The picturesque town of St. Anton am Arlberg in the Austrian Alps has drawn tourists since the 19th century. In 1904, organizers held the town's first ski race. Today, the town of roughly 2,700 calls itself the "Cradle of Alpine Skiing." Huge mountains tower over a quaint town square with typical Austrian-styled buildings where balconies overlook the main street. Snow sports dominate winter months, and visitors enjoy hiking, biking and festivals during the summer.
Light pours in the windows of Himmlhof's rooms, most of which feature four-poster beds and tiled stoves to help guests stay warm during cold Austrian winters. The hotel's decor features both the rustic and elegant--wooden dressers stand next to elegant rugs. Start a relaxing morning with breakfast cooked by the hotel's chefs, and then spend a few hours in front of the fireplace with a book from the hotel's library. The hotel also serves an afternoon snack in the fireplace hall. Enjoy peace at Himmlhof despite its proximity to the town's center because the building sits far back from the street. The hotel has several types of saunas, including a sanarium, which offers a sauna experience with a lower temperature. Also enjoy a small bathing pool and tanning bed.
Himmlhof
Im Gries 9
St. Anton am Arlberg
Tirol / A-6580
43-05446-2322-0
himmlhof.com
Schwarzer Adler has housed St. Anton visitors since 1570. The hotel sits in the center of town, within walking distance to stores, nightlife and ski lifts. Today, the hotel offers travelers space to relax with a garden, spa, sauna and indoor pool. Guests can choose among 70 rooms, some with balconies, that range from single, basic rooms to large suites with living rooms. Wooden accents and in-room sitting areas invite respite. All rooms include cable television, bathrobes and wireless Internet. Mealtime options vary by season. During the winter, enjoy an a la carte restaurant. On summer evenings, eat barbecue or fondue. The hotel purchases food from local farmers, and it boasts a comprehensive wine cellar. A breakfast buffet features organic foods, and afternoon tea includes coffee and cakes. In the spa, estheticians concoct custom treatments from herbs grown in the Alps. The spa menu includes options for relaxation like herbal baths, but also healing treatments like a full-body ayurvedic message with oils that purportedly strengthens the immune system.
Hotel Schwarzer Adler
Dorfstrasse 35
St. Anton am Arlberg
Tyrol, Austria
43-5446-2244-0
schwarzeradler.com
Walk ten minutes away from the ski lift and arrive at Lux Alpinae, a modern, family-owned hotel crafted out of concrete, glass and steel. The hotel's 26 rooms feature one wall made of a special glass so you can look outside but outsiders can't see in. The cube-shaped, yellow bathrooms also have glass encasings. Pull down the blinds to secure privacy, or step into the frosted-glass shower. Rooms include satellite television, Internet access and balconies. Hotel designers decorated half of the rooms in blue, and the other half in red. Around the hotel, lounge in the sauna, soak in a steam bath or ascend a climbing wall. For meals, the hotel serves a breakfast buffet and four-course dinner with a salad bar and cheese wheel presiding over the end-of-meal cheese buffet.
Hotel Lux Alpinae
Arlbergstrabe 41, 6580
St. Anton am Arlberg
43-5446-30108
luxalpinae.at
