Tennerhof, Kitzbühel, Austria

Tennerhof is Kitzbühel's most charming luxury hotel, a traditional Tyrolean chalet in gardens on the sunny slopes above the medieval town. A member of Relais & Châteaux, it has just 39 rooms and suites, pools and a spa, excellent gourmet dining and some of the best-rated service in Austria, with the famous Hahnenkamm a short shuttle ride away.

Location: Kitzbühel, Austria

The hotel sits on a quiet hillside above Kitzbühel, about a 15-minute walk from the town centre. A free ski shuttle runs to the Hahnenkamm cable car, about two kilometres away. Kitzbühel's ski area, KitzSki, has around 230 kilometres of pistes and the legendary Streif downhill, raced each January at the Hahnenkamm. Salzburg Airport is about 75 minutes by car, Innsbruck about 85 minutes and Munich about two hours.

Kitzbühel is one of the most beautiful ski towns in the Alps, a medieval walled town with painted façades, cobbled lanes and elegant shops and cafés. Its ski area spreads across several mountains, linked by modern lifts including the 3S cable car, and the Kitzbüheler Horn, on the other side of town, has wide, sunny slopes with superb views. The Streif, on the Hahnenkamm, is the most famous downhill course in the world, with sections such as the Mausefalle, where racers fly through the air at over 100 kilometres per hour. Off the slopes, there is the Schwarzsee lake, winter walks, curling and excellent restaurants.

Rooms and suites at Tennerhof

There are 39 rooms and suites, from cosy doubles to Kaiser suites and a two-bedroom family suite, decorated in a warm Tyrolean country style with painted wood, antiques and soft fabrics, many with balconies over the gardens and the mountains.

Many guests return year after year, and the hotel's small size means staff quickly learn names and preferences. Rooms are quiet and peaceful, and thanks to the hotel's sunny hillside position, mornings often begin with sunshine on the balcony and views across the valley to the Kitzbüheler Horn. The Kaiser suites and the family suite have separate living areas, ideal for families or longer stays.

Facilities at Tennerhof

There is an indoor pool with a poolside bar, an outdoor pool for warmer months, a hot tub and a spa offering massages, hot-stone treatments and body wraps. The gourmet restaurant is highly regarded, and the breakfast buffet is one of the most praised in Kitzbühel.

The hotel's gardens and sunny terrace make it as lovely in summer as in winter, and its quiet position gives it a peaceful, country-house atmosphere while remaining close to the town. Staff can arrange ski passes, lessons, guides and transfers, and in summer, golf at Kitzbühel's several courses.

The mountain moment

The Tennerhof moment is Hahnenkamm weekend in January, when the world's best downhill racers hurtle down the Streif and the whole town celebrates. Or, any winter day, a long lunch on the slopes, a stroll through the old town and a swim back at the hotel.

Another quintessential Kitzbühel experience is an afternoon stroll through the old town as the lights come on, stopping for coffee and cake at a traditional café, before returning to the hotel for a swim and dinner.

Why Tennerhof is one of the best mountain hotels

Tennerhof earns its place for warmth, charm and service, with guest ratings among the highest in Austria. It is small and traditional rather than modern or flashy, and it is not ski-in, ski-out. But for couples and families who want a classic, beautifully run Tyrolean hotel in one of the Alps' most famous ski towns, it is perfect.

For a design-led alternative in Tyrol, see Schlosshotel Fiss.

It also offers the best of both worlds: a peaceful garden setting above the town, with the lifts and the medieval streets of Kitzbühel only minutes away. For those who want to experience the Hahnenkamm, the town's legendary nightlife or simply a cosy winter week of skiing, spa and fine food, it is a wonderful base.

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When to go to Tennerhof

Kitzbühel's ski season usually runs from autumn, when the high Resterhöhe slopes open early, to mid-April, with the main season from December to March. The Hahnenkamm races in late January are the most famous and busiest week. Summer brings golf, hiking and biking.

January and February bring the coldest weather and best snow, with the Hahnenkamm races in late January, the town's most famous and busiest week. March offers sunny days and spring skiing. Summer, from June to September, brings hiking, mountain biking, golf, swimming in the Schwarzsee and the Kitzbühel tennis tournament.