My DH and I are going to Salzburg in the beginning of March. We are deciding between staying at the Goldener Hirsch or the Sacher in Salzburg, and would love to read about which one you Fodorites prefer. They both sound nice. As background, we are 32, taking a final European trip before we begin a family. We obviously want romance, and we love luxurious hotels. Both places are in our price range. We will be starting our week with two nights in Salzburg, then staying a few days in Carinthia at a nice resort and will be going skiing from there, then will end up in Munich for a few nights before heading home. Which hotel would you prefer, if you were us?

Hi lukesaunt,

I stayed at the Sacher for my birthday week a few years ago and thought it was a beautiful and luxurious hotel. I went there primarily for the views and was not disappointed -- looking over the river onto the old town and the fortress, spectacular!

Just to give you a note on the ambiance of the hotel -- everything with breath was wearing fur (men, women, dogs . . . ).

I thought it was a little stuffy and probably wouldn't go back again.

s

btw, here's a link to your same question posted on 2 Feb with some answers:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35105783

You may find the information you seek there.

s

It wasn't the same question. The previous question was whether they are outdated. Having had that question answered, I would now like to hear Fodorites' opinions of which they like better. It's a comparative question. Thanks.

Many years ago, we stayed at the Sacher when it just opened and we thought the room interior was nicer than at the Goldener Hirsch. Sacher rooms tend to have bigger window with a view to the outside. GH is more of a subtle country traditional and the lower end rooms can be a bit spartan with tiny windows. The higher end rooms are very nice. Location wise GH is better as it is inside the old town on Getreidegasse along which they filmed Sound of Music. Sacher is across the river from old town with its own dedicated bridge.

I always prefer to stay inside the old town so my wife can independently explore the maze of shopping lanes on her own to her heart's content. I enjoy hanging out at the great wine bar/shop (Sporer) right nextdoor to GH where friendly locals & occasional tourists meet and chat.

(sorry to hijack your thread lukesaunt) DAX - is that Sporer the place with all the Schapps? I believed they showed this place on the Rick Steves' Salzburg episode.

I was wondering about the schnapps - can you sample the flavors or do you have to pay for each "shot"?

Thanks so much for the advice! I love what you said about the location. I think we may book a slightly better room at the GH and revel in the locale-- me shopping, and dh at the bar.

jenblase: Sporer is actually a small if not tiny winebar with no seats as they need their limited space for displaying wine along the wall. It has enough austrian gemuetlich & friendly atmosphere where most of the local clienteles seem to be happy to chat with tourists like myself. I go there only to buy wine because they carry the special/hard to get ones. I had no idea that Rick Steves wrote about it or the fact that they sell their own schnapps, but they sure came up when I googled it just now. www.sporer.at

lukesaunt: You won't be sorry staying there. Their restaurant is also a well known institution in Salzburg, their food is not bad though a bit overpriced. The place itself is very old world & down to earth, but the service is very austrian proper.

There is one special restaurant in Salzburg oldtown that you should try because they serve gourmet at reasonable prices. The service is very friendly, we like Atilla who has lots of stories about austrian wines. Their special menu will surprise you with creative and interesting dishes. We tend to reserve the smaller dining room upstairs with the wooden wall and fish pictures because it's more private. www.kkhotels.com/index.asp?ID=359#Hauptbereich

I didn't stay at the Sacher, but spent a few days at the Goldener Hirsch a few years ago and would highly recommend it. The service was wonderful - very gracious with typical Austrian formality without being stuffy.
I booked a room on one of the discount websites - can't remember which one - but they gave me a free upgrade when I arrived. The room was large and beautiful and the location of the hotel can't be beat.
Breakfasts were wonderful, altho' not included in the room price, and so was the restaurant.
I think I filled out one of their evaluation forms when I checked out and I later received a lovely letter in the mail from Count something or other, who either owns or manages the hotel.
All in all it was a delightful experience, start to finish. I think you'll be pleased with your choice.

A couple years ago, we drove into Salzburg late in the afternoon without a reservation, but using the Karen Brown guide, booked a room at: Die Gersberg Alm, a few minutes outside Salzburg in the surrounding hills. This is a luxury mountain lodge in the Alpine style, huge spotless rooms and a gourmet restaurant on site. It was so good that we stayed a couple nights and booked it again on our return leg back towards Switzerland. If you have a car to get to Salzburg proper, we highly recommend this inn.

http://www.karenbrown.com/Accommodat...m/00003307.php