For us, a gourmet hotel is a place where the kitchen is the reason for the trip – and the bed is just a few steps away from dessert. Alpine Austria is a stroke of luck in that respect: historic inns, some run by the seventh generation of the same family, top chefs who still stand at the stove themselves, and wine cellars with an international selection of great wines.
Here are our eight favourites, from the Bregenzerwald via the Arlberg and the Lungau all the way to Carinthia’s Gail Valley and southern Styria – each one curated with a typical menu. Naturally, all of them are members of our Pretty Hôtels collection and are visited by us regularly.
PS: If you have plenty of time (and a bit of budget): this selection of hotels also makes a perfect road trip through the Alps. You start in the far west, in the Bregenzerwald, and finish in the far south-east of the country.
We begin at the Hirschen in Schwarzenberg (Green Michelin Star), then head to the Arlberg and the Ullrhaus in St. Anton (one Michelin star), on into the Salzburger Land to the historic Kirchenwirt, first mentioned in 1326, in Leogang (one Michelin star), with a stopover at the nearby Weyerhof (recommended by the Michelin Guide). Next comes the Seehof Goldegg, an art hotel on its own lake with a chef’s table, then down to the Mesnerhaus in Mauterndorf (one Michelin star), before taking time out at the organic hotel Der Daberer in the Gail Valley (four Gault&Millau toques) and finally visiting the Old School Guesthouse in southern Styria, where the former sous-chef of Vienna’s world-class restaurant Steirereck is at the stove. Eight small, family-run houses where you eat at the highest level and sleep beautifully.
The Hirschen has stood in the middle of Schwarzenberg since 1757, and the Fetz family has run it for almost 270 years – with creaking floorboards, wood-panelled parlours and wonderful art on the walls. In the kitchen, Jonathan and Raphaela Burger cook so creatively that Gault&Millau awards three toques and the Michelin Guide its Green Star for sustainable cuisine; Raphaela was also named Pâtissière of the Year 2024. Since 2024, a new bathhouse built from Vorarlberg timber has stood behind the main house, with a 15-metre pool, saunas and a bathrobe bar. The twelve new suites in the Wälderhaus are bright, quiet and full of art. In winter you can ski-tour down from the Bödele right to the front door.
Typical menu
The menu changes with the seasons and makes a lot of use of fermentation. Recent dishes included cream of carrot soup with cream-cheese rolls, veal lights with bread dumpling and capers, capuns – chard rolls filled with sausage and courgette –, confit pike-perch with saffron, fennel and crayfish jus, and rhubarb French toast with hay ice cream. Kässpätzle, the local cheese noodles, are always on. Dinner Tuesday to Saturday, bistro menu on Sundays and Mondays.
At a glance
26 rooms and suites · Bregenzerwald, Vorarlberg · Green Michelin Star, 3 Gault&Millau toques, bathhouse with pool · Double room with breakfast from 270 euros for two.
Booking & Contact
Hirschen · Fine Hotel, Restaurant & Spa
Hof 14
6867 Schwarzenberg
Austria
info@hirschenschwarzenberg.at
www.hirschenschwarzenberg.at · Check availability
More about the Hirschen at Pretty Hotels
By day one of the sportiest ski regions in the Alps, by night fine dining: the Ullrhaus stands directly opposite the Galzig gondola, and after the last run you are at the bar in two minutes. In the small Ullrs Gourmetstube, head chef Erkan Cakir cooks together with owner Michael Gfall – and in 2026 they were awarded a Michelin star for the first time. If you prefer things more relaxed, eat in the larger Ullrs Wine & Dine restaurant, newly awarded four toques by Gault&Millau 2027. The 40 rooms and apartments were designed by Munich interior designer Stefanie Thatenhorst. Downstairs, a pool, sauna and steam bath are waiting.
