Hotel Kaiserhof Kitzbuehel

The breakfast buffet was excellent, and adding it to our stay felt like good value. We also liked being just a five-minute walk from Kitzbühel village, with its shops and places to eat. It’s a charming ski town, and the skiing was great. Our room had beautiful views of the Alps and was comfortable. Hotel Kaiserhof has a classic alpine ski-lodge feel, and the main gondola is about a minute away on foot. There’s also a handy ski locker room for your gear. We had a great stay and would recommend it.

The main reason for my four-star rating is the charge for parking our rental car beside the hotel. I feel parking should be part of the room price or included with the stay, as it is at many hotels in Europe. It was October, not high season, and the car park didn’t seem very busy. Even so, we enjoyed our six-night stay and would return. Everyone was polite and welcoming. The location was very good, near both the cable car and the old town. Breakfast had a good selection of local foods and something for every taste. We tried the à la carte menu too, but found it average. The waiting staff were lovely and accommodating with us and our two-year-old son. The receptionist was very nice and helpful, and the room was cleaned every day. We were happy with the cleaning service.

I lost 340€ for two nights, and the way the hotel handled my request left me feeling that its cancellation policy was being used to take advantage of my situation. I understand the policy is meant to protect the hotel, but I expected a place with such a high-class image to be more understanding and customer-oriented, instead of giving so many reasons it couldn’t lower the fee. I booked on March 9th for May 14-16th. The next day, I realized I’d made a big mistake: I meant to book March 12-14th. Those dates cost three times as much because it was high season. I know it was my mistake, and it was a busy period, but I simply hadn’t noticed. I took full responsibility, but couldn’t accept changing the dates at triple the original price. Since I asked to cancel the day after booking, two months ahead, I respectfully asked if they could reduce the 100% cancellation fee to 50%. That would cover their administration costs while letting me save some money. There was no bad intention on my part. I wasn’t going to travel to Kitzbuehel in May, but the hotel wouldn’t reduce the charge. I agreed to the conditions, yes, but life happens and people make mistakes.

The rooms feel warm and comfortable, and the decor is clean. Breakfast is well done, with lots of healthy options. The hotel is right by the gondola and the last ski run of the day. There’s also a clean, secure room for boots and skis, with boot-warming racks.