Hotel Blitzburg

We booked as part of a package with Sunweb, so quite a lengthy and expensive transfer from Innsbruck (yes in Austria, but closer to Kronplatz than Italian airports). What is normally a 90 minute transfer, was exacerbated by the weekend traffic and the lane restrictions on the Brenner Pass. But we really wanted to try skiing at Kronplatz, and we're so glad we chose this hotel for our base. Blitzberg shows modestly as a 3 star rating. But rooms, facilities, decor and food were as good as any 4 star we've stayed at in Austria. The Baumgartner family run a very efficient operation. The waitresses were really hard working and always friendly. The steak tartare, prepared at the table, seemed to be the locals' favourite. Quite a range of nationalities at the hotel. South Tyrol has two competing languages, 65% speak German, the rest mainly Italian. So you'd never know which language to select. The varied skiing at Kronplatz was fabulous. Lovely long easy blues at the top, efficient and modern lifts, and contrastingly, long and testing reds and blacks right down to the bottom. Good snow making and north facing slopes meant good conditions. But despite making a 1,000m descent from top to bottom without stopping, I had nothing on Herr Baumgartner himself. Whilst not a renowned skier, he operates the shuttle minibus to and from the slopes for his guests. I reckon that had he not gone into the hotel trade, he could have made a great racing driver! Lively apres ski scene at the base of the Reitschach gondolas. Good value mountain restaurants. The Kron self service has portion sizes that you'd tend to see on 'Man v Food'. Bruneck a lovely town. Will definitely come again.

Have just returned from a 9 night stay at the Blitzburg and it's hard to imagine how it could have been any better. The Superior Oak Room we stayed in was generously proportioned and beautifully furnished in a modern style with traditional materials. The service was every bit as warm and welcoming as you might expect from a well-run family business. The restaurant (breakfast and dinner) was excellent, catering well for individual dietary needs. The bar was perfect for a pre-dinner drink, with just the right amount of conviviality without remotely getting boisterous. The shuttle to the ski lifts ran for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon making access to the slopes a doddle. The train station was a 2 minute walk away for adventures further afield. And the town is as elegant and beautiful as any I can remember. Many thanks to the Familie Baumgartner for making our family holiday quite possibly the best we've ever had.