This excellent 5-star hotel is situated next to the Salzburg Conference Centre in Salzburg’s financial district and backs onto a beautiful public park that is part of the stunning grounds of the Mirabell Palace. It is also close to the Salzach River and just a 10-minute stroll to the ever popular old town with its hilltop fortress overlooking the city.
The Sheraton Grand Salzburg mainly provides accommodation for conference goers and businesspeople but during events such as the Salzburg Festival in August, it is a very popular choice for attendees of the festival’s symposiums, concerts and operas. It is also a popular choice for well-heeled tourists and families during summer and the winter season as the city’s famous Christmas market opens in mid-November and trundles on until January.
The restaurant and bar
This historic property has been very cleverly laid out with its somewhat petite footprint appearing quite spacious. The bright lobby offers comfortable seating and a discreetly, almost hidden, hair salon to the left of the entrance. The lobby then flows into the piano bar which is juxtaposed with the Mirabell Restaurant. The bar and eating space both have chic wooden décor with interesting period pictures and deep colours for the furnishings. The restaurant then becomes the breakfast buffet in the morning and transforms into a fine dining restaurant at night. The evening menu features pasta, the ever popular Wiener Schnitzel, a fish option and delicious salads and is worth trying out. The piano bar also extends into an attractive outside seating area shaded by a canopy of trees. Taste.it is the hotel’s coffee bar with an entrance to the street and looks to be a popular choice for passing trade.
I must mention that the hotel’s waiting staff and bartenders were one of the highlights of my stay. Without exception, they were friendly, efficient and couldn’t do enough for their clients.
Further amenities
Unusually, there was no swimming pool but there were private cabins for sauna use and a steam room on the seventh floor. There was also a space for Yoga practice but no Yoga classes per se and there was also a fully equipped fitness centre.
The rooms
Though my Deluxe Room was on the small side, it was well-appointed and laid out. The bathroom had a shower with a rainwater showerhead as well as a good sized bathtub. The entrance/foyer led to a comfortable bedroom. There was ample closet space if staying for a few days and a quite compact coffee and mini-bar cupboard (it took a while to find the ice bucket). There was adequate desk space and a large Plasma screen TV all neatly arranged. The bed was exceptionally comfortable with high quality pillows being a bonus. I loved the heavy curtains covering the view of the street as they ensured there was no light leakage, one of my personal bug bears. A table with two chairs finished the room set up.
The Details
Sheraton Grand Salzburg, Auerspergstrasse 4, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
Tel: +43 662-88999
Website: www.marriott.com
Email: sheraton.salzburg@sheraton.com
The Sheraton Grand Hotel Salzburg is a 15 minute drive from Salzburg Airport with bus/train connections to town as well. Salzburg has very good transport links throughout the city and beyond. For attractions outside Salzburg, take the number 25 bus to Heilbrunn Palace, the location of the Sound of Music Museum. The number 140 bus from the Central Station is the route to picturesque towns in the Salzkammergut region which features beautiful lakes, pristine countryside and picturesque villages such as Wolfgangsee and Mondsee.
Type of Hotel: 5-Star City Hotel in the financial district, next to the gardens of the Mirabell Palace.
Number of Rooms: 168 rooms which includes a premium suite, a presidential suite and a 90 sqm apartment with living room, bedroom, kitchen and dining room.
Price Band: High
Insider Tip: The location is conveniently only a 10-minute walk to the old town and the heart of the action. Be mindful that this is an older property and though the rooms are well appointed and attractive, a classic room is quite small as compared to other 5 star properties.
Additional Information: It is worth purchasing a Salzburg Card (24, 48 or 72 hours) which costs an adult €39 during peak season. The card offers significant discounts on most attractions. For this and other information about Salzburg visit: www.salzburg.info. The EU has a digital border control system on entrance and exit into its countries. It is a quite smooth process for those with a British passport into Salzburg but allow some extra time as it includes fingerprinting and photograph creation on arrival which is checked on departure.
Reviewers Rating: 9/10
Author’s Bio:
Lynn Houghton is an award winning London and Hampshire based writer focussing on North America but also reporting on Northern Europe, Mexico and Africa. She contributes to National newspapers, BBC Wildlife Magazine, National Geographic Traveller, JRNY and JRNY America, Out There Magazine and Rough Guides’ LGBTQ+ Guide to Friendly Places in the USA and Canada.
Photographs courtesy of Sheraton Grand Salzburg
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