Exploring the Stubai Glacier at Jagdhof Hotel, one of Austria’s leading mountain hotels, perfect for a ski break.
On a recent visit to Austria, you may have read that I had “quite the experience”. I went on a medical detox at Park Igls. Fast forward a few months, and not that far away, I found the Spa Hotel Jagdhof, one of the top luxury mountain and ski hotels in Austria, member of Relais & Chateaux, which was the perfect place to… retox. And yes, it is a word.
Where is the Jagdhof Hotel in Austria and how do you get there
I personally do not know my Austria geography particularly well, and whilst we tend to ski in France or Switzerland mostly, I am starting to get my bearings.
To get to Hotel Jagdhof, you fly to Innsbruck and the hotel is about 30 minutes away by private transfer. You can fly daily from London Heathrow (in season) and some days of the week, you even have 2 flights a day with BA.
Located in the Stubai Valley, the hotel is in a little town called Neustift (which comes with all mod cons), but you won’t really need to leave the hotel if you don’t want to. The nearest ski area is the Stubai Glacier, 20 minutes away. But more on that later.
The arrival experience at Jagdhof Hotel
As stated earlier, we were picked from the airport and on arrival, were taken to the bar where we were given a drink of our choice. With a bottle of Bollinger next to me, I couldn’t say no (it had been a long day with a 7am flight which ended up being diverted to Munich at the last minute and our journey had, as a bonus, a 3-hour bus drive on top).
At the hotel, they were incredibly accommodating with the transfer and we felt very welcome from the moment we walked in to this Alpine gem.
We were given a little tour of the hotel whilst our room got ready – and as it is made of a cluster of old and new buildings, it was very useful. The decor is very traditional Alpine – and you get a real sense of place. You are in the mountains, in Austria and for once, everyone working at this hotel seems absolutely delighted to be there.
Our check in took place very casually at the bar, where other guests were having lunch. We were then escorted to our room.
Our room at Jagdhof Hotel
Our room at Jagdhof was incredibly spacious – and came with amazing views. Continuing with the Alpine theme, everything was perfectly functional.
The bedroom area was separated by the spacious seating area by an odd curtain. We also had plenty of seating options outside – where the views were stunning.
These rooms are the last batch that have not been renovated yet (and will be shortly) – and the decision was to give me the room with the best view or the most modern bathroom. The hotel chose the first option and I personally did live with it quite well.
The bathroom really felt dated – but the shower was excellent. The bath tub was huge (and we used it for a change). The one thing I wasn’t so keen was the 4 in 1 Molton Brown sports shower gel, which was stuck to the wall. Luckily I had my own shampoo and conditioner – but I would have expected a better option from this ‘department’.
The food and drinks at Jagdhof Hotel
We were on a half board basis, which meant we had breakfast and dinner at the hotel during our 4-night stay in Austria. We were in the main dining room – where you seat on the same table for the duration of your stay, and have the same waiter. I thought that was a lovely touch.
On Sundays, there is a ‘gala dinner’, with a 5-course meal and that really sets the scene for the other days. Breakfast was probably one of the best I have ever seen (and I love how Austrians love to thinly slice everything. Absolutely gets my vote too).
We had 3 options per course for each dinner – we never struggled once, but our waiter suggested also options off menu like carpaccio or steak tartare. On our last night, we also had a proper schnitzel which was incredible.
One of the evenings, we paid the 32 Euro supplement to have a fondue at the gondola – and whereas it was an interesting experience, it was my least favourite meal of all. I felt a bit claustrophobic with the oil in the cable car. There is also a gourmet option in terms of dining, but we were perfectly happy with ‘the normal’ offer.
The bar was very cosy – and we did indulge with the help of Stefan who was incredibly knowledgeable and loved making ‘proper cocktails’. We also ended up making friends at the bar – many of which return to Jagdhof year after year.
