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DH and I are considering a trip to Salzburg, and are thinking about where to stay. What's the nicest hotel there? The Goldener Hirsch and the Sacher seem to have the highest number of stars, but when I look at the photos on Tripadvisor, they seem to be kind of run down/not that nice. Are they? Are there nicer hotels? Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hotel in Salzburg
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Treacle Down Effect
We were in Salzburg in November and went in to the Sacher for a look around. I did not see any evidence of it looking run down. There were lots of photos of recent guests and two of them were Hillary and Chelsea Clinton. The location is great.
The Sacher looked fine last fall. Don't think it will be run down now.
While the Goldener Hirsch is right in the historic old town district, the Sacher is located on the other side of the river Salzach, with a pedestrian bridge connecting it with the old town (5 min walking max).
It would be more a matter of taste if you wanted a stand-alone Grand Hotel type (Sacher), or a location in that historic street (Getreidegasse) where appr. one million tourists squeeze themselves through in the high season (somewhat of an exaggeration, I know). The advantage of the Goldener Hirsch is that you have the Cathedral or other sights literally on your doorstep, while it will be a 5-10 min walk from the Sacher.
If you come by car, the Sacher is easier to reach.
I stayed at the Goldener Hirsch Oct 06 and it is not run down at all.
It was very nice, service was great and as stated before the location was excellent.
They do have valet parking, but I can't seem to remember the cost. The car is parked in a very large parking garage just a 5 minute walk from the hotel, so you could park there yourselves, if you wanted to.
I would NOT have breakfast there. It was the most expensive breakfast I have ever had and sooo not worth the price. There are plenty of other places.
Hi lukesaunt,
I stayed at the Sacher a few years ago -- not run down in the least. Great location, great views over the river & the old town.
Seemed to me that everything that breathed -- man, woman, & dog -- was wearing fur (besides the staff, I mean). Not at all run down.
s
Hi L,
We had dinner at the Goldener Hirsch last May.
Run down it is not.
Be aware that a Manhattan or a Martini is about 25E.
The Salzburg pass is worth the money.
PS,
My Lady Wife thought that the GH looked a trifle worn.
She has sharper eyes than I.
my wife and I stayed at the Goldener Hirsch last May. We stayed in the main building and the room was very spacious and comfortable. We also had lunch and dinner in the dining room-very good. The service was exceptional and centrally located so one can easily walk to the various tourist attractions. The hotel is very nice and not "run down." Trust me, this is one of the best hotels we stayed at while we were in Europe.
paul
Last April we stayed 3 nights at the Sacher in Vienna and then checked into the Bristol in Salzburg for about a minute. Compared to the Sacher, the Bristol was very tired and worn looking, and was quite the letdown after the beautiful rooms at the Sacher. We left the Bristol before unloading the bags and checked into the Salzburg Sacher for 3 nights. (Funny, after we decided to leave the Bristol, they suddenly had "other" more renovated rooms to show us...don't you hate that?)
The Sacher graciously showed us 2 rooms and we picked the least expensive one - absolutely huge and beautiful with a gorgeous, breathtaking view of the city and the river. We have amazing photos of the city taken from our hotel balcony. You cannot beat the location of the Sacher IMHO especially for views of the city.
The room and common areas of the hotel were beautiful and looked newly renovated to us. The breakfast was about the nicest I have ever eaten and served in a charming room with river views. In fact, it was hard to get up from the breakfast table each morning. We still talk about that breakfast - it's our benchmark for hotel breakfasts now
We are three traveling females - two teenagers - so I will say, while beautiful, the bathroom was very small with little space for travel kits and such. This would be our only teeny complaint.
The desserts here (excepting the Sacher torte, which we were unimpressed by in both locations) are not to be believed. You can try something different every day and you will not be disappointed or run out of choices.
In warm weather the Sacher has a great cafe on the river bank where you can sit for hours and nurse your drink and caesar salad while taking in the views and tourists strolling/biking by. Each evening there is a pianist in the bar area.
We travel a lot and stay in all kinds of accommodations, and I can tell you that the Sacher met our expectations in every way. If you are looking for a more "authentic" Austrian experience this might not be for you as it is new, large and not "quaint". Honestly, I found Salzburg very "touristy" (but in the clean and upscale sense of the word) anyway, so I went for comfort and great location. Despite the "touristy" feel, there is much to do and see in Salzburg - it is quite beautiful - particularly the many gardens. Do get into the surrounding mountains where the scenery is breathtaking.
On the weekend we were at the Sacher, a large Austrian family was there celebrating a christening - they were a group of about 30 including children, all dressed in traditional costumes - and it was quite charming to see the women and children bedecked for the occasion. lus I love the men in their Loden jackets. They had quite a party in one of the dining rooms complete with a visit by a "wolf" of some sort with goodies for the kids.
My teen-aged daughters absolutely loved everything about Salzburg. They would go back in one second - especially to stay at the Sacher. I think they particularly enjoyed the size of the city which was very navigable, so they could go off on their own and do some exploring/shopping.
One day while they shopped, I sat chatting with a British family (also with teenagers) at the Sacher cafe - they come back every year to Austria and Salzburg. This was their first stay at the Sacher and they agreed it was easy to get used to the cushy life there
Of course, luxury comes at a price... with the declining dollar, we are probably priced out of the Sacher at this point - so glad we went when we did!!
Next trip, I will stay outside the city as I feel the hills and hiking calling me...(I'll leave the teenagers home).
Hope this helps...
gruezi