Berger's Sporthotel

The hotel location, regarding ski lift access is ideal, within a 5 minute walk of all lifts. However if you’re in a room at the front of the hotel you will be subject to listening to drum and bass music all night long till gone 3am. The food is nothing to write home about. Currently in the middle of a weeks stay and can honestly say it’s the worst hotel I’ve stayed in. The room we were put in is barely big enough for one person. The hotel across the road has a live dj in front of it playing music that is blaring into the room clear enough as if we were at the party late into the night. There seems to be absolutely no Soundproofing of the rooms at the front of the hotel. The breakfast has a very poor selection and the evening meals make us regret booking half board. The rooms have very few electrical sockets so you have to charge your phone at the other side of the room. The only redeeming feature of this hotel is that you can walk to the ski lifts within 5 minutes.

We stayed at this hotel over the Christmas period, and it was a wonderful base for our ski holiday. The location is absolutely superb—perfect for accessing the slopes and exploring the surrounding area. While the hotel is a little dated, it has clearly been around a long time and knows how to meet the needs of its guests. Our room was simple but had everything we needed, including a fridge, which came in handy for storing food we picked up from a local shop (I brought a kettle along, which was also helpful!). The ski room was a standout feature—heated and well-equipped for storing gear, making it easy to head out each day. The restaurant was decent and kept us well-fed, though we also enjoyed visiting nearby restaurants for variety. The reception staff were warm and welcoming, which added to the hotel’s charm. Overall, this hotel provided a comfortable and convenient stay. It might not be the most modern property, but it suited our needs perfectly, especially since we spent most of our time out skiing. A great option if you're looking for practicality and friendly service in an excellent location!

Excellent hotel with very friendly and helpful staff, especially Laura on reception and Tamara in the restaurant. It was good to see Frau Berger herself frequently. The food was good (we had half board), with limited choice for the main course at dinner (one meat, one fish, one vegetarian), but there was a wide choice of buffet starters, salads and desserts. We had a lovely room with views down the valley. The hotel is centrally located in Saalbach, close to buses, cabin lifts, shops, cafes etc. The walking nearby is excellent, with superb views and good mountian restaurants (Alms). One of our best holidays ever.

I’ve been staying at the Berger Sport Hotel since I was a child travelling with my parents. I’ve been 100+ times since 1979 . I’ve travelled the world with my work and still I haven’t been to a nicer hotel. There is something very special about it The decor the staff the food the rooms the Delightful village it’s situated in be it for Winter Sports or Summer vacations you can’t go wrong a wonderful family fun hotel.

Previously strayed in a number of Austrian Sport hotels which have been excellent, most recently in Hinterglemm. This hotel in Saalbach fell way below expectations - despite its high Tripadvisor rating. Unfortunately I did not read all the reviews prior to booking. I would urge everyone to do so, particularly the negative ones which all resonated completely with our stay. Pervading stale cigarette smoke everywhere, passable breakfast, dreadful dinner (felt sorry for the waiting staff who clearly agreed as they never asked if we enjoyed the food), reception general smokey indifference, filthy ski boot room (the entrance of which doubles for a lap dancing club at night 🤦‍♂️), really ageing decor (noted by some as a plus?), tiny rooms & even smaller en-suites. A sort of mix of Faulty Towers & The Grand Budapest gone wrong. Tired & need of a total revamp. Plus side: very near the lifts, but so are a dozen or so other 4 star hotels. Some guests appeared to be happy! The ski area is really fantastic, modern well run, great mountain Alms, so don’t be put off going to Saalbach. It is a party place, so I would recommend the quieter Hinterglemm further up the valley for families.

Looking at the reviews online there are very mixed views about Sporthotel Berger. There is very little middle ground between great and bad. We travelled with friends and the experience wasn’t positive overall. As it stands, the hotel desperately needs updating. Some may call it quirky or artistic, I think it’s lazy and indicates a lack of respect to the customer. My view is that just because you’re consistently full and generating revenue it shouldn’t stop you re-investing in your product and service. The beds are comfortable, but dated furniture and tiny bathrooms are no fun. It also doesn’t help that the boiler gets accidentally turned off on day one resulting in no hot water, all with little apology. The food. Just awful. The slop served up as chilli con carne was the worst ever and the schnitzel resembled boot leather. How can meat hammered to a millimetre and then overcooked be considered good? The chef should be embarrassed. We couldn’t manage more than three nights of half board before giving up and eating out. On the plus side, there are some great restaurants in Saalbach. Just remember to book a day in advance. Customer service by some staff in the restaurant (although not all) was also dire. - Please can we have a coffee after our meal? No. And when pressed - you must go downstairs and order from the bar. All while the breakfast coffee machine sat smugly just meters away. - You are too early for breakfast! This at only 5 mins before, even though the breakfast buffet was fully laid out resulting in a stare-off rather than a welcoming smile. Mrs Berger is welcoming, but I understand that the hotel is now managed by her son. I’m not sure what hospitality training he’s been through or how he’s guiding his team. Limited, is my guess. There is however some good. Laura on reception was efficient and helpful and Renate in the bar was very pleasant and attentive. Although I haven’t seen stripy settees with a backdrop of yellow and red net curtains hiding the vertical blinds for some time, or perhaps ever. All coupled with a mirrored ceiling. Would I go back? The location is good, but there is so much better to choose from on all counts. Fawlty Towers is an apt summary. Funny to watch on TV, but not a place to visit.