Hotel Review: Hotel Sacher Salzburg

Hotel Sacher Salzburg – this name was kind of appealing to us as the hotel is known for being one of the best ones in Austria. As we expected a lot, our stay was a little disappointing. The room we got had a very nice bathroom, but both, our afternoon tea and our breakfast, were not of the highest standard. Sadly, the gym and the little spa are no five star standard as well.

Check out our rating of Hotel Sacher Salzburg!

The Hotel Sacher Salzburg is one of the most famous hotels in Austria. However, Sacher with its main hotel in Vienna is not only popular for hotels, but also for the delicious Sacher Torte.

• Classification: Five Star
• Room Category: Deluxe Room
• Month of Stay: February

As we love this cake and also like luxury hotels, we had no other choice than staying at the Hotel Sacher when visiting Salzburg.

As the hotel is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, we expected a lot and were slightly disappointed overall as the Sacher Salzburg is not any outstanding in our opinion.

Bad start at Hotel Sacher Salzburg

Our experience at the Hotel Sacher Salzburg started with the check-in. When arriving, we did rarely feel welcome as it seems the hotel is not used to young guests.

• Find more content about Salzburg on our city page!

However, we were at least shown to our room by the doorman who also took our luggage. When we saw the first room, we were shocked. Everything looked very old and the style was very traditional. I instantly asked for another room and we were lucky enough to be shown another one.

When booking Hotel Sacher Salzburg, be aware that they offer two different styles: Traditional and contemporary. You may make a choice already when booking to not be disappointed when arriving.

Contemporary  room with a great bathroom

This one was way nicer as it was designed in a contemporary style.

Everything in the room was pretty new, while classic styles were implemented at the same time.

While the room, a Deluxe Room itself, was a little small with only 30 square meters (323 square feet) in total, the bathroom was spacious and one of the best parts of our stay at Hotel Sacher Salzburg.

It had everything from a detached shower to a large bathtub and Sacher signature amenities (with chocolate!). We also liked that the room faced a side street with a partly view of the Salzach.

The welcome treatment offered by the Hotel Sacher Salzburg was very nice as well. It consisted of two bottles of water, some fruits, chocolates and a little “Sacher Würfel” for both of us.

Old gym and a little sauna

Sadly, we were disturbed twice by hotel employees who did not even knock just five minutes after we arrived at the hotel. That was kind of surprising for a five star hotel like the Hotel Sacher Salzburg. However, I decided to give the gym of Hotel Sacher Salzburg a try.

It is located in the basement with no daylight and was a full disappointment. There are some machines, but these are very old. Moreover, the atmosphere in the basement is just not good and the fact that there is no bottled water is a negative one as well.

At least, I recognized that there is a sauna as well that we tried later on. The sauna at Hotel Sacher Salzburg got a good temperature and the relaxation area is a nice touch even though lacking coziness.

Even though the gym and the “Spa” were a slight disappointment, it is worth a mention that the employees constantly cleaned the area and had a look at the availability of water, apples and body lotion.

Afternoon Tea at Hotel Sacher Salzburg

I have to admit that we also booked the Hotel Sacher Salzburg because of its reputation to offer great cuisine. In the afternoon, we decided to opt for the Afternoon Tea in the lobby.

Once again, I was surprised that the area was not really cozy. Also, the service was everything but quick and friendly. It’s weird that the afternoon tea itself was the best experience of our time in the lobby of the Hotel Sacher Salzburg as this one was not satisfying as well.

We were served four macaroons, four chocolates and six savory items. Even though the Afternoon Tea looked quite nice, neither the choice nor the quantity was good. The taste was okay, but nothing to write home about.

Even after sitting in the conservatory for another thirty minutes after finishing our Afternoon Tea, we were not asked whether we want something else – the waiter did not even show up once again.

Shameful room service experience

Talking of service when it comes to food, we got another highlight. As we had some food in the city before, we decided to just go for a burger in the evening. Ordering was easy and the service was quick. The young lady who brought the burger up was very kind as well. So, where’s the problem? Well, when the burger arrived, the lady asked whether it is okay that she brought some fries next to the burger.

I spontaneously agreed, before seeing that the fries were charged on the bill with 6 Euro (~ 6.75 Euro) extra. Something like that did never happen to us before and I was kind of shocked about such a tricky move at a luxury hotel like the Hotel Sacher Salzburg. To end this story: The burger was quite good while the fries tasted pretty much like the ones of McDonald’s.

Small breakfast at Hotel Sacher Salzburg

After the small afternoon tea and the bad room service experience, we did rarely expect anything at breakfast.

Lucky enough, we were not disappointed again. We opted for the Continental Breakfast in the Café Sacher. This one, once again, was anything but rich, but as we were not hungry we were quite fine with two croissants and one roll (for two persons) as well as some marmalade and butter.

Attached, some very good freshly squeezed juice and a choice of coffee (just one cup) or tea is served.

The quality and even the atmosphere were quite good, but not for the very first time I had the feeling that the main purpose of everyone at the Hotel Sacher Salzburg is taking money out of your pockets.

Leaving without satisfaction

There were not many member hotels of The Leading Hotels of the World that we ever left without satisfaction, but at Hotel Sacher Salzburg, we did neither feel welcome nor did we enjoy our stay.

Employees getting in your room without knocking, adding items that were never ordered to a room service bill and the constant begging for tips (that’s something very uncommon in Europe) are some things that should never happen at a luxury hotel.

This in combination with the very little servings at breakfast and afternoon tea (both are pretty expensive when not being included in the rate) made us leave the Hotel Sacher Salzburg without satisfaction. We’ll come back to the Sacher, but only to grab the delicious Sacher Torte. For a stay in Salzburg, we’ll look for another hotel in the future.

Book your stay at Hotel Sacher Salzburg now:

• Hotels.com
• Priceline
• Expedia

 

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