You can write your own love legend in Austria. Here, Emperor Franz Josef masterminded the Cinderella-style ball culture, a romantic tradition that lives on today, complete with horse-drawn carriage transfers, late-night dinners that last until dawn, and floor-length gowns aplenty. Here, beloved composer Johann Strauss uplifted dance music to a flirtatious version of high art when he created the waltz. Here, Gustave Klimt painted evocative masterworks, such as The Kiss.
Now it’s your turn. Yield to Austria’s hypnotic mood when you sip a Melange coffee and nibble delicate cakes in grand cafés unchanged by time. Find a table beside a shimmering lake for dinner, the candlelight reflected in the water’s graceful arcs. Dress up like royalty for the opera or a cheerful Mozart performance in a historic concert hall — or keep things casual and race each other through the woods on one of Austria’s myriad hiking and biking trails. Perhaps a picnic in a forest? Or a sail for two across a lake at dusk? Don’t miss a museum hung with storied art and the chance to discuss your favorite works over a glass of Grüner Veltliner in a traditional wine tavern. It’s all part of the magic.
Cinematic cities such as Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Graz await, but also compelling are small villages along Lake Wörthersee, and spotted in the picturesque countryside in Austria. Pack those dirndls, lederhosen, lorgnettes, ermine-edged capes, or come as you are to Austria’s array of charming hotels — each a castle in its own right, each steeped in unimaginable romance.
Though not every hotel below has a dungeon or drawbridge, each welcomes guests with regal conviviality — the Austrian way.
Schloss Seefels
It’s a joy to behold. How apt that Schloss Seefels on Lake Wörthersee (in an area often referred to as Austria’s Caribbean for its turquoise water), was built in 1860 as a residence for Emanuel Herrmann, the inventor of the postcard. Apparently, he knew beauty when he saw it.
Today, this neo-classical mansion on the water continues its splendorous tradition as a multi-layered feast for the senses. Enlivened with more than 200 pieces from the owners’ private art collection, as well as swathes of creative work and products from some of the world’s top interior design houses — Wittmann, a Viennese furniture firm, Pierre Frey, Venini, and Christian Lacroix, to name a few.
Schloss Seefels is suffused with a transporting mood of refined razzle-dazzle. Celebrated for its pool, which seemingly floats on the lake, not to mention the heated bathrobes that await on the dock, this clever hotel run by Helena Ramsbacher simply hits a high note. Suites and guest rooms reflect the hotel’s overall brio with designer trappings and art, unique furniture, and high-end amenities such as Dyson supersonic hairdryers.
Several fine and casual dining restaurants and bars serve guests. Fashionistas will revel in the extraordinary Pink Birkin Salon for intimate dining in a rose-colored nook, while traditionalists will swill with old-world loftiness beneath Schloss Bar’s Baroque chandelier. A jungle-themed spa brings relief after days spent playing on mountain trails or cavorting on the lake.
Room to Book: We’re partial to the Corner Suite for its airiness, pops of color, artwork, and ample terrace with lake views.
Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rössl
Not a true castle, but a lakeside retreat fit for a king, this elegant hotel began as a 15th-century country inn. Today, under the same family ownership for a century, it comprises nine interconnected, restored historic buildings on the banks of gin-clear Lake Wolfgang.
Located in the lake-peppered Salzkammergut region near Salzburg, Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rôssl reigns as a pillar of St. Wolfgang, a village known for its painted houses and cobbled streets. Royalty, celebrities, and travelers visit to partake in water sports, hike, or ski the surrounding mountains and dine in the hotel’s three Michelin-starred restaurant Poll’s Kaiserterrasse. Famous as the setting for both an operetta and a film of the same name, Im Weissen Rössl is also renowned for its spa, which overlooks the lake.
Choose from some 100 distinctively designed rooms and suites (most with terraces that hover over Lake Wolfgang’s glimmering water), as well as 12 apartments. Don’t miss its pièce de résistance: a huge pool, heated year-round that floats atop the lake.
Room to Book: The White Horse Suite With Lake View Balcony provides plenty of room and a large terrace that seamlessly connects guests to the water below. Sip coffee or a glass of wine as you watch the ferries crisscross the watery horizon.
Schlosshotel Kitzbühel
A castle for those with a penchant for contemporary chic, Schlosshotel Kitzbühel beckons. A showpiece in medieval Kitzbühel, a tony ski town just an hour from Innsbruck, the hotel was constructed as a newly built castle, complete with turrets and towers.
