Hotel Gut Raunerhof

We have celebrated New Year 2015/2016 here. It was for the second time already. The reasons why we came back are excellent kitchen and servis, nice people, cleanness. Hotel is located on the slope and it works also if there in no snow on the hills around = you always get to the Reiteralm slope on your ski even if it is on artificial snow. People here just make it happen.

It’s just a perfect place to stay for intermediate skiers. The hotel is very clean with good facilities and a piste on the doorstep. Staff is very helpful and friendly. Food is fresh and delicious. The hotel is located on the north facing slope and opposite of Dachstein glacier. It is not suitable place for the apres ski lovers, it is a rather quiet place.

If you come here expecting 4 star amenities and food, you may be disappointed. Raunerhof delivers solid 3 star quality but claims -- and charges for -- 4 star status. It is not the only hotel in Austria to do so, however. Pluses: location right on the piste. which is also a minus if the weather is lousy and/or you don't ski. Inthe summer it may not be an issue but in winter you are stuck driving since no walking path leads down to the village. The only road down is treacherous and narrow, and you take your life in your hands if you walk on it. Food coming right from kitchen is very good, a high 3 stars and at times even 4 stars. Rooms are a good size, clean and have large safes. No mini bar, though, if you want to keep your own drinks or food cool. The wait staff are friendly and very helpful. It helps to speak Hungarian. Minuses (or aspects not deserving 4 stars) Hotel is horribly laid-out and kitschily decorated. You enter on one level and have to take the lift to the reception area. The reception area has a careworn aspect. The ski rooms are quite a hike from reception and from many rooms. There is no pool and no real fitness room. There are a few cheap stationary bikes and a rickety step machine or two in the narrow passage off the massage area facing a bare wall but the space is by no means inviting and often not accessible. This is a drag if you do not ski or want a day off. You can't hike anywhere from the hotel (see above) so you have no real fitness options. The wellness area is not well set up, lacking in options and usually overcrowded. Two of the cabins (infrared and one sauna) were out of order the four days we were there. It is an ok area for the basics but again not what you would expect from 4 stars. The rooms are badly lit. There is very little done to make them cozy or attractive. Much of the food set out for self-serve was 2 to 3 stars. Hot milk in the carafe in the a.m. once was curdled, salad leaves in the big bowls available at dinner were a mixture of fresh but also rotten bits. The bread loaves were cheap and tasteless, the cheese was always the same 2 varieties, more or less, and low quality. The coffee was standard cheap restaurant coffee, but at least the machines were WMF.The apres ski offering is pathetic and you see the same sad cakes (same cake, one a chocolate the other a vanilla variety with some canned fruit baked inside) at breakfast and dinner. No other choices. Wines were ok but on the simple side and we never once saw a wine menu even though the hotel claims to have a wine cellar. All in all an adequate but by no means delightful hotel. We found ourselves so annoyed by the many poorly thought out aspects and often inadequate quality that it put a real damper on our ski week.

The hotel is located on the north face of a slope, in a very quiet place. There are shops nearby. Parking is sufficiently large. Rooms are very clean, large and had a balcony. Elevator to the 3rd floor only. Meals can be taken both inside and on the terrace (the hotel has 4 floors). 2-course menu is: soup, salad buffet, 3-4 main dishes and dessert. Every Tuesday is made trips to nearby hut and children can ride poneys.

Nice hotel with good facilities. Staff is very friendly. Good sauna and welness. Specially the location is great; walk 5 meters out of the hotel and you are on the skipiste. Food is okay, but noy exceptional. If you like a hotel in the middel of the apres ski and the disco's this is not the place.