One of the World’s Best Luxury Hotels: Schloss Moenchstein, Salzburg

Two weeks ago, just before the Christmas holidays, Ellie & I spent a night at the absolutely outstanding luxury hotel Schloss Moenchstein in Salzburg. Apart from a last-minute short stay in Paris with friends, this was the first trip together since my return from the Arctic, so we thought we’d splash out a little (€620/£515 for the cheapest double room).

 

All pics (c) BerkeleySqB except last three pics in this blog post, which are (c) Hotel Schloss Moenchstein.

HOTEL SCHLOSS MOENCHSTEIN WON BEST LUXURY CASTLE HOTEL IN THE WORLD 4X

We had done our research and our expectations were sky-high. During the last year, Hotel Schloss Moenchstein won prizes in several categories of the World Luxury Awards, including Best Luxury Castle Hotel in Western Europe (previously: 4x best in the world) and Best Luxury Romantic Hotel in Western Europe, as well as Best Luxury Small Hotel in Austria. Moreover, it received two Michelin Keys, as well as the highly regarded Connoisseur Circle Award for Best Romantic Hotel in Austria. It was included in the Top 100 Country Hotels in the World (Dr. Klaus Besser) and received the Grand Award as Most Enchanting City Hotel in the World (Hideaway Report).

LOCATED ON THE TOP OF MONKS MOUNTAIN / MOENCHSBERG

We arrived directly from Salzburg airport. Interestingly, several taxi drivers refused our business, when we mentioned our destination. This is because the steep road up the Moenchsberg (“Monks Mountain,” Moenchstein, the name of the hotel, means Monk Rock) can get a bit tricky in winter. The hotel offers a pick-up service to all guests. Despite the fact that the temperatures on the day of our arrival were sub-zero, there was no ice on the road. Any average driver in an average car could have easily made their way up the hill.

HOTEL SCHLOSS MOENCHSTEIN UPGRADED US TO A JUNIOR SUITE

From the first moment, when we arrived, the service and atmosphere exceeded all our expectations. The receptionist came outside to the car to greet us. And the porters were ready to pick up our luggage. We were led to the rather stylish Apollo Bar, only a few steps from the entrance, past the foyer, and offered a complimentary drink of our choice. Normally we are not much into day drinking, but on this occasion we both opted for a flute of champagne. We were given a clipboard with an attached, short, straight-forward check-in form to complete. Once we had completed our form, the receptionist informed us that we had been upgraded to a junior suite. A great start to our stay. Double rooms range from €415/£345 (standard double, non-refundable, mid-week, off-season) to €1,300/£1,080 (deluxe double, refundable, weekend, main season), junior suites like ours range from €850/£700 to €1,700/£1,400, and the most expensive suites range from €3,000/£2,500 to €4,600/£3,800. All rooms have been redesigned in 2024 by H2 Yacht design in an elegant, classic contemporary style.

50 SQM OF PURE LUXURY AT HOTEL SCHLOSS MOENCHSTEIN

One of the hotel staff walked us to our suite, which, to our surprise, was one floor down from the reception area. As the hotel is built on the top of a steep hill, and because our suite was on the lower side of the hill, we had a lovely view over the hotel’s own park from our two large floor-to-ceiling windows. Parts of the hotel’s lower floors have literally been cut into the rock. The 50sqm (530sqft) junior suite was rather impressive, with the main room roughly crescent-shaped around the central bathroom. There was a seating area with sofa, two armchairs and a tea-table, a writing desk with chair, a stand for a suitcase, and plenty of wardrobes in the open hallway right next to the door. The bed at the far end from the entrance, all the way around the crescent, was large, firm, and very comfortable. We were equally pleased with the sizeable, well-appointed bathroom, which featured a full-size tub with fancy Dornbracht fittings.

