Sportpension Enzian

The lack of basic facilities made it feel as if guests weren't welcome. There are no shared areas and no kettles in the rooms, and the whole hotel locks its doors from 9:45 am, just after breakfast, until 4:00 pm. That left us locked out or without anywhere to make a hot drink all day. When I was sick, I asked the owner for tea. He said, "nothing in life is free," charged us €10,60 for two small cups of boiling water, and refused to add more water because boiling the kettle costs money. At breakfast, guests are expected to boil their own eggs in water that looked old and dirty. This was easily the most unwelcoming hotel stay I've ever had. The management seemed to dislike having guests, and the service felt nonexistent. The rudeness and penny-pinching really spoiled our ski holiday. Avoid this place at all costs.

The location is excellent. It's a 150 m walk downhill to the Schatberg Express slope, and you can ski to within 10 m of the hotel. Rooms are spacious and warm, and they're cleaned daily. Breakfast was good and the service okay. It's a decent average hotel, though I missed the cosy feeling and personal contact with the owners you'd expect from a proper Austrian Pension, which is how it's advertised on the website.

We won't be back. The beds squeaked, and the linen could do with replacing. The bathroom smelled like a sewer, and the manager himself smoked in the main restaurant, despite smoking indoors having been banned in Austria for several years. It's a convenient spot for skiing, with ski-in and ski-out access on a chairlift. The pension is central but set back from the city centre and main street, so it stays quiet. Since our last visit, management has changed, and our experience has gone downhill.

The place was filthy, and the staff were rude. I've never come across that much arrogance. It was a complete waste of money and ruined our skiing holiday. If you're considering staying here, don't. There are plenty of better places in Saalbach in the same price range. I'd give it zero stars if I could.