As I was travelling with Crystal Ski on half board I knew there would be a set menu for dinner and as such there would be a lot of buffet type courses for both breakfast and dinner,

The main meals came quickly and were delicious.

We enjoy the food which is plentiful and often includes traditional Austrian specialities.

Breakfast and evening meals with a large choice of plentiful dishes.

Good choices for all meals, great cooked breakfast.

We were made very welcome , staff are all amazing can't do enough to help, room was clean and comfortable, meals delicious, hotel is very well placed in centre of village, and close to multiple cable cars ,

Plenty of choice of plentiful food at breakfast and dinner.

You will find something you like I'm sure. Dinner was a mixture of buffet starter options (salads, hams, cheeses, breads etc.)

The buffet is extensive and perfectly adequate.

The new Spanish Chef offered a varied choice at evening meals which was plentiful and first class.

The buffet table at breakfast and the evening was first class, as were the meals delivered to your table.

Breakfasts were buffet style, and evening meal was buffet for soup, salad, and desert.

The food was great you wont go hungry, breakfast hot/cold buffet, dinner starter buffet & main is table service, you order your dinner the night before choice veg/meat/fish.

The food was excellent and plentiful, the breakfast buffets were huge and we didn't feel the need to buy lunch the entire week.

but stopped short as the staff and breakfast half made up for this dire experience !

The food was all good - nice buffet with plenty of options and three course evening meal that was good fare - typically Austrian, in that it is not always what you are familiar with -

The food at breakfast and in the evening was fantastic and plentiful.

although I would have loved more traditional Austrian desserts like apple strudel.

Can’t fault the food especially breakfast.. such a great choice to get you off to a good days skiing.

if, on the other hand, you want a family run hotel with a very personal approach mixed up with a large dollop quirkiness, you’ll love it here.

However, it's a perfectly fine, traditional, family run, quirky, clean and comfortable hotel especially if you want to be in the centre of the village.

It’s a family owned hotel since 1929 currently managed by Frau Brandel who is always there to warmly welcome guests and takes a personal interest in ensuring that they are happy.

A typically Austrian hotel that has been owned by the same family for 70+ years, I can’t remember the actual number of years.

Lovely spacious room with lots of storage, bathroom was adequate, not the biggest for a family of four

A very warm welcome once again from Karin and the whole Berger family on our arrival.

Excellent location a short walk in ski boots to the nursery blue ski lift & x3 gondolas,  A family run hotel with a genuine warm feel, colourful with character, friendly staff (probably the nicest & most helpful staff I've met).

The Berger family pulled out all the stops over Christmas week to make our stay memorable.

I stayed at Berger's in mid-July with my family and I can definitely say that it was they have best hospitality service in Austria.

In our family room we had a double bed and a sofa bed which wasn’t very comfortable.

Once again a very warm welcome from the Berger family.

Typical Austrian friendly family run hotel.

A traditional family run hotel in the lively pedestrian district of Sallbach, highly recommended!

It is a nice, family run hotel, and as a first impresion, everybody was very welcoming, courteous, helpful, and ready to answer to any of your needs.

Very nice family owned hotel with delicious food and nice rooms.

I made a last minute reservation on the phone at 1 am and was welcomed by the family and the reception staff there.

We would recommend the hotel to families.

Had another great experience on our third time at this hotel.Our usual warm welcome from  Frau Berger, family and staff.

but this is not the hotel's fault, is the loud church bells that start waking everyone up at 6am.

Saalbach is a lively party going resort which means it can be noisy in the evenings for rooms facing the high street which is true for any hotel in this location.

The street can be noisy at night when the clubs close and also early in the morning when the church bells ring and delivery vehicles  unload, so often a disruptive night’s sleep.

though with noisy passers by, vehicles and church bells.

Or maybe some thicker double glazing in the future to block out the noise!!

but be aware, as is common in Austria, there is a lively apres ski culture and music and group noise can go on into the small hours, however  closing the bedroom windows and curtains screened out most sounds.

