A-ROSA Straubinger Grand Hotel Bad Gastein

The Straubinger Grand Hotel, run by the A-ROSA chain, is at Straubingerplatz 2, in the Belle Époque core of Bad Gastein, in the Gastein valley, in the Salzburg region, at 1,017 metres above sea level. The location is the one that made the town famous: the house stands right beside the waterfall that drops through the town, among the historic hotels built when emperors came here. The building has been brought back to life recently and holds period architecture together with contemporary furnishings; the website says that no room is the same as another.

Fourteen years, stated by the house

On age it is worth reading both sources. The official website's frequently asked questions, under families and children, say that the Straubinger Grand Hotel is an adult only hotel from 14 years upwards and that it offers an atmosphere designed for couples, solo travellers and groups of adults. The booking portal, by contrast, says only that children are not allowed, without publishing a figure. This listing keeps the website's figure, which is the primary source and the only precise one: 14 years. Anyone travelling with a fourteen or fifteen year old therefore has a written statement from the property to rely on, but should have the booking confirmed by reception, because the portal does not carry the threshold.

The spa and the infinity pool on the roof

The wellness area is called SPA-ROSA and is reserved, at present, for hotel guests only. The centrepiece is the heated outdoor infinity pool on the roof, facing the valley and the waterfall, open every day from 7.00 to 21.00. On the heat side the wellness page lists a Finnish sauna at 90 degrees and a bio sauna with mountain herbs at 60 degrees, while the frequently asked questions speak more generally of two Finnish saunas and a rest area. The sauna hours change with the season: from 14.00 to 21.30 from May to September, from 11.00 to 21.30 from October to April. Treatments, with VINOBLE cosmetics, are booked from 10.00 to 20.00. The rule on swimwear in the sauna is not published and must be asked at the spa reception.

Table, dogs and house rules

Dining is split between the Straubinger Saal, which serves fine dining in the evening with a tasting menu or à la carte from 18.00 to 21.30, the Straubinger Café and the Straubinger Bar, also open to outside customers; breakfast is served from 7.00 to 11.00. A smart casual dress code applies in the house, which for dinner becomes more formal: jacket, shirt, long trousers and closed shoes for men.

Dogs are allowed at 45 euros a day, by prior arrangement, but do not enter the restaurant or the spa and must be kept on a lead outside the room. The hotel is entirely smoke-free, including electronic cigarettes, terraces and balconies included. Parking is by free valet service in the nearby APCOA garage, at 12 euros a day. The Bad Gastein city tax is paid separately.

It suits anyone who wants a grand historic hotel, the centre of the town below the house and a panoramic pool on the roof. It suits less anyone looking for a spa with many heat cabins: here the department is elegant but small, and the view counts for more than the floor area.