The musical city of Salzburg deserves a hotel that's seriously fine-tuned. And with 55 delightful rooms spread between its main building and a 19th-century villa next door, Auersperg hits the high notes for charm, clever design and location. The same family has lived here for 3 generations, but it's the granddaughter and her architect husband who've injected so much style and soul into the place. Expect marble and parquet flooring, a blend of antique and contemporary furniture, and a palpable sense of history. We loved the colour palettes they've chosen - midnight blues meeting deep-cherry wood panels, along with calming pinks and many shades of grey. As we sat and relaxed in the reading room, with its giant window showcasing the pretty garden, it was like living in a Monet painting.
Staff happily help plan your time in the city, and suggested activities are laid out each day at breakfast. Bicycles are a fun way to explore the city of Mozart - there are various sizes for adults and kids. Later, once you've visited the Unesco sites, return to the hotel to unwind: the rooftop terrace has an enchanting spa with steam room, sauna, yoga and massages on offer. We left with a sense that guests who stay here once would never dream of staying anywhere else.
Highs
- Location: just 5 minutes' walk to pedestrianised Linzer Gasse with its shops, bars and cafés, and a 15 min stroll to Salzburg's charming historic centre
- Beautiful design, living spaces and décor, including a lovely garden and rooftop terrace with sun loungers, bar-restaurant and reading room
- Delicious organic breakfast spread included in the price
- Friendly professional service and a spirited ethos to support worldwide good causes: music to our ears
- The sister hotel of one of our all-time favourites, Haus Hirt. So no surprise we loved this, too
Lows
- They have a loyal following so rooms get booked up fast; plan ahead
- The small restaurant has a limited (but delicious) menu; there are, of course, lots of options for dining out
- No pool, but there is a small spa
- Boutique Hotel
- 55 rooms
- Breakfast + light dishes
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Babysitting
- Creche / Kids Club
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Bicycles Available
- Yoga room
- Electric car charger
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
Best Time to go
Salzburg is wonderful all year round but gets busiest during festival season end July to end August and around Christmas for the markets. If you want to travel in warmer weather (though it can rain at any time), pick May to October.
Our Top Tips
Go for at least 3 nights as there's so much to do in Salzburg and the surrounding areas. Combine your trip with sister hotel Haus Hirt in the mountains, 100km south of Salzburg. Brush up on your Sound of Music in advance, so you can spot locations featured in the film.
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.
More on getting to Austria and getting around
Airports:
- Salzburg 6.0 km SZG
Other:
- Beach 250.0 km
- Shops 0.2 km
- Restaurant 0.2 km