Hotel Albula & Julier

Our room was tidy and clean, with a lovely river view, and the food was delicious. The family who run this hotel and the staff were friendly and helpful the whole time. We stayed here as part of a Great British Railway Experience and are now moving on as we travel back on the Glacier Express. I’d definitely recommend it when visiting Tiefencastle.

The tap water was incredibly fresh, maybe the freshest we’ve had in Europe, and the hotel made a great base for exploring the area. We slept well on comfortable beds, and the room felt fresh. The whole place was spotless, right down to the clear shower glass without water marks or stains. Reception were friendly and helpful, even late at night, and we really enjoyed the restaurant, especially the fresh fish. Some rooms take a bit of effort to reach because the elevators are small and the building is old, so there are stairs. That was a minor tradeoff for the hotel’s charm.

The family owned hotel was a real pleasure to stay in, and the staff were fabulous and efficient. I still don't know how they managed to serve meals and drinks so quickly for up to three coach trips at once. That certainly doesn't happen in England! From the bedroom we had a lovely river view. The station is up a hill, but take your time and enjoy the scenery on the way. You can catch the Bernina Express and Glacier Express there. If you stay in the village for a day without travelling, though, there isn't a lot to do. I really enjoyed this trip with great rail journeys.

The family and staff were lovely and helpful, and the hotel has apparently been with the same family for several generations. Breakfast was a good continental spread. Our package included a packed lunch that was OK, though each roll had just one filling, such as cheese, fish paste or ham. Some salad would have been nice. It also came with a piece of fruit, a chocolate bar and water. Dinner started with a wide salad buffet, then a main course and dessert, but there was no choice and the menu wasn't shared in advance, so you could be stuck if you didn't like the meal. Drinks were included during dinner. The main problem was the heat. The dining room got very warm with around 100 people in it. We opened a window and were told off because the heating was on, though the radiators were cold. In our room, the folder said to open the window for no more than three minutes to save energy. I couldn't find a thermostat or radiator in there, but it was too hot to sleep, so we left the window open. The river was surprisingly loud, and we didn't sleep well. The village has very few facilities, so you're reliant on the hotel. There's no bar or lounge, just a few seats in reception. You could order drinks there, but reception was often unattended. There were no tea or coffee facilities in the room. Kettles could be borrowed from reception, though I never found anyone there when I thought to ask. Electricity use seems to be a concern. The towel rail ran on a one hour timer and had a thermostat, the only one I saw, but the room was so warm it never switched on. The towels stayed damp. It's not a bad hotel and the family are lovely, but my advice would be to modernise a bit. A three star hotel with a three star rating.