 

BATH TUB PLUS SHOWER CUBICLE, SEPARATE TOILET

There was a separate shower cubicle with static mounted rain shower head and a removable power-shower. The toilet was in a separate small chamber inside the bathroom, including water-tap and mirror. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of combined bidet-toilets. That said, I’m sure this one will have its fans. Additionally, there were two vessel sinks on a tabletop, made from the same Calacata marble as the floor.

 

IMPRESSIVE ATTENTION TO DETAIL

We liked that there was so much attention to detail. Starting from a hand-signed welcome note which addressed us by our names and referenced that we had travelled from London, the small home-made Guglhupf cake and fresh fruit on the tea-table, signature fine porcelain and silverware, the Bulgari toiletries, the super-fluffy, thick, immaculate bathrobes and towels with Moenchstein’s coat of arms stitched on. There was a spa bag with extra towels, the fridge and bar/coffee area were very well-stocked, even the tiny water-taps in the toilet chamber were vintage-looking ones by upmarket French faucet manufacturer Horus, with enamel labels reading ‘chaud’ and ‘froid.’ The large flatscreen sat on a robust foldable and expandable metal lever, making it easy to position the TV appropriately, no matter if you were sitting on the sofa or lying on the bed.

 

 

OFFICIALLY DATING FROM 1350, MOST OF SCHLOSS MOENCHSTEIN HAS BEEN BUILT MORE RECENTLY

While the building’s origins go back all the way to the mid-14th century, very little is left from that time. Most of the architecture you see today, is from the 19th century, with many substantial extensions and modifications from the recent past. One of the most spectacular aspects, the L-shaped, hose-like glass and steel structure, which covers most of the Apollo Bar, some of the Glass Garden restaurant, and some of the outside seating area, has been added less than a decade ago. Roughly 20 years ago, German-born, Swiss businessman Hans-Peter Wild (now 83 years old) took over the hotel. All Germans (like myself) know Capri-Sonne, a fruit juice that started the empire, which made him billions.

PREVIOUS GUESTS INCLUDE CATHERINE THE GREAT AND TOM CRUISE

Naturally, over the centuries, many famous people have stayed at Schloss Moenchstein. Some, like Alexander von Humboldt, who called it “a small piece of paradise” or Catherine the Great, made their appearance long before the venue was turned into a hotel. Others, like Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, visited more recently, when they filmed parts of Knight and Day in town.

 

EXPLORING OLD TOWN

We spent the late afternoon strolling around Old Town, which is a mere 10 minutes’ walk away, thanks to the elevator, which carries passengers between there and the top of Moenchsberg. All hotel guests get a free pass for the elevator.

 

DINNER AT HOTEL SCHLOSS MOENCHSTEIN’S MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANT

For 6pm, we had made a dinner reservation at Hotel Schloss Moenchstein’s Michelin-starred restaurant, The Glass Garden. The restaurant is small, with space for a maximum of 40 guests. A huge glass sculpture by one of our favourite artists, Chihuly, dominates the dining room.

 

THE GLASS GARDEN

Because they only accept one reservation per table for lunch or dinner, it is up to guests to choose the time of their reservation and there is no rush to gobble down all courses before the next party arrives. Considering that we had indulged in various snacks at the Christmas Market, we opted to limit ourselves to sharing one starter, duck liver three ways (terrine, roasted, ice cream, €46/£38), and have two mains, char with saffron fennel, vadouvan, fregola sarda (€54/£45) and entrecote with short rib in onion red wine sauce (€46/£38). No desserts. We hadn’t realised, that all the amuse-bouches and petit fours you’d expect at a place like this when ordering a multi-course menu, would also be served to us. Slightly unconducive to our intention of not overindulging, but utterly delicious and very generous of the chef. The meal was easily the best dining experience we’ve ever had in Salzburg.

 

CHECKING OUT HOTEL SCHLOSS MOENCHSTEIN’S POOL AREA

Possibly not entirely in line with best practice, I checked out the heated outdoor whirlpool shortly after dinner. The heated 20m long infinity pool right next to it, is closed over the colder months, which makes sense. While the views from the latter must be even more spectacular, the former had pretty decent views over Salzburg and the surrounding hills, too.

