Hotel & Villa Auersperg

Rooms

There are 32 rooms in the main Hotel and a further 23 in the Villa next door. Many in the main building overlook the pretty garden. Decor is fresh and modern with polished wooden floors and great lighting; spotless bathrooms have walk-in showers or deep tubs.

Expect-well chosen pieces of furniture such as Eames-style chairs, Artemide lamps and marble coffee tables, along with Nespresso machines, a Tivoli sound system, nightlights and a handpicked selection of CDs and books. A playful image of the "Rat Pack" beckons you to dive into the minibar where butter caramel chocolate and other tempting snacks await.

As you progress down the scale from Suites to Mini categories, you get the same features, but less space. We saw lots of rooms, none disappointed. They all felt uncluttered thanks to good design, with some very neat and clever storage solutions. Our favourites were the Superior Rooms in the Villa, which felt light, airy and peaceful. MINI Rooms are good for those on a budget or loved-up couples.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Central heating
• Coffee / tea making
• DVD player
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Minibar
• Radio
• Safe box
• TV
• WiFi

Eating

The large breakfast room and bar opens out to the garden where you can eat alfresco on the terrace when the weather's fine.

Breakfast was such a spread, we felt it could keep us going for a week. Locally sourced, organic and homemade wherever possible, they present everything you could possibly want: from Bircher muesli and warm Ayurvedic porridge to scrummy pastries, hams, cheeses and plenty of fresh fruit. Honey comes from the beehives in the garden, colourful juices are freshly pressed and there's a good range of gluten- and lactose-free offerings. If you have space after that, order some scrambled eggs whilst reading their daily suggestions of things to see and do in Salzburg.

The hotel's slick bar-restaurant offers homemade soups, sandwiches, superb coffees and teas, plus a small menu of delicious local dishes: Austrian antipasti, smoked lake trout, veal cream goulash, that sort of thing. There are beers, cocktails and a handpicked selection of excellent Austrian wines courtesy of their in-house sommelier, who is affectionately nicknamed "The Grape".

For dining out, a booklet lists the owners' top recommendations around town. We had two good dinners: simple local fare at Die Weisse's beer garden around the corner, and an extremely good Weiner Schnitzel at the more elegant Gasthof Goldgasse in the historic centre.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Lunch by arrangement
• Organic produce
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• You're in Salzburg so music and Mozart are everywhere: Wolfgang's residences are open to the public and there's always a number of concerts being performed - keep a lookout for flyers
  
• Cycle around the city like a Salzburger: the hotel has top-notch bikes for hire. They'll give you a suggested route map taking in a selection of must-see sites and best pit-stops (the historic city is Unesco-listed)
  
• We loved the Mirabell Palace and Gardens, the towering Hohensalzburg Fortress with its amazing views of the city, and the terrace of historic Cafe Tomaselli for the best cakes in town
  
• The hotel provides daily tips on what to do from farmers markets to art exhibitions and museums
  
• Back at the hotel, relax at the spa which has a steam room, sauna, massages, gorgeous rooftop terrace and a garden to lie out in. Early morning yoga classes are held twice a week (Wednesday and Friday) in their yoga-loft
  
• Curl up with a film: the hotel shop has a film library, including many old favourites

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Shopping / markets
• Well being

Kids

Children are warmly welcomed and the hotel is happy to carry out special requests in advance of arrival, whether it be booking babysitting or requesting baby gear, bikes and helmets or buggies. There's a collection of kids' films, toys and books which you can take to your room or the garden.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

There's a good-value Family Room in the main hotel building, or many of the larger rooms have sofa beds for kids. The Superior rooms in the Villa building are the best.

Distances:

• Airport: 5km (Salzburg)
• Hospital: 2km
• Shop: 0.2km

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Hotel & Villa Auersperg is located in Andra quarter, in the heart of Salzburg, 5 mins' walk from Linzer Gasse and a 15-minute walk from the historic centre.

By Air:
Fly into Salzburg (6km / 1.5hrs), or Munich (176km / 2hrs). It's a 15-minute taxi ride to the hotel from Salzburg airport or you can take a 40-minute bus ride (line 2), which takes you to 'Stelzhamerstraße' next to the hotel. You can get away without hiring a car here but it does give more flexibility if you'd like to explore the region - see our car rental recommendations. The hotel has off-street parking for a nominal daily charge.

By Train:
Euro, Intercity and Express trains stop at Salzburg. The nearest station to the hotel is Hauptbahnhof (a 10-minute walk).

Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.com.

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