Sacher Torte at Sacher Hotel, Salzburg

Yes, I’m am an architect who has been trained to make modern glass buildings as beautiful and as efficient as possible, but my heart sang to the tunes of the Sound of Music in Salzburg where one cannot possibly find a glass building for miles. The city has one of the best preserved old towns in all of Northern Europe and encapsulated by beautiful mountains, is an absolute delight to walk through. Time stops in Salzburg wherever you look. Staying in the city, I constantly found myself speaking to people about Lagom, about patience, about finding an oasis of calm from the world of glass shards and traffic we surround ourselves with.

The foodie in me always looks up ethnic delicacies quite early when planning a trip so Austria’s famous Sacher Tortes were probably in my head when I put my finger on The Sacher Hotel and as good a decision as a chocolate a day is, as good was my decision to stay at The Sacher Hotel, Salzburg.

Staircase at the Reception (Source : Author)

CHECKING IN

I entered the hotel before 3PM after a slightly tiring train ride and was delighted to know the room was all done and ready. The check in process was a breeze. The porters were so attentive they had the luggage before I stepped out of the taxi and ensured it was in the room within 5 mins of me being there. The hostess were polite and eager to help. They didn’t ask for too many details or spend too much time with the process.

ACCOMMODATION

I’d heard a lot about how the owners had decorated each room themselves and how each space was done differently from the others with silk wallpapers and beautiful prints. I was a little sceptic as it’s so easy to make a space uncouth with an over use of prints, fabrics, especially ones in colours, but the room was tastefully done and even gave the designer in me some nice pins to capture for my board. Despite the old building, the interiors were completely contemporary and housed amenities that could put even a new built stay to shame. My favourites were the tub pillows, the mirror screen and the long windows.

Room (Source : Author)

FOOD

To my heart’s delight, we were welcomed in the room with the famous Sacher Tortes and Apple Strudels with adequate cutlery and eating arrangements. Tired after a long day of walking around Salzburg when I returned, I was yearning to indulge in a Rosti. But considering I’d already had dinner and wasn’t sure if I’d like it enough, I was apprehensive to order. The in room dining staff was so sweet and courteous. They came to the room to literally hold my hand as I ordered. Like gracious hosts, they took care of all my questions, all my needs, with not even a slight tone of irritation in their voice, and presented me with a baby portion with my asked for supplements in the most comforting way. Unlike many other hotels, they weren’t stingy with cutlery, were prompt at service, and made all eating experiences for me very pleasurable. I’d skip the breakfast at the hotel though as it was more expensive than needed. It was almost 50% of the room tariff.

Austria's Famous Sacher Torte (Source : Author)

CONCIERGE

For me the concierge service was a mixed bag. The concierge wasn’t well aware about the tours available in the city and was even out of a few brochures to help me with, they weren’t sure about supermarkets and other amenities around that I asked about. But they did help me book a public tour. I was able to pay directly at the hotel and was dropped free of charge to the tour starting point. This was quite a helpful service offered.

LOCATION

The hotel was well worth being termed as a luxury hotel as its amenities and hospitality were much better than what I expect from European Hotels but even if it wasn’t, the hotel would have still done well as it’s hard to find a better located hotel. One side of the hotel, the primary entrance was on the main thoroughfare, easily accessible by cabs, buses and trams. Walk 5 minutes to the left of the hotel and you’d find yourself on the Mirabelplatz and onto the Mirabell Palace and Mirabell Gardens. Through the hotel lobby and the restaurant, you can walk out of the other side that opens directly onto a pedestrian lane running next to the Salzach river. At a 1 minute walk you can take the Marko-Feingold-Steg, the pedestrian bridge with all the locks onto the Old Town.

HIGHLIGHTS

The location and the hospitality of the hotel were definitely highlights, but for aficionados, the interiors of the hotel were eye catching too. The lift and lobby wallpapers paid homage to Mozart, the iconic grand staircase covered by skylit atrium and the elegant bar lent the place an old world charm that beautifully synced the city exteriors with the hotel interiors.

Central Staircase Atrium with Skylights (Source : Author)