BREAKFAST AT HOTEL SCHLOSS MOENCHSTEIN

Breakfast the next morning was the only disappointment during our stay. Largely, because it was good, possibly even very good, but it fell miles below the world-class standard we had experienced in all other areas so far. Some cooked dishes, like omelette, are included in the price for the room with breakfast. Others, like Eggs Benedict, are not. At €12/£10, they were very reasonably priced, but while it seemed perfectly fine to me to charge extra for caviar (€58/£48 for 10g) or beef fillet (€30/£25), I found it unnecessary to charge for a standard egg dish. Both Ellie’s mushroom ham cheese omelette and my Eggs Benedict looked and tasted below par. The buffet was pretty decent for a five-star hotel, with a selection of fine cheeses, cold cuts, salmon, fruit salad, cereals, yogurt, pastries, and so on.

 

THE AWARD-WINNING ‘MOENCHSTEIN MASSAGE’ AT THE SPA

After breakfast, Ellie checked out the 50-minute ‘Moenchstein Massage’ (€130/£110). My good wife regularly enjoys treatments in London and abroad. She told me that this massage was the best one she’s ever had. Not only did it bring immediate relief to the sore neck and shoulders that she had sported for the last couple of days. She was also heavily impressed by the detailed diagnosis and advice the masseuse had to offer. It’s not for no reason, that the spa at Hotel Schloss Moenchstein has won many awards, including Best Luxury Hideaway Spa Western Europe by World Luxury Spa Awards (2020). The spa also features a steam bath, sauna, and a wide range of other massage, wellness, & beauty treatments. Above the main relaxation room, there is a glass dome which happens to be the centre piece of the fountain in the hotel’s forecourt.

WORLD-CLASS STAFF AT HOTEL SCHLOSS MOENCHSTEIN

Throughout our stay, all the staff were absolutely fabulous, without a single exception. Extremely well-trained, knowledgeable, helpful, friendly, smiley, well-mannered, never intrusive, but always there, when you needed them. Sometimes, before you even knew that you could use a little assistance.

 

THE HOTEL’S GENERAL MANAGER

When we checked out, the hotel’s General Manager, the charming Samantha Teufel, whom we had seen on various occasions during our stay, discreetly ensuring all her staff knew what to do, wished us a great onward journey. The receptionist handed us a jar of homemade marmalade as a parting gift, and off we were on our way to the next hotel.

   

Above three pics are (c) Hotel Schloss Moenchstein.

THIS HOTEL NEEDS ITS OWN CATEGORY

Of all the hotels Ellie & I stayed at over the years, there was never one that even came close to Hotel Schloss Moenchstein. Having read a large number of customer reviews on all types of different platforms, it appears that we are far from the only ones, who believe that this place deserves a category of its own. Until that happens, I guess it will simply have to be a 5 out of 5.

Looking for more travel-related posts? Feel welcome to eyeball my articles about restaurant Helene Darroze in London (then two, now three Michelin stars), two-starred Lafleur in Frankfurt, QT Bondi hotel in Sydney, The Exhibitionist Hotel in London, unusual things to do in Paris, our road trip with a 1980s Jaguar convertible through the Cotswolds, or my recent attempt to row the Northwest Passage.

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2 Comments

  1. Really interesting review! I’m sure it’s a lovely place to stay. I found it funny that you’re clearly staying in such a nice place and were then refused service from the taxi drivers.
    I also didn’t expect this post to be where I learn that Capri-Sonne (or Capri-Sun as I know it) is German!

    1. Now that’s interesting to me! I had no idea that Capri-Sun is a thing outside of Germany. I certainly never spotted it anywhere. However, when I grew up, every kid brought a few containers of Capri-Sonne to school with them each day. 🙂

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