Typical menu
The nine-course “Elements” menu brings together the Alps, Japan and Scandinavia: scallop with fermented apple, taro and wasabi, king crab as a “Shellfish Essence”, pigeon with beetroot and umeboshi, turbot with fermented mushrooms, walnut and truffle, and to finish “Zen Stones” of white chocolate and spruce. The Gourmetstube is open Thursday to Saturday and has only a few tables – book early.
At a glance
40 rooms and apartments · St. Anton, Tyrol · 1 Michelin star (2026), 4 Gault&Millau toques (2027), right by the gondola, pool · Double room from 154 euros per person with half board.
Booking & Contact
Ullrhaus
Alte Arlbergstraße 2
6580 St. Anton am Arlberg
Austria
www.ullrhaus.at · Check availability
More about the Ullrhaus at Pretty Hotels
First mentioned in 1326, the Kirchenwirt is the oldest inn in the Salzburger Land – and today one of the best. Siblings Barbara and Hans-Jörg run the listed building in the fifth generation, and Stefan Birnbacher’s cooking holds four toques and, since 2025, a Michelin star. The wine list is legendary: if you like, you can order Meursault from Coche-Dury or something from the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. You sleep in 17 individually renovated rooms and suites; one of them is called “Die Tischlerei” (the carpenter’s workshop) and is full of family history. Since 2020 the old barn has housed an art gallery, and the Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang ski area is practically on the doorstep.
Typical menu
The gourmet menu is called “Alpen Gestalten” (Shaping the Alps) and has six courses (160 euros, pescatarian 145 euros), with wine pairing and the K1326 signature caviar dish on request. Typical of the kitchen: char, almost raw, in a broth of lovage and tomato, parsley-root soup with kohlrabi, and veal kidneys with elderberry balsamic. In the afternoon there is a small inn menu; in winter the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.
At a glance
17 rooms and suites · Leogang, Salzburger Land · 1 Michelin star, 4 Gault&Millau toques, outstanding wine list, art gallery · In winter from 115 euros per person incl. breakfast, in summer from 90 euros.
Booking & Contact
Der Kirchenwirt K1326
Gourmet Inn & Historic Hotel
Siblings Hans-Jörg Unterrainer & Barbara Kottke
Leogang 3, village centre
5771 Leogang
Austria
Tel.: +43 6583 8216
www.k1326.com · Email enquiry
More about the Kirchenwirt at Pretty Hotels
Its foundations date back to 1130, it has been an inn since 1664 and was once even a residence of the Bishops of Chiemsee. Today the Meilinger family runs the Weyerhof in the seventh generation, and Franz Meilinger cooks refined cuisine with ingredients from the Pinzgau – recommended by the Michelin Guide. The farmhouse bread is still baked to grandmother’s recipe – that alone makes breakfast worthwhile. Children are explicitly welcome, there is a playground in the garden, and Bramberg is home to the world’s longest toboggan run. In winter, the Wildkogel Arena and the Kitzbühel ski area are only a few minutes’ drive away.
Typical menu
In the evening, Franz Meilinger serves a six-course surprise menu (149 euros, wine pairing 65 euros) – Friday to Monday, to be ordered one day in advance. The à la carte menu features Pinzgau classics: fried Pinzgau cheese with cranberry foam, cheese dumpling soup, onion roast beef from the sirloin, fillet of char with risotto, and Kaiserschmarren.
At a glance
Historic inn · Bramberg, Pinzgau · Michelin Guide, surprise menu, family-friendly · Double room from 65 euros per person incl. breakfast.
Booking & Contact
Weyerhof
Meilinger family
Weyer 9
5733 Bramberg am Wildkogel
Austria
www.weyerhof.at · Email enquiry
More about the Weyerhof at Pretty Hotels
Since 1740 the Seehof has stood on the shore of Goldegg’s small lake, on a high plateau between Salzburg and Zell am See, and for five generations it has belonged to the Schellhorn family. On the façade the words “There are a lot of good people around” light up – and that is exactly how it feels: half hotel, half artists’ house, with art in every room, artists-in-residence and a pink “Art Suite”. Since December 2025, host Susi Schellhorn has been running the house herself again, together with Maxi Ferrari and Andreas Gratz as the new culinary trio. In the morning you jump into the lake from the hotel’s own jetty; in winter you head to the sauna house. And if you’re lucky, you’ll catch one of the boules tournaments with pastis, or a reading.
