Rote Wand Gourmet Hotel, a Member of Design Hotels

We spent a fantastic week at the Rote Wand. The hotel has a modern style, and the bar and lounge always had a warm, lively feel. The food was amazing, and they were happy to offer simpler choices on days when someone wasn’t in the mood for gourmet dining. The staff welcomed us warmly and were kind, knowledgeable, and attentive. We’ll definitely come back if we get the chance.

Half-board prices should include things like bottled water and coffee after dinner. That’s my only real criticism. I’d also love a water fountain in the excellent gym, which is handy when bad weather keeps you inside. It’s a peaceful, scenic spot about 3 km from Lech. The evening meals are as good as anywhere in the Alps, with every course an adventure and a cheese selection beyond my dreams. Breakfast was table service each morning, and everything was spot on. To reach Ski Arlberg, ski down for 2 minutes to the nearby gondola.

We’ve been coming here for years. Even after trying other places in the area, we always return. The wellness is superb, the food is excellent, and you can ski in and out or catch the ski bus right outside for easy access to one of the world’s best ski areas. The service is wonderful, from the bellman greeting us on arrival to the amazing meal at the "Chef's Tabel". Thanks again!

We stayed April 2-5, paying approximately €900 per night for our room. That puts this hotel firmly in the luxury category, but the experience didn’t meet that standard. The hotel welcomes children of all ages and dogs of all sizes. The building is an old farm structure, redesigned with a mix of Austrian stube style and modern minimalism. To me, it looks inconsistent rather than refined. The lobby is extremely modest, there’s no proper luxury spa, no significant terrace or view, and getting to the rooms means going through technical, basement-style corridors. There also wasn’t service to match the price level. In the room, the minimalist finish felt clearly economy level, from the mattress to the materials. Wi-Fi reception was poor. The bathroom ventilation and shower insulation were so weak that condensation stayed for over 1.5 hours after a shower, making the room feel like a tropical greenhouse. The room itself was extremely cold. There were hygiene and service problems too. A tray of dirty dishes left outside by guests sat in the hallway for three days. When I finally raised it at reception, the receptionist simply said, “I don’t think so.” The soundproofing was practically nonexistent. We could hear everything in neighboring rooms, including barking dogs and a neighbor blowing his nose. For skiing, Zug is a tiny village about 3 km from Lech, and the hotel sits directly by the road. You have to cross the road to reach the lift, then ski down a very narrow path that’s often shared with pedestrians. That’s far from what most people would expect from a luxury ski-in/ski-out stay. The main reason we booked was the hotel’s strong marketing around “Michelin gastronomy,” which turned out to be very misleading. During booking, it was never clearly explained that the Michelin recognition is a Green Michelin Star for sustainability and sourcing quality, not high gastronomy. Those are entirely different things. There is a Michelin chef associated with the hotel, but he works in a separate restaurant. Hotel guests can book under the usual conditions, with all rest(250 euro pp exl vine). Dinner with him isn’t included in a regular stay. We only found out after paying that this meal is offered once, and only to guests staying five nights or more. We were there for three nights and had three dinners. The food was decent, simple Austrian comfort food, honest and acceptable, but nowhere near high gastronomy or the level suggested by the hotel’s branding and prices. We talked to several other guests. The more experienced food lovers were just as confused after dinner, while less experienced guests really thought they’d had Michelin-level fine dining. Two things genuinely stood out in a good way: the artisanal bread was outstanding, I basically lived on bread and butter for three days, and the desserts were excellent, clearly above the hotel’s general culinary level. The whole stay left us disappointed, mostly because the expectations had been set so much higher than what was delivered. If you’re happy to pay Michelin-level prices for bread, butter, and very good desserts while getting service like a roadside motel, this may suit you. Everyone else might be better off staying elsewhere in the Lech area and booking the Michelin restaurant separately.