There are no measures employed here to stop food contamination by handling, coughing or sneezing.

The hotel is in need of some investment and not laid out very well, particularly the buffet areas so expect little traffic jams at breakfast!

OMG it was appalling, so much so I refused to sleep in it, it was just horrendous .. dirty carpet, dirty walls, broken beds and a basin under the radiator to catch the dripping water .. to cut a very long saga short after a heated argument with our Tour Operator we were given a slightly better triple room in this Hotel which four of us shared for just one night until they managed to find alternative accommodation for us all.

The one advantage of this was that we weren’t constantly hassled by the noise.

The wall to the next room was also very thin and we could hear the conversations between the girls next door.

Saalbach itself is very pretty, fairly noisy,

but this didn't do anything for the street noise, light streaming through the curtains, trudging through the icy streets to breakfast, lack of secure ski equipment storage, waiting for hot water to finally come out of the shower or the generally depressing ambience of the place.

but if you are at the back expect to be woken every morning by the church bell which goes crazy at 6am!

Requested a quiet room which we got, albeit rather small,

Some people have made comments about late night noise

I can imagine in full season this room would be quite noisy at night - so if this is an issue I'd recommend requesting a room at the back.

but dont go there if you can not stand noise.

Don't expect peace and quiet, it's a lively apres ski resort and music, singing, shouting etc goes on into the small hours!

We will definitely be staying again in the future and will come for the summer season as well as the skiing.

There is a good sauna and wellness area with a nice small pool ideal for children and a quick dip after a good day’s skiing.

Can’t fault the food, Breakfast offered such a great choice including juices,cereals, yoghurt, fruits meats, cheeses, hot selection, breads, pastries and even energy bars to get you off to a good days skiing.

Arrived for a weeks skiing on Saturday 22nd February, to a very warm welcome.

Great week skiing and close to the Shattburg lift and short walk uphill to the other gondolas.Lovely hotel and friendly staff especially Dominic and Goran our waiters, I was in a big group and never felt  rushed at meal times and allowed to stay at our table until we were ready to move .

a great holiday super skiing, service and smiling staff at the Sporthotel.

Ellmau Sport Hotel in February 2020 for some real quality accommodation and equal skiing.

The spa is included which is lovely after a long day skiing.

but again very clean and a good place to unwind after a hard days skiing.

Had a great week with my son skiing in this great region of Austria.

The spa is well equipped, and just what the doctor ordered, again, after 7 hours hard skiing.

Enjoyed the wellness centre more than normal as skiing was not always possible.

This season I will be returning twice in January for what i know will be great weeks skiing with a comfy bed at the end of the day and a Sauna to sooth the aching muscles.. Cant recommend this hotel enough.. Great food, great location and very friendly staff .

Family hotel with friendly staff, amazing cuisine and excellent location of the hotelWellnes ideal for skiing - swimming pool, excellent massages and a relaxation room.

Lovely traditional central  hotel and close to lift and bars the food was always good our party of 14 didn’t have any complaints the pool and spa was very welcome after a day skiing.

but met our needs and compared to most others we have stayed in while skiing.

My point being we spent a lot of money on a hotel which is in dier need of a refit, poor food, tiny rooms, weird staff etc, also never had any communication off of any Crystal reps the entire stay, will never use them again and stay clear of that dreadful dump, the Sport Hotel Berger!

but most of the rooms are a bit on the small side.

Although we had booked a superior double room it was actually quite small and we had no balcony and as our room was at the back of the hotel we looked out onto a brick wall.

The ski/ board room is small, the doors in and out go the wrong way, the lobby is tiny and a mess, the Prosecco bar is an eyesore and only takes cash (no charging of drinks there to your room) and the restaurant is decorated like a French bordello.

Hotel is quirky and some of the rooms are a little on the small side so worth booking the larger twin/double.

My room was a little bit small and dark (and also too warm) which is the reason why I didnt give the highest grade.

My husband and son said the hotel was fabulous, the rooms was small however he was told the hotel was the 1st hotel in the resort

I booked a small room, and had a small room.

