That unsettling cry bouncing from peak to peak. That was me. Startled as I careered on my snowboard off one of the world’s steepest and fastest chairlift descents, in the Austrian ski resort of Obertauern.
Luckily, I had a great hotel in which to let my nerves settle – the newly opened Obertauern Places Hotel. A luxuriously funky property with enticing options for post-slope relaxation and the regaling of chairlift derring-do.
As well as eye-catchingly comfy bedrooms, there’s the stunning subterranean indoor pool with its giant floating bean-bag furniture, a hipster lounge and bar, a buzzy self-service restaurant, a seriously fun 400-sq-m (4,305-sq-ft) top-floor gaming area complete with a soft-play complex and, next door, a rooftop bar with jaw-dropping valley views.
From here you’re almost guaranteed to gaze upon vast swathes of snow during the winter season because Obertauern – which lies 1,740m/5,708ft above sea level 90km (55 miles) south of Salzburg – is the ski resort with the best snow record in Austria.
Fact.
Brrrrrr-liant: Ted Thornhill checked in to the newly opened Obertauern Places Hotel. Obertauern (above) – which lies 1,740m above sea level – is the ski resort with the best snow record in Austria
Obertauern Places Hotel has a healthy number of plus points – including a ‘heavenly’ indoor pool (above)
Licence to chill: The image above shows Places Hotel’s spa relaxation area
According to ski tourism researcher Gunther Aigner, the average annual maximum snow depth in the town of 264cm has not changed for the past 108 years.
And what’s more, the resort is climate-change-proof.
Mr Aigner explained that the snow line will rise by about 200 metres by 2050, with the Obertauern tourist board concluding that ‘there is currently no scenario in science [in which] Obertauern runs out of snow in the foreseeable future’.
And it adds that this ‘white Eldorado’ is so snow-sure it does not have to rely on artificial snow.
During our late December visit it was a winter wonderland, with every inch of the 100 kilometres (62 miles) of slopes available open for business.
Raising the brrrrrr for ski resorts: According to ski tourism researcher Gunther Aigner, the average maximum snow depth in Obertauern of 264cm has not changed for the past 108 years
Ted describes his room (similar to the one pictured) as having a ‘cool, black-framed wooden furniture and a comfy king-sized bed’
Beside extras included a condom and lubricant
Obertauern isn’t the most romantic of ski resorts, with a main road bisecting it. But there is no denying that the mountains – part of the Hohe Tauern range – that rise imperiously either side of it are spectacularly dramatic.
Twenty-six cable cars and lifts are arranged around the village to create a well-thought-out ‘ski circuit’ on these photogenic lumps, with multiple ski bridges crossing the main road to make connections from one side of the valley to the other.
Places Hotel lies mere yards from one of these.
Once we’d conquered the scary chairlift – called Sonnenlift 1 – we found the runs pretty thrilling, though conditions were a little on the icy side.
When we weren’t cruising the blues, we were doing circuits on the excellent children’s area with our six-year-old daughter.
This zone features a huge ‘magic carpet’ lift and foam animals that form fun slalom runs.
If there’s an issue with Obertauern, it’s that it’s not ideal for beginners. The slopes are on the challenging side and our daughter – perfectly capable of whizzing down green runs – had limited options.
However, for lovers of hair-raising gradients, Obertauern is a mecca, with one run, Gamsleitenbahn 2, nerve-wracking just to look at.
This run, it seems, is mostly attempted by YouTubing skiers and snowboarders keen to tick it off their steep-slope bucket list.
Obertauern is a mecca for Beatles fans, too. For it was here that the Fab Four filmed scenes for their 1965 movie Help!
Obertauern is a mecca for Beatles fans. For it was here that the Fab Four filmed scenes for their 1965 movie Help!
The Beatles performed their only Austrian gig (to celebrate a crew member’s birthday) on the site of Places Hotel, when it was the Marietta Hotel
The drum kit used by Ringo Star for the concert is on display in a corridor behind the Places Hotel lobby (see video)
What’s more, the group performed their only Austrian gig (to celebrate a crew member’s birthday) on the site of Places Hotel, when it was the Marietta Hotel.
The drum kit used by Ringo Star for the concert is on display in a corridor behind the lobby. A cast-iron talking point – though one of many.
My daughter mostly talked about how amazing the gaming area was. Entirely reasonable – it’s incredible. For young and old alike.
The soft-play area is gigantic – and features trampolines, a tube slide and a foam-block’ pool’ – there are two full-sized table tennis tables, and gamers can button-bash on vintage arcade machines, PlayStation 5s, and Nintendo Switches. Plus, there are herds of oversized bean bags to sit on, with the area illuminated by lights hidden inside cute lampshades that resemble glowing clouds.
The self-service restaurant was also a hit, with guests able to eat as much as they like in the evenings from counters crammed with all manner of meats, fish and chips, and gourmet handmade pizzas.
Places Hotel’s gaming area includes an epic soft-play complex (pictured)
In the gaming area there are vintage arcade machines and herds of oversized bean bags to sit on, with the area illuminated by lights hidden inside cute lampshades that resemble glowing clouds (above)
Breakfast is served in the same venue. In the mornings we enjoyed gazing out of the panoramic windows at the mountainous backdrop, the vista shrouded in darkness during dinner on our deep-winter visit.
