Alpin Juwel, Austria: review, itinerary and top tips for holidays with a family

Normally when I head to the mountains, I think, Hurrah, I’ve not got my daughter with me (the saunas! The slopes! The apres ski!). So it’s a rare thing when I go there child-free and think, Oops. I really should have brought my daughter.

Alpin Juwel, located in the Saalbach Hinterglemm region of Austria, is a homely hideaway that’s got everything you need for some alpine rejuvenation: indoor and outdoor pools, wellness zone, cosy nook-filled restaurant and a kids’ club and arcade. Designed for all ages and family-run, Alpin Juwel is designed to let adults be adults and kids be kids, all side by side in harmony.  

Saalbach is a long valley that makes up one of Austria’s largest ski areas: the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. You can base yourself in any of its four resorts, but as a quick scene setter, Saalbach is busy with a vibrant apres-ski, while Hinterglemm village – where Alpin Juwel is situated – has a quieter vibe more suited to families.

The snowy Skicircus terrain has a generous 270km of slopes to explore for those who want every day to be different, but beginners can easily base themselves at the family park on the slopes of Hinterglemm, from which we explored a nice variety of beginner and intermediate trails.  

The hotel

A 90-minute drive from Salzburg, Alpin Juwel is accessed through a car park, where you pass a repurposed vintage chairlift that’s now a set of seats covered with white fur throws. It’s only after a few floors up in the lift that you enter traditional Alpine territory, with larch, spruce and oak intermingling with panoramic windows and cosy cushions as you check in to chill out.

But by far the hotel’s greatest asset is its huge wraparound sunbathing terrace, which leads round to a decked outdoor pool that’s lit up until 8pm and the absolute best place to simultaneously soak and people-watch (the Apres Ski Bar on the opposite hill is where everyone stops off at the end of their last run) – especially with a glass of prosecco.

Next to the pool (another indoor one surrounded by cabanas is metres away if you don’t want to brave the mountain air outside) is a wooden panoramic sauna hut and glass-walled relaxation room, while beyond that is an adults-only wellness zone where being prudish simply doesn’t cut it. We rotated between sauna, steam bath and Sanarium, and spent a very authentic hour with the Sri Lankan Ayurveda therapists who offer everything from herbal stamp massages to lymphatic drainage. The concept? ‘Alpinveda’ (do you see what they did there?) complete with Austrian herbs and homemade oils specific to the region.

Bedrooms are down a few floors in the lift, away from the main hotel – possibly my main bugbear while traipsing about in a robe or when nipping back to my room – but are cosy and complete with water taps and mountain-view balconies. Zen is a welcome priority here: the wifi is turned off between 11pm and 7am, and the beds are all made out of Swiss stone pine, which is said to reduce heart rate and bring on deep sleep. Oh, and the Austrian red wine seems to help here, too.  

For the kids

The spaces my daughter would have loved to spend time in are Alpin Juwel’s arcade (pinball, air hockey, computer games – the vintage vibes are strong) and their swimming pools, especially the outdoor one, which I imagine her floating in until she shrivelled while Snapchatting the evidence to her friends. But whatever the age of your children, there’s a space to suit here, including a club complete with crafts and climbing wall and an outdoor courtyard with trampolines and trikes for use in the summer months – which is also when family packages are on offer inclusive of childcare and a local ‘joker card’ is supplied to give you free access to the lift system for hiking, biking and more.

Family activities in winter are numerous – from ice skating at the local sports centre to the 42m-high tree top trail complete with suspension bridge to the very cool Alpine coaster for kids aged three and up (those over eight can ride solo).

Dinner options

As it’s half board (alongside breakfast in the morning, afternoon snacks are served between 3–5pm), each night you’re shown to your regular table and given the menu of the day, with a couple of options served from the kitchen and the rest available from an evolving buffet. We had spelt ravioli and curd cheese; sweet potato gnocchi; and goose breast with lentils (with a special hats-off to the toppings at the organic ice-cream station). While the food was lovely and the ambience cosy, the menus were a little repetitive, and I’d say anything beyond a three-night stay might get a bit Groundhog Day for adults.

The desserts, however, are works of art. On our last night, we had something called ‘mushroom and blackberry meet in the forest’, which was so creative it was like something out of Is It Cake? The pastry chefs – a couple called Bianca and Marcus, who we chatted to at length in an attempt to get them to go big on Instagram – are insanely talented.

For slopeside lunches, I also need to give a shout-out to the charming Winkler-Alm, full of wood beams and Austrian classics of spinach dumplings in brown butter. When we saw kaiserschmarrn (caramelised shredded pancake dusted with sugar with apple compote) being ordered all around us, we couldn’t help but follow the herd. Yum.  

Getting out and about

We spent the days snowboarding (while the hotel is adjacent to the slopes and very close to lifts, it’s not ski in, ski out, and it’s a little further to walk than is alluded to), but there’s a lot more on offer, from evening tobogganing and snowshoe hikes to horse-drawn carriage rides – all bookable through Alpin Juwel’s reception.

As you fly into Salzburg, it’s a no-brainer to combine your stay with the land of Mozart and The Sound Of Music. Getreidegasse is the ornate main shopping street (and Mozart’s birthplace), while Goldgasse, which runs from the Alter Markt square to the Residenzplatz, is teeming with galleries, bookshops and antiques thanks to its artisan heritage. Nur Coffee is the place to head for coffee in a cone, and we’ve heard good things about the schnitzel with potato salad and cranberries at Pauli Stube. 

Need to know

• If you drive, there is a car parking garage under the hotel and a parking space comes with your room. There’s also a locker room to store boots and skis.
• The indoor pool is open 7am–8pm, and the outdoor pool and sauna are open 3–8pm.
• Childcare is available for kids aged three upwards, and babysitters are available.
• Family packages are available.  

Summer rates start from €160; winter rates start from €190 per person in a double room (includes half board). To book visit: alpinjuwel.at

Images: Alpin Juwel, Austria; Stylist/Susan Riley