Arabella Alpenhotel am Spitzingsee a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

We stayed for two nights, and it was a truly wonderful experience. I competed in Challenge Roth and was feeling quite exhausted, but thanks to the incredible natural surroundings, I was able to recover quickly. My wife and I shared unforgettable moments here. Running and swimming around Spitzingsee will stay with me for a long time.

I've been trying to get through to the hotel by the phone for four days without success. Calls ring then route to Marriott reservations who says they can't get anyone at the property to answer either. The restaurant picked up and promised to have someone from the hotel call back. They haven't. Emails have likewise failed to elicit a response.

We recently stayed at this Marriott property, part of the Tribute Portfolio Collection. This is beautiful property right on Lake Spitzingsee. The rooms are spacious and have an abundance of storage. The restaurant has a Bavarian Menu and we enjoyed the zweilbleroastbratan a few times for dinner. Breakfast was delicious and plentiful. The staff were wonderful with suggestions for sightseeing and things to see in the local area. Overall a beautiful property that you need to experience if traveling in Bavaria. One word of caution, there is no air conditioning so July and August may be at your own risk!

First and foremost: what a beautiful countryside this place sits in. We are happy that they made it "back" to Marriott Bonvoy after having left SPG years ago. Also, the refurbishing is nice - alpine character perfectly well kept and everything tastefully appointed with nice local fabrics. We were lucky having caught a beautiful sunny weekend so the memories are great. Hard product is good - no doubt about that. Staff is friendly and one can tell that a vast majority of team members are rather new to the hotel with some development need and potential. We liked our room - very clean, above average spacious with good stable WLAN signal, coffee maker, safety deposit box and a modern bathroom with all amentities you need for a short stay. This is what I would suggest to improve. First, parking. I was lucky to get a space - the second last one, as we arrived around 3pm. Parking outside is limited. This is one of the basics. When you run a hotel, you need parking - easily accessible. The last thing you want is your guests showing up at reception already slightly frustrated because of circling around the place trying to find a space. Probably just get addmission to the public lot accross the place. It took me ten minutes until my wife asked the receptionist and pointed me to the parking garage. Way too complicated to get your car parked. Second: F&B - both dinner and breakfast. My wife had the venizon cheek and I had the local fish. Venizon was rock hard so she sent it back. Second attempt was good though. My fish was dry and overcooked but I was so hungry I just ate it. All in all a frustrating experience. Breakfast: good quality produce and good choice but poorly managed. It can get tight to get dishes whilst they did not manage to clean our table with used dishes on it. Their staff is nice and friendly but just needs some training. There is also enough staff even when the big restaurant is full. Then, smaller things that make you question the logic behind: on your breakfast table, there is a daily info sheet with QR links on it. Those direct you to Apps that are only available in the Germany Apple App store. They have a minibar, wine and beer glasses on the room but then you can only get the Paulaner beer in room service and not the really good tasting Hacker-Paschorr beer so what happens is that you end up bringing your own drinks from the grocery store in the neighbouring village. So, all in all, a nice breathtaking nature experience and a solid hard product. Soft product needs some good attention and - first and foremost - training and we'll certainly consider retruning.

Of the many Marriott properties my fiance and I have stayed at around the world, the Arabella Alpenhotel Am Spitzingsee is the absolute best. Thanks to the wonderful, warm, and personable GM, Franz Margraf, we enjoyed the best hiking experience in our few days there. Mr. Margraf gave us all the time in the world (like we were the only guests there) to ensure our stay was spectacular. The front desk was very hospitable as well, and the breakfast buffet was absolutely delicious. Our lovely suite had an incredible view over the lake and mountains. Thank you, Mr. Margraf (and all the amazing staff)! We cannot wait to return!