Hotel Crystal - KitzHorn Suites

The new owners and manager, who took over not long after our previous visit three years ago, have really raised the bar. We’ve just returned for our third stay, and the experienced waiters and chef were outstanding. Dinner was the highlight: four courses, with extra surprises that brought it to six servings. Every dish was delicious, exquisite, and presented like art. The slow pace means time with family, though dinner can take 2.5-3.5 hours. It’s hard to think of a better way to spend an evening in St Johann. They made extra food, catered for a sulphite allergy, and shortened our final dinner to two courses when we wanted an early night before a 4am alarm. Breakfast was great as well. Eggs are prepared individually and served in generous portions, and a mini buffet comes to the table. You can ask for pretty much anything, and they’ll likely have it, including delicious granola, yogurts, and bacon. There are robes in the room for the sauna now, and reception will lend towels for the local swimming pool. The handy room bag made it easy to carry towels there. We liked it enough to buy two to take home.

We’ve been here four or five times with the kids, and every stay has been great. The hotel is just steps from Max Pub, the Main Gondola Station, and the ski schools. There’s warm storage for ski gear, plus parking for at least eight cars out front. The staff are friendly and helpful. This year, the enthusiastic new manager Verena took a good hotel to another level. The new chef made every dinner feel divine. The dishes were creative, delicious works of art, and we were all impressed by the modern approach to a typical Austrian-style hotel.

The owner seemed not to be our biggest fan, though I’m not sure why. He saw us leaving and didn’t say goodbye, which felt odd. Apart from that, we had a great stay at hotel Crystal for five nights. The rooms were simple and a little small, but very clean and accommodating. The waiters were splendid, friendly, and professional. Dinner had three options, including one vegetarian choice, and the food was good. Drinks were normally priced, neither cheap nor expensive. The wellness facilities were basic but fine. Towels were included, robes weren’t. Good staff, especially Dominique!!

We were there right at the start of the season, so it was very quiet with few other guests. The staff were extremely helpful, and the place is dog friendly with nice rooms. We stayed one night while doing KAT Walk.