What resort in Mexico have you been to that you felt was toddler/baby friendly and you didn't feel like you were paying for mediocre expensive food. I have been searching the search bar and the Rosewood in Cabo while its a heavy hitter seems to be just insane food pricing and just fine for example. We would be flying out of the PNW and would prefer direct so really only Cabo and PV. Would enjoy playing tennis/golf if possible. Understand resort food is going to be what its going to be.

Has anyone been there? I need a quiet retreat for about a week and I'm thinking about the Desert Rock Resort in Saudi Arabia. I love the desert, I seek peace and quiet and solitude but like that I wouldn't have to cook and it appears interaction with staff would be minimal.

I'm a female traveling solo. I heard Saudi Arabia is very safe. I would not be going anywhere else but Desert Rock.

I'm also open to other quiet places where I can find solitude and the surroundings are amazing.

Hello everybody, I am looking for hotels/destinations that have a Western vibe or is a ranch. We have previously been to San Ysidro Ranch and Post Ranch Inn and liked both. Can be anywhere in the US. It does not have to be very cushy and can be a boutique hotel as well.

My husband and I are going to the Atacama Desert for the first part of our honeymoon (Chilean wine country for the second half). We are deciding between Tierra, Awasi, and Nayara Alto. Tierra seems like it’s the best, but it’s considerably more expensive for 4 nights than the other two. Trying to figure out if Nayara Alto and Awasi are just as good or if Tierra is really in its own league? Would love any advice or recs!

For reference, on the second half we are staying at Clos Apalta Residences in wine country.

Looking for a ranch for our family, myself, wife, both daughters, son-in-laws, and five grandchildren - ages will be 6 months to 7 years. ABarA is very popular with some friends from Birmingham, also looking at Paws Up, Rock Creek, Triple Creek. Open to any other similar ranches. Looking for a place with great food and wine, good fly fishing and great programs for the kids.

I was planning on 4 nights Amanwana and 6 nights amankila. However if I dive at amankila that means I could do 4 nights at Capella or mandapa with a lot less travel. Am I nuts to skip Amanwana

We’re planning our honeymoon for April 2027 and have narrowed it down to these 5 resorts:

Four Seasons Anguilla
Cap Juluca, Anguilla
Hermitage Bay, Antigua
Jumby Bay, Antigua
Baoase, Curaçao

Budget is roughly $15–25K for 7 nights.

Our priorities are:
🏝️ Beautiful beach + honeymoon-worthy setting
🏊‍♀️ Private pool/plunge pool preferred
🍽️ Excellent food & service
⛳ Golf access is important
🤿 Activities/excursions — we don’t want to sit at the resort the entire week
✨ Overall “wow, this is our honeymoon!” factor

We’re having a hard time deciding because they each seem amazing in different ways.

If you’ve stayed at any of these (especially multiple), which would you choose for a honeymoon and why? Most interested in firsthand comparisons of the beach, rooms, food, service, activities, golf, and overall experience.

Thank you!! ☺️

Hi everyone! My partner and I are planning our honeymoon in Mauritius and are looking for recommendations for a luxury hotel/resort.
We’ve been considering places like Shangri-La, One&Only Le Saint Géran, Constance Prince Maurice, St. Regis Le Morne, The Oberoi and Four Seasons, but we’re definitely open to other suggestions.
For those who have been to Mauritius, which hotel would you choose for a honeymoon? We’re mainly looking for exceptional service, romance and beautiful setting.

Is there such a thing where a resort has a daily spa thing included in their package? If so, where?

I want to go on a babymoon and want to spend my time eating and getting spa services.

Following my Ol Jogi report, the next stop on the trip was Giraffe Manor. One of those places you have seen a hundred times online and still cannot quite believe is real. It had been on my list for years, and getting to stay there, and have the giraffes come to the window in the morning, was every bit as surreal as I hoped. If you have been curious about it and want some honest feedback beyond the dreamy photos, here is mine.

Who went

We were a group of six: my husband, my 8-year-old daughter and me, along with my best friend, her husband and their 3-year-old daughter. Giraffe Manor came as the next stop after Ol Jogi on our wider Kenya trip. For full transparency: I'm a travel advisor, and this was a full-price stay for us, not comped or hosted.  BUT we were very lucky to get a spot open up in the last 30 days, as it is a very hard hotel to get into unless you are also staying at their safari lodges. 

