Pfeifer Kirchenwirt

The service was good, and the view from the top of the hill is picturesque. Add the traditional Austrian food, and that's all you need.

Nice setting, good food, and excellent service.

The hotel has a charming, traditional Austrian feel, with very spacious rooms and friendly staff. Breakfast was included, and the staff mostly kept out of sight. The area is quiet and beautiful, right next to a huge pilgrimage church, and parking in the large public lot was incredibly easy. It’s free overnight. You do need a car to get here, but downtown Graz is a quick drive, and we found it a great base for the Austrian Grand Prix. Our room got a little noisy at night because there’s no air conditioning, so we had the windows open and other guests kept arriving right below them. It was a quiet area otherwise, and the noise didn’t last long. We also ate at the restaurant. The decor and atmosphere were very traditional Austrian, and the beer was tasty, even if the selection was small. Service was fairly friendly but slow, which at least suggested the food was being made fresh. We were served beef goulash instead of the cordon blue I ordered and the veal goulash with dumplings my wife ordered. It tasted good, but was very safe and traditional, so it didn't stand out. They said they would comp the meal because of the mix-up, but that never happened, and it didn't seem worth arguing over.

The church is worth a visit, and you'll need a car if you want to go into downtown Graz. The hotel restaurant was good, though the waiters were busy and dinner service took a while. It has the warm, cozy feel of an old gausthus, quite different from a chain hotel, and the staff were friendly.