With modern flourishes inside and out, and an emphasis on motifs that echo the encircling terrain’s soulful tranquility, Schlosshotel Kitzbühel offers indulgently large rooms, most with terraces and mountain views. Artsy decor and boutique vibes strike a plush mood in every category. Since the hotel overlooks Kitzbühel’s legendary slopes and hiking trails, request a room that gazes toward Hahnenkamm, a gripping ski run. It’s where the annual World Cup alpine ski race takes place, and stands out as Kitzbühel ski resort’s feather in its cap.
Golfers can tee off at the renowned Golfclub Kitzbühel next door and wellness seekers can book treatments at the hotel’s Spa Momentum, a sanctuary with all the accoutrements from saunas to pools. Choose from three restaurants, including one located at the golf course.
Room to Book: We love the Sissi and Franz Suite, an “imperial” choice, with two separate, en-suite bathrooms, a living room, dining area, chimney, and expansive roof terrace.
Hotel Arlberg
Lech, about two hours from Zurich, wasn’t always full of jet setters. But once local athlete Hannes Schneider pioneered Alpine-style skiing in 1921 (and opened the world’s first ski school), the glitterati came in throngs. A place where understated sophistication and non-ostentatious wealth rules the day, Lech, one of the region’s most soulful ski villages, caters to an earthy — and noble — beau monde crowd. Join them at family-owned Hotel Arlberg, an upscale chalet-style lodge on the slope, which opened in 1956 as a simple coffeehouse. Today, it houses one of Austria’s most celebrated Michelin-starred restaurants, La Fenice, as well as a popular fondue restaurant.
Known for its warmth and inclusive atmosphere, the hotel summons the setting with mounted antlers, frescoes, fur throws, and hand-carved furniture, all the while weaving in lashings of pomp and splendor. Ideal for all seasons, Hotel Arlberg features a spa in collaboration with Suzanne Kaufmann, pools, and some of the region’s most trusted concierge-curated experiences, including guided mountain hikes and ski lessons.
Room to Book: Enjoy the Jagdhof Rooftop Suite, a romantic hideaway, resplendent with a sloped roof and killer views. It has all the longed for extras — including poetry books and boiled-wool hot water bottles for cold nights.
Burg Hotel Lech Am Arlberg
Whether in summer or winter, the secluded village of Oberlech feels like being lost (on purpose) on the mountain. A car-free zone above Lech, it nestles slope-side. The diminutive village area can only be accessed by ski, foot, or cable car in winter, which adds to its sense of facilitating a disengagement from the world’s hubbub. Irresistibly presenting as a timeless chalet hotel — just the sort of place you want to sleep and linger while in Austria — it also lives up to its regal name, “burg,” which means castle. Abundant with gravitas, it remains family owned, with generations of returning guests.
Once a milk bar on the slopes, Burg Hotel Lech now gets accolades for its gastronomy: try Lechtaler Stube for haute cuisine and traditional Austrian dishes. Interiors meld laid-back, but au courant Alpine style with luxurious rooms and suites sheathed in wood, a homage to the outdoors. Couples sleep well here, not just due to the fresh mountain air, but also thanks to the Samina sleep systems. A sublime spa offers treatments, a pool, fitness room, and saunas.
Room to Book: If traveling with family or a few friends, look into Burghotel’s “Apartment” units, stunningly decorated, roomy spaces which can be large enough for groups of friends or families. If it’s just the two of you — all the more room for reconnecting.
Schlosshotel Velden
Travelers visit Carinthia, Austria’s southernmost state, for its sunny days, glistening lakes, and mountains. Bordering Italy and Slovenia, it emanates an extraordinary mix of Slavic, Alpine, and Mediterranean culture that manifests in its slow food and farm-to-table traditions, castles, and love of choral singing. Check into Schlosshotel Velden for the ultimate Carinthian experience. It fronts Lake Wörthersee, pocketed between water and mountains on the Austrian Riviera. Within the stunning bones of a 16th-century, curry-colored castle, it is a paragon of Renaissance grandeur in the countryside.
A member of Leading Hotels of the World, the castle salutes bygone days with sumptuous, antique-style furnishings embracing modern times with the most up-to-date amenities. Seek repose in the 37,000-square-foot Acquapura Lake Spa, an astonishing space with three indoor and outdoor pools, a beach club and marina with private lake access, additional pools, saunas — including one in the garden with lake views — and fitness area.
Room to Book: Choose the Romantik Suite situated in the historic building, which pampers with delights such as a private sauna and a large rooftop balcony.
Featured image courtesy (c) Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences. In partnership with the Austrian Tourist Office.