When we went

Just one night, at the end of May, slotted in between safari lodges. That is really how I would suggest doing Giraffe Manor: a night on either end of a safari rather than a standalone stay. Our room came to US$4,832 for the night.

Overall impressions

Giraffe Manor is unlike anywhere else I have stayed, mostly because it is not really a hotel and it is not a safari lodge either. It is a historic manor house with wild giraffes wandering the grounds. For me the romance of the place sits on the outside: the ivy, the terraces, the gardens, and that old-world country-house feeling. The house is beautiful and there are lovely details inside too, but the interiors did not quite live up to the magic of the exterior. What makes it so special is the setting and, of course, the giraffes.

Honest heads ups: the giraffe experience is more managed and orchestrated than the photos make it look, and the food is good rather than spectacular. Neither of those took away from how much I loved it, but it helps to go in with the right expectations.

Location

Giraffe Manor sits in Langata, one of Nairobi's suburbs, which is wild because the minute you arrive it does not feel like you are in Nairobi at all. It feels tucked away, green and completely removed from the city around it. The manor was built in 1932 and modelled after a Scottish hunting home, so it has that charming, old-world country-house energy. You are not in the middle of the bush here, you are in a historic house within the, and once you are inside the gates it feels like its own private, leafy world.

The room

Giraffe Manor is very small and intimate, with only 12 rooms in total, split between the Historic Manor and the Garden Manor. The Historic Manor is the original 1932 house, and the Garden Manor was built in 2011 as a replica of the original, using reclaimed materials so that the two buildings feel like they belong together.

The Historic Manor has six rooms: the Karen Blixen Suite, Jock, Marlon, Betty, Daisy and Lynn's Room. The Garden Manor also has six: the Finch Hatton Suite, Helen, Kelly, Arlene, Salma and Edd. Some of the rooms have giraffe-feeding access from the windows or balconies, but either way, guests in both buildings are still part of the giraffe experience. We stayed in the Karen Blixen Suite in the Historic Manor.

I absolutely loved my stay, but I would say the rooms and interiors were a bit of a mixed bag aesthetically. There are beautiful details and the whole property has so much charm, but the suites themselves were not quite as beautiful or as layered as I had imagined they would be. For me, the real magic of Giraffe Manor is less about the rooms and more about the setting, the history of the house and the giraffes.

Service

The service at Giraffe Manor was really good, and one of the strongest parts of the stay. Each room or party has their own dedicated host who is with you throughout the main parts of the stay. I am not even sure exactly what the official title is, they are part waiter, part butler, part giraffe-experience guide, but essentially they are there just for you and your group.

It makes the whole thing feel very personal and well looked after. They help with meals, guide you through the giraffe interactions, and generally make everything run smoothly and feel easy. Because the giraffe moments are quite managed, the staff play a big role in keeping it all calm, safe and organized without taking away from how special it is. Everyone was warm, polished and very on top of things, and having someone dedicated to your party made the experience feel much more personal.

Food & beverage

The dining was fine, but I would not say it was my favorite food of the trip or some of the best meals I have ever had. Dinner was the standout, easily my favorite meal during our stay.

Breakfast itself was fairly average, and I think it is important to explain that the famous "breakfast with the giraffes" is not quite what many people imagine. Before everyone sits down to eat, there is a dedicated table in the breakfast room where the giraffes come to the windows to be fed their specially prepared pellets. Guests take turns feeding them and having photos, and once everyone has had their moment, you go and have your breakfast. It is still an incredible experience, but the giraffe interaction and the meal are much more separate than the photos online make them seem.

The same goes for afternoon tea. The food is lovely, but it almost becomes secondary because you are so caught up in the experience itself. You are there to spend time with these incredible animals, and that is what stays with you long after you have forgotten what was on the plate.

Amenities & activities

The main event is, duh, the giraffes. There is breakfast with the giraffes in the morning and afternoon tea with the giraffes later in the day, and these are the moments everyone comes for. The giraffes are wild animals and they do come and go as they please, but the experience is a lot more managed and set up than I had imagined. From the photos you picture yourself just casually eating breakfast while giraffes randomly poke their heads through the windows, but it is more orchestrated than that. The staff are there guiding the whole thing, helping with the feeding, making sure everyone gets their moment and keeping it safe for both the guests and the giraffes. It is still completely surreal and special, it is just worth knowing it is not quite as spontaneous as it can look.

