Stanglwirt Brings Five-Star Sustainability, History, And Lovable Quirks To The Austrian Alps

There are some hotels that are so fully committed to being what they are that it’s difficult not to fall a little bit in love with them. Stanglwirt Green Spa Resort, in Austria’s Tyrolean Alps, is one of those hotels.

The oldest part of the building dates from 1609. It grew organically over the centuries while staying in the same family since 1722. The corridors are a warren of mini staircases and walls that don’t quite align. Much of it was built with recycled Arolla pine way before that was cool—current owner Balthasar Hauser took over the property when he was just 17, and when no bank would give him a loan, he had to scrounge. Staff still wear dirndls and, sometimes, lederhosen. In summer, the evening entertainment is alfresco harp concerts. Parts of the place smell like cow.

The last of these is not without reason. That 17-year-old boy is now a 77-year-old man, and his family’s project has become a 170-room resort. But it’s still a working farm at heart, with about two dozen cows for meat and milk. In winter, their cowshed is practically inside the Gasthof restaurant—that part that dates from 1609, when the whole thing was just a small tavern—separated from diners by thick panes of glass. I haven’t eaten beef in decades, so I missed the experience of eating a cow while looking at another cow, but it still made for an unusual dinner.

Milk is pumped from the cows directly to the cheesemaking kettles, not so much as dirtying a bucket in between. This makes for better, fresher cheese, of course, but also fits into Stanglwirt’s commitment to sustainability. In summer, the cows are taken up the mountain to graze in the pastures, and the cheese is made the old-fashioned way, in mountain huts. The cheesemaker tells me that the army is enlisted to carry the cheese down the (road-less) mountain as part of their training. This makes me appreciate Austria’s priorities.

Dining at Stanglwirt certainly seems to be one of its guests’ priorities, from the massive breakfast buffets to the five-course dinners at the main restaurant. Much of it is produced on the 160-acre organic farm that produces meat, dairy products, vegetables and bread.

It’s all good fuel for mountain sports—Kitzbühel Streif is just a few minutes away, and cross-country skiing is just outside. In summer, there are pristine trails for hiking and mountain biking. (During my stay a few weeks ago, everything was decorated with yellow wildflowers.) There are nearby golf courses with an on-property golf school.

Stanglwirt also has Austria’s first private Lipizzaner stud and riding school, part of which is an enclosed space and visible from the bar. (Watching animals while eating and drinking seems to be a theme here.) It’s also one of Europe’s leading tennis resorts, thanks to a partnership with Peter Burwash International, which feels like a welcome throwback in a world gone mad for padel and pickleball—which have yet to catch on in German-speaking countries.

The spa and wellness offerings are likewise outstanding, including 130,000 of space that contains five saunas three steam baths, the largest saltwater pool in Europe (heated with biothermal energy, another way in which the place was ahead of its time), an artificial swimming lake and a kids’ pool with a movie screen and a 400-foot-long water slide. The gym is likewise impressive, including a boxing ring used by the Klitschko Brothers to train, and an entire section designed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. (I’m told he sent a truck full of equipment and a note that read, “Best wishes, Arnie.”)

The spa has its own interesting array of offerings, including a whey bath that uses a by-product of cheesemaking that has skin-softening capabilities, high-tech facials and exclusive treatments from Hollywood cosmetic doctor Barbara Sturm, and a softer, resort-friendly form of Rolfing given by a leading practitioner who got tired of the hustle of being a global freelancer and signed on here as a sort of vacation from self-employment.

It makes sense. The staff seem quite cheerful—one housekeeper sang out “Grüß Gott” virtually every time I left my room—and the guests, including many international celebrities of various eras, and frequent and longtime repeaters, could not be happier. It’s easy to see why: along with its history and charming quirks, Stanglwirt follows the rhythms of a top mountain resort: food, sport, wellness, food again, and a restful night’s sleep in the fresh Alpine air.

It’s also more than that, says Maria Hauser, Balthasar’s daughter and the director of marketing, PR, wellness and spa. “People thought my father was crazy for building with old materials that the neighbors were throwing in the trash. But he said he had a vision.”

She continues, “It was important to our father that everything has a soul. People said he was crazy, but every house has a soul. He has so many good ideas, and it’s never been about money. It’s about soul and a deeper sense of purpose.”

Of course, the money came, which allowed all the expansion. But he’s never lost sight of wanting to “create a place where people feel comfortable. Our slogan in German means ‘at home at Stanglwirt.’ That didn’t come from a marketing agency,” she clarifies. “It comes from the letters we get from our guests.”