Oetztal Residenz

Great location, comfortable beds, and large rooms. There’s free parking and wireless internet, plus a kitchen with everything you need and a shower with very hot water. The pillows could do with changing.

I rarely leave a bad review, particularly for a family-run business, but I want the owners to take this seriously. This place could offer a great stay, but our experience was poor. Communication was missing, management felt disorganized, and maintenance was lacking. We booked directly through the website after hearing good recommendations from guests who stayed in 2022. The photos looked great, and we liked the idea of a family-owned place. I entered my card details for the deposit, but it was never charged. Two days before arrival I emailed the owner with a question and got no answer, and there were no check-in instructions either. We began to wonder if the reservation was even valid. On arrival day I had to search for a phone number. When someone finally answered, they told me to pick up the keys at the pizza restaurant across the street. Having to hunt for contact details and guess what to do was unacceptable. An older woman handed us the keys there, but she spoke very little English. The apartment looked worn compared with the photos, which seemed to have been taken a long time ago. We could have lived with that, but several things were not working or were dirty: lights, a wall clock, and remote controls without batteries; a foul-smelling fridge; and shades that were dirty and partly broken. There were no recycling bins, just one small rubbish bin for the whole apartment, with no instructions for disposal. When we asked, the maintenance man said to leave the rubbish bag outside. It stayed there all day before someone eventually took it. We had chosen the B&B option. When we asked the woman at the restaurant about breakfast, she said she didn’t know whether it was included and would check later, but never got back to us. The worst issue was the hornets all over the balcony. There were several nests in the blinds and balcony walls. During a week-long heatwave, with temperatures reaching 36°C, we couldn’t open windows for fresh air without hornets flying in, and our kids were terrified. We reported it, and a maintenance person came a few hours later to remove the nests. The relief lasted only until the next day, when the hornets returned. At checkout I showed him they were still there. Finally, the owner emailed that payment was by wire transfer only, not card. The woman at the restaurant across the street had earlier said we could pay by card there at checkout. It seemed they wanted to avoid card fees, but the international transfer cost me extra. If I’d known about that payment method beforehand, I wouldn’t have booked. It was a very bad experience. Until communication, maintenance, and the handling of guest concerns improve, I can’t recommend staying here.

The hosts are really friendly, and there’s a delicious pizzeria near the apartments that I’d recommend trying. The apartment is spacious, with a kitchen and two rooms, and the furniture is modern and attractive. It’s in a quiet location. I just hope they keep up regular maintenance on the apartments and facilities so they stay in good condition.

We’d love to return. The owners, who also run the restaurant directly opposite, were incredibly friendly and helpful. It was a great place to stay, modern inside and roomy enough for six people. The restaurant was a highlight too, with a very good dinner.