Walisgaden

We stopped for lunch at the restaurant, which sits right on the ski slope below the top station of the Walisgaden chairlift. It looks very inviting, though we didn't stay at the hotel and can't comment on it. The restaurant is cozy, with traditional furnishings. At lunchtime there are lots of skiers, so the staff are busy, but they remained helpful and friendly. The food was good, not cheap, but fairly priced.

The food was one of the best parts of our week with half board. Dinner was an impressive four courses, and the restaurant's glass-fronted panorama extension has wall-to-wall mountain views. The open scenery around the hotel is beautiful, and it's directly on the ski piste. It feels like a high-quality family-run place, with the owner around every day and happy to chat, plus a friendly, helpful reception. We also appreciated that hardly anyone was staring at phones or children glued to devices. The spa is unusually good for a hotel of this size, both in design and construction. The pool and saunas look out over the mountains, with a children's section including a pool and sauna, and a separate adult side. There's a new underground car park, too. One caution in winter: the road is steep, and getting there really calls for a four-wheel-drive vehicle with snow tyres or chains. We had one of the smaller rooms in the older part of the hotel. It was fine for three people, with lots of storage, a good bathroom and plenty of hot water. The newer building houses the spa. The ski room is very well built, with a space for each room and boot warmers for everyone. Restaurant staff sometimes seemed overloaded, and cleanliness could be better. Tables were not always cleared after the previous day, and there was food left on the floor. I understand why some guests have mentioned service and organization issues. These problems didn't spoil our holiday, but should be easy to improve. For what we paid, taking the location, hotel, food and atmosphere into account, this was one of our best ski holidays.

The room was tip-top, and having parking in the garage was very convenient. Staff were incredibly friendly and keen to help. We were the only non-Austrians there, but felt very welcome. Just be aware the restaurant menu is only in German; the staff will do their best to translate it. We'd definitely come back.

Beautiful views, good food and very nice staff. The spa facilities are lovely and the atmosphere is really relaxing. It seems best suited to adults, couples and friends looking for a restful break.