The hotel is spotlessly clean and well looked after, our room was small and didn't give us much space.

I had a room which was on the small side,

although the rooms are a bit small and gloomy, I only needed a room for sleeping and showering in
So no complaints from me and my party .

Finally the boot room was far too small for the number of guests (not surprising since it was half term so the hotel was full).

but average quality 
Breakfast – excellent 
 

Cons 
Very small rooms 
Small bathrooms
Uncomfortable bench style seating in the restaurant
Boot room too small for the number of guests
Tepid water temperature in the pool

What was not bearable was the stench of stale cigarette smoke permeating the reception and adjoining areas.

but the smell of cigarettes out of this hotel is bad.

Very little fresh food was introduced on the later sitting with old stale food left out from the first.

And incidentally what is it with that stale stench every morning as you enter the dining room for breakfast?

Also there are communal shared balconies and so this meant that the smell from people smoking drifted into the bedrooms.

The owners were responsive to our concerns and did supply a no smoking sign which did help.

As some reviews have mentioned the room did smell of cigarette smoke

The only downside is the smoke you experience

but there were several people smoking e cigarettes on the odd night which was a bit disappointing.

but it is an odd quirky mix of old and new, strange oil paintings on the walls and a modern lounge bar only spoilt by the smoke that permeates around the entire hotel, why on earth its not banned, it ruins the experience of what is an otherwise pleasant lounge/bar.

Especially our bathroom was very humid and contained mold because the ventilation didn’t work.

and there was always a bit of a smell . .

My only problem is that it is advertised as non smoking throughout

Would not stay there again mainly due to food and smoking

My one issue with Skiing in Saalbach, Austria is that smoking is allowed in most bars which isn't great when you don't smoke! !

The packed lunch which was available for 1 day of week contained an old orange covered with mold.

A very red theme to the decor, and our daughters room was smallish and did smell of cigarette smoke, which took some of the shine off.

but nice spa area with a swimming pool and two types of saunas.

The swimming pool and spa were lovely after a hard day on the slopes and we had fresh spa towels daily.

but perfect for a quick dip and the spa and sauna were an added bonus.

The Sauna and Steam room are great, i wasn't brave enough to get under the cold tap or shower after

The pool and Spa areas are spotless and offer a a chance to relax whilst enjoying the views of the town.

The Pool and spa were very good and of a very high standard, which was important to us as two of our party did not ski.

Pfarramt Maria Sieben Schmerzen, Watzmann Therme, Off Piste Bar, Adventure Service Outdoorsports, Salewa, Tourist Information Schoenau Am Koenigssee, Sommerrodelbahn, SennAir Helicopter, Erlebnisschwimmbad Obsmarkt, Outdo Rafting, Obersalzbergbahn, Kartbahn Saalbach, Off Piste Bar Aprés Ski & Night Club Zell am See, Öffentliche Bücherei - Stadtgemeinde Saalfelden, AnJo Kosmetik & Massagen, Skischule Saalbach - Fürstauer, Zell am See Esplanade, Balancierender Vitalweg Einsiedelei, Inter Sport Renoth, MySnapAir, Resis kleine Freuden, Gossl Saalfelden, Adrenalin Erlebnis, Nightbar KUHSTALL, SkulpturenRadWeg, Die Kleine Kneipe, UnderBar, Charisma Am Stadtplatz, Schloss Dorfheim, Schwips Bar, Teekorb & Tridor, Kletterhalle Felsenfest, Après Ski Paleis, SOPURE - Salt & Soaps, Apres World, Insider Bar, Schlossplatz, Ibexx-Sports, Marktplatz, Snowmobil-City, Bernstein's Bar & Lounge, Gipfel Kehlstein, Ankleidezimmer Berchtesgaden, Alpinresort Dayspa, v. Hoesslin Berchtesgadener Keramik, Zum Turm Saalbach, Atelier Halili, Steep and Wild, Motorikweg Saalbach, K1 Club, Minigolf Berchtesgaden, Melinda Massage & Beauty Oasis, Soundcafe Berchtesgaden, Alpenflug, Evang.-luth.