Opt for the ‘Places Flexi’ package and dinner is free, with each person given a 30-euro (£26) allowance a day to spend on food and drink at the bar as an alternative.
Payment is made via wrist-worn electronic ‘watches’, which also open bedrooms and doors to various public spaces. Nifty.
The lounge and bar, with its chic, Soho House-style furniture (think leather chairs with chrome frames and Chesterfield sofas) also won us over (along with the soup and pasta).
The top-floor bar features a terrace that offers jaw-dropping valley views
Above is the interior of the eighth-floor bar, which neighbours the gaming area
For lovers of hair-raising gradients, Obertauern is a mecca, with one run, Gamsleitenbahn 2 (above), nerve-wracking just to look at
Then there’s the aforementioned pool. World class. Its kidney shape means it isn’t suitable for doing laps, but what a spot for unwinding. Loungers are spread around the moodily lit space on multiple levels, and the floating bean-bag furniture, including star-shaped cushions, are fun to jump on and heavenly for lolling.
To top it all off, the staff were great – charming, and keen to assist, from setting my partner and I up for a head-to-head game of Mario Kart to leaping forth to guide me through the machinations of the Nespresso machine at breakfast.
Any downsides? A few. But nothing particularly brow-furrowing.
I feel the hotel, by Croatian brand Valamar, is a little ‘overbranded’ and can feel like it’s trying a bit too hard to be trendy.
The staff – they all wear T-shirts. Which gives off a sports-shop vibe. And the property is referenced in marketing literature with headache-inducing typography, as OBERTAUERN [PLACESHOTEL]. Their capitals, their square brackets. And they’re not bedrooms – you sleep in a [PLACESROOM]. And you sip cocktails in the [PLACESLOUNGEBAR] using your [PLACESFLEXI].
Then there are the endless snippets of PLACES-related banter dotted around the building – for example, the luggage room is labelled as THIS PLACE IS PACKED.
Potentially tiresome for some.
And while we liked our bedroom’s cool, black-framed wooden furniture and comfy king-sized bed, our bathroom was a slight let-down – smart and clean, but plain, with a cheap shower hose and no rain shower. As if the interior designer had run out of [PLACESINSPIRATION].
And for a hotel that’s so tech savvy, with free password-less hi-speed Wi-Fi and all those gaming stations, it was surprising not to see spare bedside sockets on both sides of the mattress for plugging in phones and tablets (I had to unplug the Marshall bluetooth speaker to plug my phone in).
Mind you, the ‘pleasure box’ placed by the bed that contained a condom and lubricant suggests many Places Hotel guests aren’t prioritising pillowside battery boosting.
Snow my goodness: The Obertauern tourist board concluded that ‘there is currently no scenario in science [in which] Obertauern runs out of snow in the foreseeable future’
This ‘white Eldorado’ is so snow-sure it does not have to rely on artificial snow
Ted writes: ‘During our late December visit [Obertauern] was a winter wonderland, with every inch of the 100 kilometres (62 miles) of slopes available open for business’
To boldly go where snowman has gone before: Obertauern lies 90km (55 miles) south of Salzburg, with a peak elevation of 2,313 metres (7,588ft)
The ski hire, too, was a mixed bag.
It comes courtesy of adjoining Freudenaus Sport Rental, which isn’t owned by Valamar but can be accessed from the hotel lounge, with Valamar offering the equipment and services via its website.
What’s more, the bill can be settled at reception upon checking out.
So far, so handy.
And while the kit was good, the downside during our visit was that during the fitting, one member of staff was trying to serve about 10 people at once.
He was a friendly chap, but in need of help during the morning rush hour.
Breakfast and dinner are served in the same venue. Above are some of the morning offerings that greeted Ted
Opt for the ‘Places Flexi’ package and dinner is free, with each person given a 30-euro (£26) allowance a day to spend on food and drink at the bar as an alternative. Above is the breakfast/dinner venue
These downsides, however, are all forgivable, because not only does Places Hotel get the basics right, it goes above and beyond, with a guest experience as winningly elevated as the ski area (which rises to 2,313 metres (7,588ft).
I’d love to return – it’s a snow brainer – but next time I won’t be riding that scary chair lift. I’ll be watching others going through the ordeal, cocktail in hand, from the eighth-floor bar terrace.
And I’ll be keeping a keen eye on the Valamar brand. I would imagine so, too, will rival hoteliers. Because it’s definitely going places.
TRAVEL FACTS
Rooms at Obertauern Places Hotel start from £275
Ted was hosted by Obertauern Places Hotel, where rooms cost from £275 ($350) per night, including the flexi half-board offering.
Visit www.valamar.com/en/obertauern-winter-holidays.
For flights visit www.Wowtickets.com and for more information on Obertauern visit www.obertauern.com.
Hotel verdict
PROS: Friendly, helpful staff; good location within Obertauern; amazing pool; stunning gaming area; breathtaking views from the eighth-floor bar terrace; luxuriously funky design; comfy rooms; convenient ski hire; interesting Beatles connection; buzzy restaurant; handy flexi dining option.
CONS: ‘Places’ banter and shouty marketing potentially tiresome; bathroom shower hose cheap; no rain shower; paucity of bedside charging sockets.
Rating out of five: 4
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