Schloss Elmau

This hotel tops the charts for a reason. The service and experience are incredible and the location and views are wonderful. There is a reason the G7 met here twice. Relaxation and activities coexist here on a level that is hard to replicate anywhere else.

Schloss Elmau is one of the most outstanding hotels in the world. 1. You are facing the Bavarian Alps, which are beautiful. Physically, the environment is stunning. 2. The options for physical activity (running, hiking, biking, mountain climbing, swimming, etc.) are outstanding. 3. The opportunities at the spa (sauna, steam room, pools, massages, and other treatments) are outstanding. 4. There are so many nooks and crannies and beautiful physical locations to sit and read or contemplate, which are truly stunning. 5. The lectures and concerts and other opportunities are also outstanding. 6. Great and delicious food options. 7. The decor of the rooms and restaurants and bars and hallways and libraries was beautiful and warm and memorable. In sum, this is a very, very special hotel that my wife and I hope to return to again, ideally with friends and family.

Location/setting: Peaceful valley - very tranquil and surrounded by Nature, which the Schloss team makes full use of in its activity programme. This is a wonderful place to truly immerse yourself in your surroundings and find calm. The downside of the location - there’s nothing else in the immediate vicinity. If you don’t have your own car, it’s not easy to get out and about. A taxi to the nearby town of Mittenwald (15-20 mins drive) was negotiated by the hotel, came from Garmisch and was ridiculously expensive. We were charged 150 Euros for a return trip. On another occasion, the hotel offered us a loan car at no cost - to drive into Garmisch. This was fantastic. Accommodation: We stayed in the more modern Retreat building - in a standard room. I would stay there again rather than the more old-fashioned Hideaway. Extremely comfortable and quiet with excellent bed/bedding and a spacious bathroom with a powerful shower. Note: regardless of the thermostat setting, the room was relentlessly hot (other guests experienced the same thing and staff were aware of this too). We kept the balcony door open all night, despite the snow fall, which made for a very pleasant temperature to sleep in, but not sure how practical this would be in windy/stormy weather. Eating: At the Retreat, the main à la carte restaurant was pleasant and the food was good but choices were very limited - especially if you’re a pescatarian. The main restaurant in the Hideaway building served a buffet every day, a concept that won’t appeal to everyone. The Thai restaurant (Fidelio) - food was pleasant but Thai flavours were underpowered. The Japanese restaurant in the Retreat (Summit Pavillion) was expensive and disappointing - sashimi in particular to be avoided. 30 Euros for 100g of inexpertly prepared and poor cut of salmon. The fondue restaurant (Kaminstube) was closed throughout our one week stay - as was the mountainside restaurant (Elmauer Alm) which we’d been excited to visit. The Thai and Japanese offerings were not open every day. So in practice, dining options were far more limited than we’d expected. Note: we didn’t visit Ikigai (starred Japanese restaurant). The breakfast buffet/menu were adequate. Spa and treatments: the Retreat spa pools, sauna and relaxation space are fantastic. The facial I had at the Hideaway spa was superb and the other pools looked equally appealing. Massages at the Retreat were just ok. I got the impression that the main Spa operation is the Hideaway and staff work in the Retreat when needed. Book your treatments well in advance of your visit or you may be disappointed. Cultural programme: This was a real highlight. And a stand-out feature of the Schloss which must surely be unique. We attended two excellent concerts. Look at the cultural programme before finalising dates for your trip! Staff: some outstanding and delightful individuals - in particular the resident manager at The Retreat. He was amazing. But let down by one or two very inexperienced team members on the front desk/front of house. When to visit: A lot of restaurants outside the hotel were closed in November ahead of the busy ski season. So maybe there’s more of a buzz in the area at other times of year. If you want to enjoy the local area, take your own car. In summary, go to the Schloss to relax, to spa, for the music and lose yourself in Nature. Three stars given based on the service inconsistencies and less than superlative dining experience - and in the context of my very high expectations for a hotel at this price point.

Stunning hotel in idyllic setting . We have stayed many times in the Retreat side of the hotel . Best ever spa area pool and gym . Many other pools in the hotel as well as yoga and fitness activities

One of the best hotel experiences you’d ever have. They are extremely customer centric and the facilities and activities at the hotel are unparalleled.