The spa facilities are great and much bigger and better than we were expecting.

There is a pool and spa area accessed from the 1st floor.

Afterwards we tried the sauna which was also great.

apres ski in the town is great 

Spa area clean and modern

The rooms are comfortable,and the SPA is very nice.

Situated central in the village, delicious food and very nice spa, pool and saunas.

The staff is top notch and a good spa and pool department with massages and other treatments.

The small pool, very small steam room and sauna with relaxation area is nice

Berger's Sporthotel

quietness

smell

small room

skiing

family

The food both breakfast and dinner was a highlight.

Pros: location, cleanliness, friendly staff, spacious room, good breakfast, nice spa. Cons: the dinners were not quite as good as we expected (ok,

Great choice at breakfast and 5 course dinners Central to everything and situated in the village.

The only suggestion I would make, is that maybe you could go back to offering the delicious vegetarian choice that you used to do rather than vegn.

The Evening meals and breakfast was of a superior standard and something to look forward to.

Attention to detail is very high and this translates into the whole experience from a delicious breakfast with lots of homecooked meals and local artisan bread on offer through to a very pleasant sauna with 2 sauna rooms, relaxation room and even thermal bath inhalation water (and an ice bath!).

High quality evening courses and a plentiful supply of everything for breakfast.

but we’re so nice it was a joy to be served by them   Restaurant manager was OK. 
Food at breakfast was good with eggs cooked to order.

Food was excellent - both breakfast and the 5 course evening meal.

We ate breakfast and our evening meals in the main restaurant each day and the standard and varied options were also excellent.

I really enjoyed the meals, the breakfast buffet  selection was extensive and of good quality.

Breakfast and dinner was varied and filling and a nice way to wind down ready for bed.

Cheaf server very good omlet, scramble eggs and American pan cakes.

Breakfast offered a great buffet with a green smoothie as our favourite item.

Great and lovely staff, nice and cosy rooms, amazing wellness, great location in the middle of everything and close to all necessary facilities (lift, restaurants), every evening I was looking forward to absolutely great breakfast, the best I ever had in hotels.

I used the pool before breakfast and again before dinner, it was always quiet and imacculately clean  with plenty of green pool towels etc.

We stay for week skiing rooms were tiny for two people breakfast was ok evening meals are not so good pool and spa area nice tho ,

Great breakfast and dinner good every night.

In particular, when there was a starter buffet or dessert buffet, the range and quality was very attractive.

food is always very good with outstanding buffet breakfast and evening meal with plenty of staff to serve.reception helpful and able to speak good english

The staff were great making us feel welcome at breakfast and at evening meals.

The food was superb, with a large variety of delicious options for both breakfast and dinner.

The breakfast is very rich, and for dinner you have to choose from a menu that contains: starter, soup, main menu, dessert and as a buffet there are lots of salads and bread.

The quality and choice of food at breakfast was excellent as were the evening meals.

Breakfast buffet is delicious and very complete - 5-course dinner is excellent with an extensive salad buffet, three choices for starters, two choices for soups, three choices for main courses and two choices for dessert.

Excellent dinner choices (3 main course options), including healthy food options.

The restaurant for breakfast and dinner was good and always very fresh.

The food at breakfast and dinner fantastic- meat,fish and vegetarian options.

When someone complained (me actually) about young children running riot in the spa area someone went and sorted them out immediately.

We complained after two nights and the owners were not interested, so we choose to eat out instead and every meal was ten times better.

The meal in the bar was not up to the standard we recieved for the remainder of the week .An apology and free drink was offered after people complained.

As I first stated, we had a discounted late deal from Thomsons, for this reason I would not complain about any part of our holiday, We would return,

No disturbance during the night, I cannot complain
6.

It was only a matter of time before he bumped into one of those and would have probably had an injury, to which the parents would have complained I'm sure!

