Austrian hospitality at Alpine gastro hotel with one foot in the past and the other in the present

Holzgauer Haus / Lechleiten / Tyrol / Austria

Holzgauer Haus is a real family affair. Right now the woman in charge is Christine Bechter and she is the third generation to run this hotel. It was started by her grandmother and her grandmother’s sister in the early 20th century. It was later passed on to Christine’s father and mother. When they decided it was time to start to think about retirement, Christine was living in Vienna with no thoughts of moving back to the mountains. After some consideration, she decided to go for it and is today doing an impressive work welcoming people from near and far to this Alpine gem.

The hotel is located right on the Austrian/German border, 1500 meters above sea level on the boarder between the two Austrian regions of Tyrol and Vorarlberg. When Christine took over the hotel, there was only the original building, the so called Stammhaus. She started the expansion of the hotel in order to add more rooms in the newly built, contemporary looking loft, that is towering above the Stammhaus. This new structure was completed in 2019, just before the pandemic hit.

Holzgauer Haus is one of those hotels that manages to balance the past and the present. There are plenty of traditional features, especially in the original building, that connects so well with the more modern looking loft building. Both are made out of wood but with totally different architecture and style. Surrounding the hotel is a farm where cows are slowly going about their business, only noticeable by the faint sound of cowbells as the walk around looking for some fresh grass to feast on.

We stayed in the loft building, in a small apartment with stunning views of the mountains. One of the coolest features in our room was the bathtub, hidden beneath the daybed by the massive windows. Such a treat to lay there after a long day hiking in the mountains, recharging before the dinner. And on the topic of food, this is a hotel that takes food seriously. The dinners are amazing! And so are the breakfasts. We had ours on the outside patio listening to the birds soaring in the sky above us as the sun slowly rose over the Biberkopf mountain with a cappuccino in hand.

Welcome to Holzgauer Haus! The old building to the left and the newer loft to the right.

Directly upon arrival a chilled drink is placed in your hand. My favorite kind of welcome.

Some nibbles and an extensive welcome pack.

These traditional wooden facades made of local larch wood are so beautiful.

A memory wall from Holzgauer Haus’ past. At the top is a photo of the grandmother of the current owner and manager, Christine, who started the hotel together with her sister.

The newly built loft, completed in 2019.

And the day bed in the window is also a bath tub.

Me enjoying a cappuccino in the morning.

I love hotels with hotel dogs. How cute is this member of staff?

A lot of what is served comes from farm or neighboring ones. Like these different home made jams. My favorite? The blueberry.

…and we came across this wonderful Alpine lake, the Körbersee.

And of course I had to dive in for a swim. Incredibly fresh and wonderful!

Back at the hotel and the spa. You book a time slot and that way you have the place all to yourselves.

Love a spa where there is an open bottle of Prosecco waiting to be sampled.

M relaxing in the sauna enjoying the views of the mountains.

Dinner time. The food is a big part of the stay at Holzgauer Haus. And it is delicious.

Morning has broken during the last day of our stay. A magical view of the neighboring village of Warth to take with us in our memory bank.

RG inside info

This place is perfect if you…

…are a mountain-oholic. If you are looking for a place to stay that is literally surrounded by mountains, where you have one foot in the past and the other in the here and now and if food is an important part of your hotel stay, you don’t have to worry. You will love Holzgauer Haus.

My favorite thing about this place…

…is the spa. I love when you book your own time slot and then you have the space all to yourselves. And at this one, there is always an open, chilled bottle of Prosecco waiting to be sampled which makes this spa even more appealing.

What not to miss when staying here…

…is to hike (if you come during Summer, obviously). I can highly recommend one of the hikes that lead you to Körbersee, a spot that has been voted the most beautiful in Austria. Remember to bring something to swim in. And if you are here in Winter, the St Anton/Lech ski region is right at your doorstep.

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