so rewarding to find out new views but also find out how many things we have in common.
Unfortunately, I only met one of the Edelweiss owners to chat to but I could tell they are about attracting people with some brains and a smile.
The fact that the ski boot room is next to the disco… that there is still signs of 70’s wildness and the hotel’s catch phrase is “Stay Sexy” gives me the feeling that there is a little bit of eccentric humour which certainly found a place in my English heart.
My memories of my Christmas time in Zurs
New friends, my Lech/Zurs family and Lech Zurs is looking after itself…
Lovely breakfast and really good sleeps.
That may seem a very basic thing to say but actually noise is one of the most common issues for hotels and also heating issues is another…. I had no problems from both …
Looooooooved singing around the Christmas tree…. That was really special and felt a little emotional as reference was made to the world’s troubled times it was a strangely personal moment around people I did not know but who recognised the need for togetherness.
The skiing was not the best but heh that’s life. Partly that’s the luck of the draw with the weather and partly I need to be a bit fitter and also, I think I need to change my boots..
Landed on time and safely back home.
If you are the type of person who likes to be around kindred spirits, then The Edelweiss is very much for you.
This might sound cliched but it’s true. I felt I found a friend. It’s the sort of place I felt I could pop in a say hello or if I needed something, they would help and that’s worth a lot in my book.
“Stay sexy”
A penny for your thoughts Mr Michael…… says the hotel should… “Do an afternoon tea” …. I always found this was really nice… A piece of cake or something and a cup of tea or coffee after skiing was not only really nice for letting go but was an excellent social moment and I found in past experiences it was a time when skiers could interact about their day’s experiences.