Our wives immediately complained and at dinner that night we were given a different and much better table in a much better part of the hotel dining room.

The only thing we could complain about is very hard beds.

We found the skiing in Saalbach area quite challenging.

We spent here one week skiing in March 2023.

Hotel Saalbacher Hof is grest for skiing.

Saalbach is a great resort with plenty of Après bars and superb skiing.

Perfect location for us skiing, breakfast is good, each room is thematic.

When it comes to skiing, it is all about hotel location.

Saalbach as a location brilliant with loads of skiing, modern lift system, no queuing etc.

We have just come back from a week skiing in Saalbach and the weather was great.

The rooms are large and the spa area is fantastic, the icy plunge pool transforming our skiing!

Food and all staff  excellent  above all ski resort´s we have been to and they are many after over 50 years all around the world for skiing.

Highly recommended for winter skiing, mountain biking or summer hill walking - which is what we did.

Our third stay in Saalbacher Hof and Saalbach for skiing as it is a great place for families.

Favourite resort and hotel for skiing and I will keep returning.

We have been Skiing for quite few years to many different resorts both here in Europe and Canada.

There is a very nice spa and wellness area with pool and the saunas were great after a good days skiing.

For our 2018 skiing holiday we stayed in the Saalbacher Hof Hotel from 27th January for 7 nights and came away feeling very positive about the place.

Each evening after skiing we went to the spa, we were lucky to be staying on the same floor as the spa so we could just wander along in our robe and slippers (which are provided).

We have stayed in many 4 and 5 star hotels throughout Europe and the USA over the 40 years we have been Skiing

In the year 2019, smokers should not be given preference over non-smokers.

The only criticism is that in Austria they still smoke in the bars.

a damp, fusty smell in our room and for those of us from countries with non smoking bars, just note that smoking is allowed in the cafe bar (as in many places in Austria) and for us that was really unpleasant.

Only grumble from the group was smoking allowed in one of the bars( smoking in bars appears to be the norm in Austria) so we just stayed in the other bar that was non-smoking.

Another comment I would like to make is that perhaps the hotel could group smoking and non-smoking rooms together as the smell of smoke coming from our neighbouring room - at all hours of the day and night - was not pleasant at all.

Although the hotel has two bars, one s reminiscent of a train station waiting room circa 1975 and is horribly smokey most of the time, and the other is not really a bar at all as it seems to be reserved for diners and you need to stand at the bar.

As non smokers we were concerned that most of the bars would be very smoky,

Where I am from smoking is not allowed indoors.

The one downside was the Smokey bar area which also allowed smoke to filter through to reception area where there was a nice sitting area this stopped us from using both when bar was busy.

but is seems in general in Saalbach, was the fact that they still allow public smoking.

This seems to be the norm in Saalbach though, we are just used to non smoking in the UK.

To the left is the smokey bar which you would only sit in if you wanted to inhale others smoke and come out smelling like a cigarette, the smell wafted into the reception itself and was really off putting.

Only small gripe is smoking is allowed in the bar/cafe -

The only small problem is the allowing of smoking in the cafe - bar, something we're not used to nowadays.

The only drawback was that all of the bar areas still allowed smoking as far as I could tell.

but don't let that put you off as its allowed all over Austria to smoke.

but nothing spectacular (our bathroom was really dated though and stank of smoke, which we realised the next day was due to the used hotel robe they had just left there from the previous guest).

The cafe adjacent the reception is a smoking facility and when we arrived the reception was quite disgustingly full of cigarette smoke.

There is also a nice  outside and inside swimming pool with jacuzzi with saunas and steam rooms.

Absolutely great wellness, sauna and outdoor pool.

Teenage children were welcomed, and no part of the hotel was off limits/awkward with them, we comfortably sat at the lounge bar having a drink, in reception relaxation area, spa and pool with them.

Well-sized boot/ski room and a smallish wellness facility with two saunas and a steam room.

The spa is amazing with a lovely relaxation room.

We name good use of the spa facilities   including both the indoor and outdoor pools.

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