Hotel Bismarck

This was a visit proved by meeting up with other visitors and life long friends from Montreal (The Gore Family) This was their choice so I was keen to be at least in same hotel for the 3 days when in Bad Hofgastein. I am a world traveller for 40 years and have frequently stayed in 5* class hotels & + (Marriott, Intercontinental, Sheraton etc) - This Hotel was truly exceptional with superb involvement of the owners (husband & wife) with all staff being so extremely friendly and no trouble to help with anything needed The gardens are immaculate and well equipped to relax as are the lounges and additional facilities such as the 4 pools. The family have put in so much investment into the hotels infrastructure over some 50 years! and it feels like it too! I n0w have this Hotel on by wish list when visiting Austria again - its easy distance (100km) from Salzburg allowed by a 2 nights stay there to explore a lovely city

Only one item I mentioned - my typical love a being Abe to have a coffee in room on early morning or late at night - a Nespresso to similar would be just great (as I often find in UK hotels - so I am used to that. Also that the refrigerator is stocked with bottles of water for chilled choice as well as at room temperature

Chalet like design, nice proportion, not overloaded, kitchen excellent, for elderly people, who prefer analog life instead of QR code - that's your hotel! Hospitalty is real and king - the owners themselves take care of their guests

Nothing

Perfect location, very kind and proficient staff, great facilities.

- Excellent location with stunning views - Cleanliness was generally very good - Comfortable and accessible parking - Well-equipped spa area with a wide range of facilities

We had high hopes due to the glowing reviews, but overall, our experience was disappointing. Perhaps we visited during an off-weekend or were just unlucky, but here’s our honest overview of what didn’t meet expectations: Food & Service - The food was overall disappointing, falling short of the standard we’ve experienced at other 4/5 star hotels in Salzburg/Tyrol - A few exceptions: the salad buffet at dinner and the light lunch were genuinely enjoyable - Restaurant service was unusual - not at all rude, but far from warm or welcoming. Staff lacked friendliness or attentiveness - Excluded from that are the daughter of the hotel owners who warmly greeted us on our first evening and made a positive impression, the staff at the bar who were all extremely friendly, and the receptionist that checked us in Spa - Spa facilities like saunas and infrared beds only open from 3pm, which is very time-limiting - We booked a Radon thermal bath in advance, arrived on time, but no one showed up. We had to go to reception to remind them, after which someone was finally sent to start preparing it - Even though that was a 30 minutes delay, the receptionist at the time was unapologetic and rude, making us feel like we were bothering her - To the hotel's credit, the charge for the delayed appointment was removed from our final bill. However, no one had communicated that there is a cost for the bath beforehand at all. It would be a no issue to pay for that appointment, but the cost of it is a detail that should be made clear during reservation - The outside pool needs a touch-up, there's easily-visible rust on the bottom, and mildew on the edges General What disappointed us most was the lack of oversight: - Empty salad bowls at the dinner buffet were unrefilled unless asked - Once towels ran out in the pool area no one restocked them - Tea/water station frequently ran out of clean cups, with no one replenishing