Last month when I had a work trip to Munich, it was a quick one, just under 3 days, but I lucked out and ended up with some free time (which was totally unexpected!) I included 1 day more than I was certain I needed to cover all the work stuff “just in case” because with such a tight schedule I wasn’t sure that things wouldn’t run over so I wanted to be sure that I had my bases covered if they did. Well, as it turns out, likely because I was prepared for things to go longer than planned, they went exactly on time! As such, I had an extra day that I had no obligations.
After attempting to see if I could travel back early to save money and realizing it would actually cost more to go back early than it did to just stay, I decided to embrace a day and do my best to just relax and enjoy it.
I thought about just staying in Munich but I had spent a bunch of time there when I was working at Johnson Space Center because I was travelling there a fair bit for a number of years. I considered going to a Castle but the ones closest to me I had already seen. When I mentioned this to one of my German friends I told him I was considering visiting Neu Scwhanstein etc. again but that I had been ~18 years ago… he without missing a beat said, well they haven’t changed! LOL! That nailed it for me that I needed to find something new to see. Don’t get me wrong, I love the castles but something new is always great too.
Given the limited time I did need to keep my options reasonable. And given that I didn’t want to drive back to Munich to sleep I decided to take a look at the Marriott hotel options. (Ok, side note for those of you who don’t know me very well, I am a very loyal traveler. I am loyal to 1 airline and 2 hotel chains… loyalty does have its privileges with frequent travel!)
Not far out of Munich I spotted what looked to be a cute little Autograph property that was only about an hour and 15 minute drive from where I was and honestly, it looked absolutely idyllic.
I asked my local friends about the area, as well as a dear friend in the US who has spent a lot of time in Germany, about the area and the answer was resoundingly… GO! So I booked it!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Marriott Autograph properties, I have to tell you, they are some of my absolute favorites! Each of the properties is unique and there is something about it that makes it very locally special. To quote Marriott – “Exactly Like Nothing Else. A global collection of distinctive independent hotels carefully crafted to leave a lasting imprint.”
I absolutely love the concept and I have loved every Autograph property I have ever stayed in so honestly it didn’t take a ton of convincing to get me to go!
I hopped in my car in the morning to make my way South. On the way, I made a stop at Slyrs which is a definite “must stop” on your way to the hotel especially since it’s only about 10 minutes from the hotel. (Want to hear more about Slyrs – check out my last blog! https://whereintheworldisspacechelle.com/cheers-to-slyrs/)
As I pulled up to the Arabella Alpenhotel am Spitzinsgee, I knew I wasn’t going to want to leave after just one day. It was truly an idyllic setting and an idyllic place.
Oh, and if I wasn’t convinced by the surroundings and the front of the hotel… when I walked in I saw how pet friendly they are! Love it!
In the lobby they also had a ski gondola – so apropos! While I was not going to be able to do any skiing of any sort this trip I filed that tidbit away in my mind for the future because I already knew I wanted to come back!
The lovely humans at the reception desk were warm and welcoming. They even good naturedly tried to help me with my incredibly rusty German. (They spoke fluent English but I really wanted to try my German!)
Remember I said “Loyalty has its Privileges” – well this is definitely one of those cases. I got a complimentary upgrade to a beautiful room with an amazing view. (Being Ambassador Elite definitely comes with some perks.) Honestly, I sort of hated that I was only going to be in this room for 1 night it was so awesome!
Though it was cold outside, I was happy about that. (The mountains and cold dry air is my happy place!) So I was over the moon that I had a balcony to walk out on that overlooked the lake!
I of course had to explore the hotel to see what other treasures this place held. There is an absolutely gorgeous indoor pool, hot tub, and sauna that is also all windows looking outside. It looked amazing and relaxing but alas, I didn’t have a swimsuit with me! (In my defense, I usually do travel with one but this trip I was trying to manage this trip and some days before on work travel in Florida on just a carry-on!)
They also had a comfortable library to enjoy, a lovely seating area in the reception area, and extensive lounge seating near the bar. Two unique things that I adored were the sleds that were available for use and the stocked bookcases!
While the hotel was so wonderful I knew I could have just stayed there all day, the area outside looked breathtaking so out I went! I bundled up in my jacket and asked for directions of which way I should go. I found out that it was reasonable to walk all the way around the lake if I so desired, and if I decided it was too long of a walk I was told I could just cut across the lake! It was totally frozen over. I wasn’t so sure about that but I did later discover that this was indeed the case and people were absolutely walking across!
I strolled around the whole lake and loved every moment of it. It was so beautiful, so peaceful, so serene. I do love the snow and I loved this idyllic little town that almost seemed out of a storybook. I felt so much joy just being there.
I got back to the area of my hotel and popped into the little restaurant that was next door – Spitzing Alm - which is also owned by the hotel I was staying in for some Gluhwein and obatzda. It was adorable and cozy. One of the things I love about Germany is they are happy to let dogs in to the restaurants so I got to visit with some new furry friends too!
That evening I enjoyed a cocktail in the lobby bar and dinner in the restaurant Konig Ludwig. The service was fantastic, the cocktail was delightful, and the food was delicious. Somehow I totally failed on food pictures but here’s one of my cocktail which included a local liqueur.
I devoured every bit of my dinner and just enjoyed the experience. It was a lovely way to end my trip. (And I was so immersed in the food I didn’t get a picture… oops!) They even had a star in the window that I suspect was leftover from the holidays but you know how I love stars so this made me smile!
As I headed back to my room for the evening I soaked in every bit of this magical place that I could. The view at night was just as magical. Finally I had to head to sleep so I could get up in the morning to head back to the US but I can assure you I fell asleep with a smile on my face and the bed was incredibly comfy!
If you get the chance to visit this absolute treasure of a town – GO! You won’t regret it. I am already hoping I can get back for another visit!