The picturesque village of Lech has been a magnet for royalty over the decades from Princess Victoria of Sweden to the Spanish King Juan to sporting royalty like Sebastian Vettel. One of the finest hotels in the region, Hotel Arlberg Lech is famously where Princess Diana used to stay and help the young princes learn to ski.
Hotel
The hotel is still a family-run business in its third generation. The founders, Johann and Helga Schneider opened the hotel back in 1956 before the area became a world-famous skiing resort. Johann went on to become the mayor of Lech, he was a passionate hunter and that is very much in evidence in their antlers room filled with trophy displays. The strong alpine theme is extenuated by the bear skins, the fireplaces and the wood beam ceilings throughout the hotel.
Since its humble beginnings, there have been numerous extensions and upgrades to the hotel so some parts of the resort will feel more modern, however, there is always a strong focus on art and design. Every corner you look at, something is captivating your attention, from a ladybird puff sofa to a vintage animal motif wardrobe.
The hotel has no less than three restaurants, an iconic bar serving the finest aperitif and nightcaps, a heated indoor and outdoor pool and world-class spa facilities. The Hotel Arlberg experience is also about embracing nature and you are surrounded by scenic, pristine mountains from the Austrian Alps which are incredibly popular during the skiing season and make for a more tranquil escape during the quieter summer hiking season.
Room
None of the hotel’s 50 rooms are identical and they have single rooms catering for the solo traveller, starting at 22 sqm, to regal suites like the Arlbergsuite, which is 110 sqm. The latter has been recently renovated to include wellness-approved lime plaster and all-natural wall pigments.
Floor-to-ceiling glass windows offer a panoramic view of the spectacular scenery as well as on their spacious balcony. The bathroom feels more like a private spa with an independent bathtub that fits two and a walk-in steam shower. Toiletries are from the hip New York brand, Le Labo, well-known for their trend-setting scents, hand-craftsmanship and eco-conscious refill programme.
Food and drink
The original hotel restaurant, The Stube nowadays focuses on offering fondue and alpine cuisine. Their original organic cheese fondue is made entirely without alcohol, which is great for travellers with dietary requirements and young families. If you want a gourmet experience, fine-dining restaurant, La Fenice will hit all the right notes. Their talented executive chef Patrick Tober can offer a five to eight-course degustation menu or expertly-executed classics from their a la carte menu. You can sample the finest Viennese Schnitzel to a spaghettini with summer truffles that recall Nonna’s cooking but executed with Michelin precision.
Most of the culinary action takes place at the hotel’s half-board restaurant which serves a daily-changing five-course dinner menu. They are not afraid to challenge the customer’s palates with exotic creations such as onsen egg with spinach, nettle and bacon crumble and a sticky rice dessert with pineapple and coconut. If you get the chance, do visit their historic wine cellar. They might even be able to arrange a wine-tasting experience for you where you can sample the finest Austrian wines and learn a little about viticulture in the country.
Spa
The award-winning, world-class spa would put plenty of larger, five-star resorts to shame. It is a multi-sensory experience that has been designed with wellness and the environment in mind. The material used is mainly Vals quartzite stone, which has been quarried in Vals, which is only 170km away from the resort.
They have a dizzying array of facilities from steam rooms, bio-saunas, a Finnish sauna, an infrared cabin, a cold plunge pool, a heated outdoor pool and plenty of relaxation areas. There is a certain degree of playfulness in the design: a fish tank embedded into the wall of the sauna will make you query whether you need to visit an optometrist.
To do
One of the major positives of staying at Hotel Arlberg Lech is the central location in town. You are steps away from the iconic Strolz, the most exclusive sports and fashion store on the Arlberg. They are well-known for making personalised ski boots for their customers. For those looking for a meditative experience, there is Skyspace-Lech. It is a walk-in art installation by James Turrell, who focuses on light and space art.
In a nutshell
Whether you are looking for a nature escape, a gastronomic getaway or to holiday like royalty, Hotel Arlberg has something to offer for all discerning travellers.
Factbox
Hotel Arlberg Lech offers rooms from €245 per night.
Address: Tannberg 187, 6764 Lech, Austria
Phone: +43 5583 21340
Email: info@arlberghotel.at
Website: arlberghotel.at/en