Typical menu
In the evening there are up to 20 à la carte dishes, five of which change daily: uncomplicated, comforting classics made from the region’s field, farm, forest and water, seasoned with a dash of wanderlust such as lime leaf or sumac. If you want more, take a seat at the chef’s table right in the kitchen for a multi-course menu (Wednesday to Sunday from 7 pm). At lunchtime there is a small lunch menu, and on Sundays brunch – on the terrace in summer, by the open fire in winter. The restaurant takes an autumn break and reopens in December.
At a glance
Art hotel on a lake · Goldegg, Salzburger Land · Chef’s table, private bathing jetty, sauna house · Classic rooms from 350 euros incl. breakfast.
Booking & Contact
Seehof Goldegg
Hofmark 8
5622 Goldegg
Austria
office@derseehof.at
www.derseehof.at · Check availability
More about the Seehof at Pretty Hotels
Mauterndorf in the Lungau looks like something out of a picture book, and right in the middle stands the Mesnerhaus, whose walls date back to 1420. Josef Steffner cooks here with a Michelin star and four toques – and he does it himself, every single day, with no 32 restaurants in Dubai on the side. Maria Steffner looks after the guests, herbs grow in the garden, and ferments and pickles mature in the cellar. Since 2021 there have been seven cosy rooms in the house next door, so after dinner you only have to cross the courtyard to bed. In winter, snow-sure Obertauern is 15 minutes away.
Typical menu
The fine-dining menu is called “Die große Verführung” (The Great Seduction) and changes with the seasons. In autumn 2026, for example: heirloom tomatoes with cantaloupe and char, rabbit with Meyer lemon, Lungau porcini with brown butter, roebuck with rye and puffball, pike-perch with saffron, guinea fowl from the Brugger farm and, for dessert, “Nachbars Zwetschke” (the neighbour’s plums) with Lungau marzipan. The signature dish is the Lungauer Eachtling, the local potato, with sour cream, egg yolk and caviar. Things are more relaxed with the “Die große Versuchung” (The Great Temptation) menu, for example dry-aged sirloin or apricot pancakes.
At a glance
7 rooms · Mauterndorf, Lungau · 1 Michelin star, 4 Gault&Millau toques, fine dining and casual dining · Double room 160 to 240 euros per night with breakfast.
Booking & Contact
Mesnerhaus
Markt 56
5570 Mauterndorf
Austria
www.mesnerhaus.at · Email enquiry
More about the Mesnerhaus at Pretty Hotels
In the far south of Carinthia, 20 minutes from Italy, Der Daberer lies tucked away on the edge of the forest in St. Daniel. As early as 1928, Thomas Daberer opened a spa here by a spring; in 1978 Inge and Willi turned it into one of the first genuine organic hotels – today siblings Marianne and Christian run it. Florian Bucar’s cooking holds four toques, and almost everything is organic and comes from what the Gail Valley, a Slow Food region, has to offer. There is Wi-Fi only in the library and no piped music at all, but there is a forest sauna, a natural swimming pond and a pool. A place for anyone who wants to eat really well and truly unwind.
Typical menu
In the evening, the kitchen serves a Slow Food menu at the table – vegetarian or with meat or fish, with or without soup. Typical courses: beetroot with sheep’s cheese, blackberry and spruce-tip vinegar, saffron essence with einkorn and root vegetables, poached char with Jerusalem artichoke, radish and garum, and pink-roasted venison with green asparagus and blackcurrant. At lunchtime there is salad in a jar from the permaculture garden, and in the morning a Slow Food breakfast. Outside guests are welcome for dinner with a reservation.
