Hotel Sommerhof

The pool and spa were amazing, and the ski lift is only minutes away. We ate really well, too. Mani, the owner, was a first class host, and the staff couldn’t have done more for us. Fabulous hotel!

We really appreciated how helpful the front desk was with activity plans and all our questions. The restaurant waiters greeted us with big smiles, and breakfast had a great range of delicious options. We stayed four nights while touring the region, close to Hallstat but away from the craziness, with a small market and restaurants nearby. Great hotel. We’d happily stay again. Thank you!

The best part of our stay at Hotel Sommerhof was how kind and humble every staff member was. We enjoyed being here, with good food, a great kids menu, and a location near the base of the mountains. It seems like one of the best places for a family vacation with kids. Thank you!

The building and location are beautiful, but that’s about where the good points stop for me. We booked through a third party. The hotel then said each extra guest would cost 120 Euros. There were two of us, so that meant a fee for the second person. I’ve stayed in dozens of hotels in several countries, booked both directly and through third parties, and have never been charged for having someone else in the room. This fee isn’t published anywhere, and it feels like a hidden charge imposed at the hotel’s discretion. They said booking directly would have avoided it, which still makes no sense to me. Worth knowing before you book. At the indoor bar, staff hand you a tray of glass cups to take to the pool. I dropped mine because I’m not a server and don’t know how to carry a loaded tray. When I told staff, one person laughed and went to remake the drinks, which they were going to charge me for again. Nobody asked where the tray fell. I did my best to clean up, but there could still be glass chips on the floor as I write this. The staff member who brought the replacement drinks then spilled rum and coke on both a pool chair and my shirt. For a hotel at this price, it seems like basic courtesy to bring drinks out for guests. If guests are expected to carry them, I’d at least expect the hotel to waive the charge for drinks that spill. I’ve never before had to carry a drink tray from an indoor bar, through the dining room and outside to the pool. I told the woman at the front desk directly, but not rudely, that I was unhappy and planned to write an honest review with everything here. She said that was how they’d always done things and that I was the first guest to have these problems. I found that hard to believe, but didn’t want to push it further. A little later, the manager, who is also the owner and whom I’d spoken with by phone during check-in, knocked on our room door. She said I’d been rude to her staff. I was being direct, not rude. She said we could leave if we didn’t like the hotel. I agreed, on the condition that she refund every dollar we’d paid, $400 CAD plus the 120 Euro fee I consider bogus. That was where the conversation ended. We felt uncomfortable after that and didn’t have the included dinner or breakfast. I know this hotel gets mostly positive reviews, but based on what happened to us, I’d recommend avoiding it if possible. We’d already spent 10 days in Austria and had great experiences at every other place we stayed. There are accommodations where you’re treated like a paying guest instead of someone to take money from through fees and poor service.