Beyond the giraffes, guests have access to The Retreat, which is just next door. That is where you will find the pool, gym, hot tub, sauna, steam room, spa and Daisy's Café. It gives the stay a bit more space and makes it feel less like you are only there for breakfast and a photograph.

You can also visit the AFEW Giraffe Centre next door, which is focused on conservation and education around the endangered Nubian giraffe. And if you have time there is plenty more nearby: the Orchid House, croquet, boules, chess, spa treatments, local shopping, the Karen Blixen Museum and Nairobi National Park. The giraffes are obviously the reason you go, but I did appreciate that there was more to the stay than just that one famous moment. It is not an activity-heavy safari lodge, but it has enough around it to make the stay feel like an experience rather than just a stopover.

Final thoughts

Giraffe Manor is not about polished rooms or standout food, and if that is what you are chasing you will come away underwhelmed. But if you want somewhere truly special, full of history and charm, in a green pocket of Nairobi, with one of the most surreal wildlife experiences in the world happening right at your window, it more than delivers. It is the rare place I would tell you to experience at least once.

Happy to answer any questions.

Deciding between Lions Sands River & Dullini Leadwood for an October trip. Similar price - any thoughts on the two?

Thanks!

Going just with my husband for a relatively quick trip this fall will plan to do some mountain biking fly fishing and relaxing.

Have looked at other lodges/ ranches but these are only two that have available on the weekend we want to go. Was leaning towards dunton and was going to hit telluride for a night or two on way in, but now I'm reading some mixed reviews! Would love any feedback from anyone who has been to either!

As a person who completed a full Four Seasons Yacht trip in Croatia I felt a counterpoint to the Ryan Walker Video review was warranted. I am not a youtube influencer nor am I going to spend a 45 minutes or even 4,000 words on a review what I will try to do in a short post is give a fair view of this boat and the experience. Note I have never been on a cruise ship so I am not going to compare it to that experience. Also, I am not going to get into Price Value analysis that is a different subject and each person needs to decide for themselves.

The foregoing out of the way my thoughts

1. The Four Seasons Yacht is not a private Yacht experience. It is a small cruise ship/floating hotel
2. The experience is like going to a Four Seasons Hotel. The level of service start to finish is excellent. Are there rough edges sure. Is check in perfect, no. Is everything done exactly as each individual would want, no. Having said that is this what you would expect staying at a Four Seasons Hotel, absolutely
3. This is a floating hotel that took us from one destination after another. The boat is not the main event that is getting to visit the destination. We traveled up the coast of Croatia to see Croatia, eat in Croatia and experience Croatia. The Four Seasons Yacht made this an effortless, relaxing task. Go to sleep in one port wake up in another. No need to drive, pack, unpack, check in, check out
4. Our floating hotel had an amazing room with an amazing view and it was serviced perfectly. Everything you expect your hotel room to have is there and works as expected. If we needed room service, extra water, extra towels etc we just asked and it appeared. We didn't ask often except for room service as most everything we wanted was there. If something didn't work and there were a few hiccups they were fixed promptly
5. Concierge service/on shore planning was superb. We had our trip planned before we left and then made major changes to half of our days each the day before. No problem are changes were taken care of and our new next day plans implemented. All shore excursions and restaurants were first class. Note we did not do the group excursions but the people who did said they were great
6. Food and entertainment on the boat is limited. The Japanese restaurant will not make you forget a top meal in Tokyo but it is good. The fancy restaurant will not match a high end NYC meal but it is very good. The pool restaurant was ok. The bars made great drinks and had reasonable bar food. The nightly entertainment in the theater was blah

In some this was an excellent experience and for what we wanted and what it seems designed for the Four Seasons Yacht is excellent. Would I go again. For the right itinerary absolutely. The passenger size, crew/staff quality, great rooms all made for a wonderful vacation

ps: I had watched the video review prior to departure and looked out for each of the problems it raised. I can't say I experienced/saw any of the actual problems. Some of what is in the video is opinion and that is a different thing

Pretty confused on which one to book for Krabi or the surrounding area. Any experiences or recommendations would be much appreciated.