At a glance
Organic hotel · Gail Valley, Carinthia · 4 Gault&Millau toques (2027), Slow Food, forest sauna, swimming pond, pool · 107 to 200 euros per person incl. breakfast, lunch, dinner and spa.
Booking & Contact
Biohotel der daberer
St. Daniel 32
9635 Dellach im Gailtal
Carinthia, Austria
info@biohotel-daberer.at
www.biohotel-daberer.at · Book direct
More about Der Daberer at Pretty Hotels
Right at the bottom of Styria, between vineyards and narrow lanes on the border with Slovenia, a former village school stands in Großwalz. Petra and Oliver Lucas met at the Four Seasons in London; Oliver then became sous-chef at Vienna’s Steirereck, and later the two ran their own bistro in Vienna. In 2024 they turned the school, almost entirely by themselves, into a guesthouse with six rooms – with a heated pool, a wood-fired outdoor sauna and an 18-metre-long winter garden. The heart of the house is the open show kitchen, where you can watch Oliver cook. The garden is planted so that almost everything in it is edible.
Typical menu
There is no fixed menu: Oliver cooks with whatever the neighbours and his own garden are offering. On Wednesdays and Saturdays he serves a three-course dinner in the winter garden with small starters and home-made bread, with optional wine pairing from southern Styria, for around 110 euros. Intolerances are asked about before arrival. On other evenings there are picnic baskets or a tip for one of the Buschenschank wine taverns nearby. In March, April and December there are cooking-class weekends and retreats.
At a glance
6 rooms · Großwalz, Southern Styria · Dinner on Wednesdays and Saturdays, cooking classes, pool, sauna · Double room 300 euros per night incl. breakfast.
Booking & Contact
The Old School Guesthouse
Großwalz 1
8463 Schloßberg
Austria
Tel.: +43 677 634 155 66
info@theoldschool.at
www.theoldschool.at · Check availability
More about the Old School Guesthouse at Pretty Hotels
Frequently asked questions from guests
Which gourmet hotel in Austria is right on a lake?
The Seehof in Goldegg in the Salzburger Land: the art hotel has its own bathing jetty on Lake Goldegg, a sauna house and a chef’s table in the kitchen.
Is there a sustainable organic gourmet hotel in Austria?
Yes, Der Daberer in Carinthia’s Gail Valley: an organic hotel since 1978, awarded four Gault&Millau toques and part of the Slow Food Travel region Gailtal. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the room rate.
Where can you take a cooking class on holiday in Austria?
At the Old School Guesthouse in southern Styria, there are cooking-class weekends in March, April and December with Oliver Lucas, former sous-chef at Steirereck. Der Daberer also offers cooking workshops at a very high level.
Which gourmet hotel in Austria offers a surprise menu?
The Weyerhof in Bramberg: six courses for 149 euros, Friday to Monday, to be ordered one day in advance.
Which gourmet hotels in Austria are good for a ski holiday?
The Ullrhaus is right by the Galzig gondola in St. Anton, the Kirchenwirt in the Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang ski area. Obertauern is 15 minutes from the Mesnerhaus, and the Wildkogel Arena and the Kitzbühel ski area are close to the Weyerhof.
Which gourmet hotel is family-friendly?
The Weyerhof in Bramberg: children are explicitly welcome, there is a playground and rooms with connecting doors. The Kirchenwirt also has a family suite, “Die Tischlerei”, and Der Daberer has a playground, a playroom and its own children’s menu.
Which hotel is best for a wedding anniversary or a birthday?
The greatest gourmet experience is at the Mesnerhaus in Mauterndorf, where the whole evening is designed for special occasions like these. Perfect for a weekend with plenty of nature by day and outstanding cooking at night.
As of October 2026. ©Pretty Hôtels.
