Hotel tester Rath checks in: Stanglwirt in Kitzbühel

All is right with the world here. There are only a few destinations that give me this first impression. Kitzbühel, the beautiful small town in the Alps, is one such place. In addition to the fantastic mountain idyll, Kitzbühel shows a lively change in its hotel industry and is for me the counterpart to Tegernsee and the island of Sylt. When I think of quality tourism, these three regions come first.

Perhaps you know the winter ski resort of Kitzbühel from the legendary Hahnenkamm ski race and its glamorous après-ski parties, where champagne flows like water. But the region also attracts visitors from near and far in summer. Here in the mountains far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, guests take a break with golf and mountaineering activities.

During my last visit to the Kitzbühel Alps, I noticed a lot of activity behind the scenes of the hotel: the Dohle family, the owners of the Hamburger Vier Jahreszeiten, the best hotel in Germany, recently acquired the Hotel Tenne in Kitzbühel. Extensive renovation work is currently taking place. I’m sure that it will soon be welcoming guests on the same level as is already the case in Hamburg.

The Stanglwirt: benchmark for resort hotels

I’ll take a closer look at the details of the Stanglwirt, which has been run for 14 generations, in the current spring season. The wellness and organic hotel is located in Going, just outside of Kitzbühel. The beautiful alpine resort has always hosted numerous prominent guests. Above all, I remember that the Klitschko boxing brothers used to do a few training sessions here.

I have never experienced a hotel that offers such variety: variety in gastronomy, in sports, in the area, in the pools. I stayed at the Stanglwirt for several days and still couldn’t see everything. No matter where I go, new perspectives always open up. Great attention to detail is evident in everything. That’s to my liking.

Unfortunately, I am not spared the question of the room number here either. Luckily, the rest of the service is very personal and cordial – led by the father Balthasar Hauser and lived by the three siblings Maria, Elisabeth and Johannes.

Hard to believe that the Stanglwirt has been around since 1567. At least the forerunner of the house, the “tavern on the Prama”. Back then, the tavern was born out of necessity: wine was considered medicine and was supposed to be served to immunize the population fighting the plague. In 1643 the Stanglwirt got its name from the owner at the time, Hans Stangl. Even then, the focus was on the guest: When brisk trade flourished in the region in the 18th century, the inn offered traders shelter and built a wagon hut with foresight.

Today the hotel uses – again in the interests of the guest – environmentally friendly resources. The in-house Kaiser spring supplies the water worlds and the sauna area with rich water. I am particularly impressed by today’s Lipizzaner stud farm. Even if I’m not really a die-hard horse fanatic: Austria’s first private horse stud with the majestic animals inspires me. In 1986 the first stallion of the breeding named Pluto Verona was bought at auction. Today, the Stanglwirt looks back on 35 years of Lipizzaner breeding and is home to 24 stately horses.

In cooperation with the riding school in Vienna, riding lessons on one of the imperial horses can be booked here during your holiday. Even if happiness for some lies on horseback, I prefer to watch the riding attempts from a distance: over a fine drop in the bar with a view of the indoor riding arena.

I spend my time in the extensive sauna area and enjoy the wellness offers. If you don’t relax here, it’s really your own fault. Five different saunas and two steam baths are available. My favorite is of course the rustic Wilde Kaiser sauna. The fragrant organic spruce sauna is also recommended. It’s best if you decide for yourself. I recommend a stay of several days so that you can immerse yourself in at least a few facets of the Stanglwirt.

A tip: enjoy the bathrooms! Often these are only mediocre, with large brand logos without further content. I experience these private rooms in the Stanglwirt in a completely different way. The quality is excellent and the soaps and shampoos are all sustainable.

Conclusion: Tradition meets impressive experience

The Stanglwirt manages to bring generations together and at the same time keep up with the times. You will find exactly the right offers for a family holiday or quality time for two. Such an extensive portfolio often carries the risk of becoming anonymous. Not so at the Stanglwirt. I experience warmth and hospitality here like in a family boutique hotel. I enjoy the luxury and variety of a large resort. A real benchmark for many colleagues.

Incidentally, the “Hotel Tirol” is another jewel in the region that has gone through many economic ups and downs. Now Jörg T. Böckeler, CEO of the Hommage Luxury Hotels Collection, is sure to reach new heights. In December 2022 the house will open its newly renovated doors.

The inventor and owner of the Lanserhöfe, Christian Harisch, runs more than 14 other hotels – all of them excellent. These include the boutique hotel Schwarzer Adler and the Hotel Weisses Rössl in Kitzbühel. Both houses are currently being renovated and are therefore temporarily closed. With its houses, Harisch is and remains the top dog in terms of variety, quality and innovation.

Rath’s travel rating for the Stanglwirt (bold):

1. Explicit Travel Warning
2. Better than under the bridge
3. So-so, not oh, là là
4. Complaining at a high level
5. IF ONLY IT WERE ALWAYS LIKE THIS
6. Great cinema

About the author: As a former grand hotelier and operator of a travel platform, Carsten K. Rath is a professional globetrotter. He travels to all the hotels he writes about for the Handelsblatt on his own account. Rath is the brain behind the ranking “The 101 best hotels in Germany”, whose partners include the Handelsblatt.

More: Ranking “The 101 best hotels in Germany” – Four Seasons Hamburg and Schloss Elmau together at the top