The Spa & The Private Spa at Jagdhof Hotel in Austria
The spa at the hotel is one of its biggest draws – and why it is busy year round. It has over 3000 m2 of saunas, steam rooms, an indoor and an outdoor pool – and its decor will help you understand a bit about the history of this family-owned and run hotel.
It is very traditional in parts – and uber modern in others. Both are very distinctive – and made me feel quite different. We had a massage every day (incredibly well priced at 70 Euros for 50 minutes) and used the pool and steam rooms as well.
Fellow guests were very considerate and it really was an oasis of calm we looked forward to every day. Do look at the photos below as they show the different areas (and decor).
But the most extraordinary thing? The Private Spa experience which is basically a suite where I could die happily. I made a video on Instagram which you can see below – but you rent it for 2 hours for 180 Euros and just enjoy the room.
You can get champagne or wine or whatever you would like from the mini bar, you can book treatments there (we did not), enjoy the swings, a bath, a steam or sauna. I read a bit too – and this was an incredibly simple experience I will never forget. The idea of privacy is excellent and it was a wonderful treat.
Click to see the video below (is it on Instagram)
Skiing at Stubai Glacier
I am very keen on ski-in / ski-out and the hotel is located at the bottom of the Stubai Glacier – so you have to be driven to it, and it takes 20-30 minutes. The hotel runs a small shuttle 3 times a day each way, and I have to say, it did work for us. I thought it wouldn’t, but it did (the ski room was immediately next door from the pick up point, so it was as seamless as possible).
To hire our ski equipment we walked to town on the day of arrival (we could have been driven there, but fancied a 15-minute walk) to Intersport (which is a tad more upmarket than its French counterpart. We paid 75 Euros each for skis for 2 days each (outstanding value) and took only a boot with us to test the size. The team then dropped back the skis and the boots to our locker and we did not have to return them as they would pick them up on departure. I thought it was a great option – but later found out you can actually do it at Intersport at the Glacier itself which also would work very well.
Stubai Glacier or Stubai Gletscher (in my best German) is the largest skiing glacier in Austria and I have to say, we really enjoyed skiing there for 2 days – and they guarantee snow from October to June, which is pretty incredible.
Also a special mention (and thank you) for the ski lifts with heating (yup) and the delightful gourmet restaurant where we had lunch everyday. From beautiful pasta dishes to the most delicious steak tartare (and at 30 Euros/head, it was incredible value). Thank you, Austria.
The ‘public toilets’ at the Stubai ski area were also the best I have ever seen – I have to say, I did really enjoy this ski station. We had private lessons organised (and Anna helped me ski post my ankle sprain which had happened less than a month ago). We loved how they just sent the bill to the hotel – there was something very efficient about the whole experience which we liked.
Getting out to Innsbruck
On our last day, we decided to venture out to Innsbruck – as I had been for a couple of hours on my previous visit to the area and it was quite lovely (and I fancied some shopping). From fabulous sheerlined boots, to coats and some raclette machines, we did have a very successful day.
To get to Innsbruck, we took a tram from the city centre to the village just below ours (took about 50 minutes and was incredibly scenic). The hotel then picked us up (for 15 Euros) and we had a great little outing.
Final thoughts:
We absolutely loved our stay at the Spa Hotel Jagdhof in Austria and I think most readers will too. I felt like I stumbled upon a little gem (as I had never heard about it) and I can understand why Austrians do want to keep it to themselves.
The service was also lovely – English was spoken by absolutely everyone and we felt we had a very bespoke experience, yet very relaxed. We would definitely return.
xo
Mrs. O
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Disclaimer and Fact Box: we were guests of Spa Hotel Jagdhof Hotel in Austria and opinions are my own. Rooms start at 218 Euros per person per night, based on two people sharing and half board, with suites starting at 268 Euros.
There are great offers (and lots of snow) from March onwards, including a 7-night half board package for 1359 Euros per person (based on 2 sharing) and a 6-day ski lift pass for Stubai ski area (valid April 28-May 5).
Prices are subject to availability and vary according to season. Every guest aged over 16 years and over is subject to local tourist tax.