Expert guide to Innsbruck
Innsbruck has a huge choice of city accommodation and for those booking a short break, finding a hotel in the Alps that will take bookings of less than a week is easy – which is unusual in the Alps. None of the traditional ski tour operator to offer holidays to Innsbruck, but specialist agents also tailor-make trips, and for self-travel BA, easyJet and Jet2 operate winter flights from the UK, and airport transfers are short.
The Innsbruck tourist office offers City plus SKI half-board or bed-and- breakfast packages, including a pass that covers the 13 ski resorts near the city and the ski bus, along with entry to 22 activities and attractions. These include museums, activities such as ice skating and city tours. Hotel choices range from comfortable three-stars to luxurious places, and prices start at €209 for two nights, excluding travel. Find out more about the pass at ski-plus-city.com.
Bon Alpina
For those who don’t mind being a little out of the city (15 minutes by free bus), the Bon Alpina is a modern three-star hotel in Igls, close to the Patscherkofel ski area. It has an outdoor pool, big wellness area and two restaurants, including the more rustic wood-panelled Stüberl, serving an à la carte menu. A ski bus stop is right outside.
Price:£
Hotel Dollinger
This family-run, pet-friendly traditional three-star Tirolean inn gives easy access to the Nordkette ski area and is within walking distance of the town centre. It has are 56 cosy, refurbished rooms, a relaxed restaurant with an impressive choice Austrian and Tirolean dishes, and a well-stock wine cellar. A free ski bus is right outside the hotel.
Price: £
Schwarzer Adler
Once a haven for emperors and aristocrats, the boutique four-star Schwarzer Adler has 500 years of history behind it. Just outside the old town, it’s a seven-minute walk from the funicular train to the Nordkette ski area. The ornate dark-pink building has 40 bedrooms, each with a distinct style, from rustic to modern. Traditional features such as medieval door frames remain, and the restaurant – serving traditional Austrian delicacies – is made up of three wood-panelled rooms called parlours. The hotel also has a rooftop bar and terrace with mountain views – and a gondola for private dining.
Price: ££
Gasthof Weisses Rössl
Located in the quiet pedestrianised old town, just around the corner from the iconic Golden Roof. Gasthof Weisses Rössl is also home to Innsbruck’s oldest restaurant, a cosy Stube serving hearty trad Tirolean dishes. All rooms are en-suite and decorated in modern alpine style, with free wifi and flat-screen TV.
Price:££
Hotel Leipziger Hof
Directly opposite the city park, the four-star family-run Hotel Leipziger Hof is a 15-minute walk to the old town. There are 50 stylish rooms – all with flat-screen TV – and long-stay apartments in a quiet adjoining courtyard. The hotel’s “Defreggerstube” restaurant offers an impressive a la carte menu, with regional and international cuisine, while the fifth-floor recreation area has great panoramic views. Further relaxation comes via the spa, with its sauna, sanarium and infra-red cabin.
Price: ££
Grauer Baer
As locations go, the four-star Grauer Baer is hard to beat. It’s bang in the middle of the old town and a few minutes from Innsbruck’s historical centre and the 15th-century Golden Roof. The 196 renovated bedrooms are elegantly furnished in a modern-Alpine style. Food-wise, there’s an extensive hot/cold breakfast buffet and a copious three-course dinner. A 45sq metre swimming pool with a counter-current system on the fifth floor provides panoramic views. There’s also an outdoor hot tub.
Price: ££
The Penz Hotel
All glittery glass and sleek lines, the four-star Penz strikes a fresh, alternative note amid the 15th-century Habsburg haven of whipped-cream splendour. As part of the town hall complex, expect smooth modernity and great views from 92 superior rooms and two junior suites each with sweeping views.
Price:£££
Grand Hotel Europa
The affordably priced five-star Grand Hotel Europa is bang opposite the train station. While the lobby may not impress, some rooms have antique four-poster beds and pine panelling, and all come with mod cons and smart bathrooms. The baroque hall is a listed treasure and the elegant Tirolean restaurant does a mean schnitzel. The hotel has hosted Queen Elizabeth II and the Rolling Stones (not together).
Price: £££
aDLERS Hotel
Buit in modern style with sweeping views of the city skyline and mountains, the aDLERS’ 75 rooms and suites take advantage of its high-rise construction. A 12th-floor restaurant and cool rooftop bar swings each Friday and Saturday evening with DJs. There’s a spa with assorted saunas, and massages are available.
Price: £££
Booking.com rates above are guide prices per person per night, please note that packages can differ across accommodation. Owing to the current coronavirus pandemic, these rates may change. Please check the properties’ websites for further information on what’s included.