Garni Residence Soraiser

The pool, jacuzzi and sauna made a great place to unwind after being active in the mountains, and the guesthouse and rooms were spotless, with care in every detail. What made the week at Garni Residence Solreiser truly special, though, was Werner and Isolda. They welcomed us with so much warmth and genuine care that it felt like visiting old friends. Their kindness gives Pension Garni Residence Solreiser a real soul, as well as beautiful rooms and facilities. A magical home away from home. We wholeheartedly recommend it and can’t wait to return. Thank you, Werner and Isolda!

We spent a week in the Lillehammer apartment, and it was warm, comfortable and luxurious, with lovely decor. Werner and Isolde were friendly and really helpful. After a day skiing, the pool and hot tub were brilliant, and the spa and wellness suite are fantastic. We can’t wait to come back. Bravo.

I tried to book a week here and wasn’t successful, but I want to describe the service and interaction I had with the business. I first found the hotel on a booking site. Since I like supporting independent businesses, I contacted the hotel directly so they would receive all of what I paid. That usually doesn’t give me any financial advantage. I sent a request through the website and waited several days without a reply. When I called, the owner told me to send an email. That was January 5th. By January 15th I had sent two reminders, and only on January 16th did I get a quote. It was lower than the booking site’s price, which surprised us and made us feel good about booking. I accepted and received a confirmation email. Nine days later, just a few days before our flight, I saw a cancellation email on my phone. I had missed the confirmation email’s request for a small deposit, and the owner said I’d missed a separate email asking for it too. I hadn’t seen that email. It was my mistake not to read the confirmation properly, but I received no reminders by email or phone, which I would have expected. You can decide whether that seems reasonable. To me, it’s an unusual way to run a business. The owner then abruptly told me they were fully booked, after cancelling my reservation to make room for someone else. I told them I was dissatisfied with how things had been handled, especially since I’d made the effort to book direct. I could have used a booking site and avoided this mess. What followed was a series of bizarre emails with accusations and threats in response to my disappointment and criticism. I’m sharing this so people can decide whether they want to trust this kind of behaviour with their vacation. The photos show the whole email exchange. Some points in response to the owner’s accusations: 1. I book directly with hotels and don’t expect a financial benefit. Small businesses are having a hard time, and I do what I can to support them. My wife and I were both surprised and happy that the quote was below the booking site price. 2. We booked for 3 people. The third person would only be with us for a few days, but I booked as if they’d be there for 7 for convenience. I didn’t mind paying a few hundred dollars to avoid changing rooms. 3. The owner accused me of “waiting to make sure the weather was right,” even though our flights had been booked for some time and we’d had the trip planned in principle for over a year. I ski about 4-5 trips a season, around 20 ski days a year, and I’ve never chosen a trip based on the weather. I ski in all weather. 4. The owner called it “very strange” that I replied quickly to the cancellation. I was on my phone when a hotel notification came through saying “cancelled.” Of course I responded quickly. 5. The owner threatened me with a defamation lawsuit if I posted reviews. I’ll assume the best case is that he thought I’d write a fake review, though that wasn’t necessary. I’m not worried about defamation when I’m sharing facts, but I was surprised he threatened legal action so quickly. 6. Later emails accused me of lying and made further threats to refer me to Italian authorities. In my opinion, this is deeply unprofessional behaviour. The owner made a lot of assumptions, treating everything on my side as lies or opportunism while presenting himself as perfect. It shows how little respect he has for people, even those trying to support the business. If you stay here and have a problem, will the owner be sympathetic, or will he make himself the victim of your complaint?

The family who runs the hotel are gems, and our room was amazing. We loved the pool too. The location is incredible, with Col Raiser and Seceda literally right outside if that’s what you’re looking for. I wish we lived here.