Seehotel Schwan

The room’s scenery lived up to the photos, but most of the rest of our stay was a let-down. The interior, aside from the restaurant, felt like my old boarding school: the rooms seemed furnished for a 16-year-old, the toilet wouldn’t flush properly, and the soap dispensers were empty. Except for the front exterior, the hotel seemed past its best. That’s puzzling, since in my experience hotels run by a family for generations are usually well cared for, with thought put into the details. Breakfast was okay, though nothing special, with lots of fatty food and sugar and very few vegetables. Restaurant service wasn’t outright bad, but it was inattentive and a little arrogant. Our larger dinner group had to fetch its own drinks from the bar even though it wasn’t particularly busy. At breakfast, the buffet was cleared five minutes before the stated end time, without anyone warning us. That was just rude. For such an expensive location, the experience was mostly disappointing, and I wouldn’t recommend it. I’d give it 2.5 if Google allowed that. I emailed my criticism after we left and got no response, which is why I’m posting this review.

We tried the beef goulash, Arctic char, homemade salad, and tiramisu with coffee, and everything was delicious. It’s a cozy old restaurant with an interesting menu and a separate one for children.

The setting is lovely for a sunny lunch, and the staff were kind, attentive, and spoke English. The food itself was mediocre for the price, though. We only ate at the restaurant.

The room had been renovated, the view was great, and breakfast was okay. Check-in and checkout were quick and smooth, and everything else went well. I can recommend the hotel. One thing to plan around is parking. There’s free parking beside the hotel, but spaces are limited. The paid lot on the square in front is free from 5 in the evening until 9 in the morning. You can’t really pay for the city parking through the app, which is aimed at Austrian residents, and even if you manage it, the limit is 40 minutes. I would’ve liked to stay longer in Gmunden, but left early because I was worried about parking. That’s not the hotel’s fault, just a heads-up for other visitors.