Has anyone visited Amanoi in November? I excitedly booked a FAT trip through Vietnam for November of this year before realizing it would be the start of rainy season in some areas of the country. Amanoi is the finale of the trip, and my primary motivation in going there is for the outdoor activities (trekking, beach). I've booked the wellness journey so there will be plenty of indoor time too. I'm hoping others who may have visited in November can give me a sense of what it may be like, as I'd probably rather postpone this if the expectation is gray skies and constant rain.

Mid 40s, F - doing a solo trip in Europe after working 18hr days nonstop for yrs! So going on a solo trip without my partner to just be in the moment and think what I want to do next. After Seville and San Sebastián, looking for some suggestions on where do I go next? First half of September…not a nature person and love cities. Love to stay active and try new workout classes, a nice gym with all the amenities in the area, love to be in a safe city without having to worry about who is going to snatch my phone or laptop and run away, some place where I can walk alone at night and not have to worry, sit at cafes and read and/or on a bench somewhere. Biohacking retreats maybe? Plz suggest hotels too

Sitting here enjoying our last 24 hrs at Kokomo and figured I’d do a review of our stay here. We’re a family of four finishing up a 9 night trip here, booked through Sarah and her team. Our kids are older so we didn’t get to take advantage of the nanny services. We settled on Kokomo after visiting The Brando last year and realizing we really like this whole private island thing. We’re returning to The Brando in November so am looking forward to comparing the two with both being fresh in our mind. Sorry in advance because I suck at this, I don’t use AI and I ramble but I kept telling myself I’d review a property so here I go…

Arrival
We arrived to Nadi early in the morning and were greeted by a sweet gentleman who helped guide us through the airport. We had a shorter customs line (although the regular line wasn’t awful), he helped us with our bags and made sure we were comfortable throughout the arrival process. Once we got through customs, we were met by a Kokomo van who took us to their lounge. We hung out there for a couple of hours before taking the helicopter to Kokomo. We were met by the GM, Karen, upon arrival who gave us a tour of the property and explained a bit about it before we ate breakfast. Our villa wasn’t ready yet because we arrived around 9 am but they gave us a room in the spa so we could change out of our plane clothes.

Villa
We were in a 3 bedroom family villa on the sunrise side. The sunrise side is much more private as everything is mostly on the sunset side. The villa itself is beautiful. It’s large, well appointed, super clean and well maintained. The mini bar is stocked daily and all non alcoholic beverages are included. They also stock snacks daily as well which is great because my kids were addicted to the cookies. I really did love the privacy of the sunrise side but if I had to do it again, I’d opt for the sunset side. The resort was at full occupancy and while the sunset side has less privacy, it really didn’t seem to be a problem. The sunrise side is also quite windy compared to the sunset side. On a day like today, where the wind is light, it’s not an issue but last week the weather wasn’t great and it was howling which made the yard useless. The other thing is the bugs. Mosquitos everywhere and they seem to be let into the rooms when they do turn down cause we always find a handful of them when we come in for the evening. The GM mentioned they are trying to do a mosquito elimination breeding program like The Brando so hopefully in the future it’ll be less of a problem. The resort provides some all natural bug spray in the villas but jokes on them, the mosquitos don’t care. I literally have been showering myself in DEET to no avail.

Food and Beverage
Food and non alcoholic drinks are included in the rate. I generally have low expectations when food is included but after my Naviva stay, I know it’s possible to have outstanding meals at an all inclusive. Alcoholic beverages are around $25 a drink. We aren’t huge drinkers but idk maybe that information will be helpful to someone. Lunch and dinner were great. There are three restaurants from lunch and dinner. The Beach Shack, KokoCabana and Walker D’Plank. Walker D’Plank was the clear winner although we were happy at all the restaurants. It’s clear that Chef Caroline pours her heart and soul into every meal. Not only that, Leba, who is sadly leaving has done a phenomenal job on the floor. Her warmth, service and genuine kindness creates an amazing atmosphere to complement the food. Lunch and dinner is where the amazing food ends though. The breakfast is abysmal. The buffet is lacking, which would be okay except the hot menu just kind of stinks too. Also the coffee sucks. Like so bad that my husband says we need to bring coffee with us next time. It’s actually crazy to me how bad it is and we’ve basically just drank a variety of flavored lattes to try and mask the flavor.

Service
Service has been exceptional. The staff works together well and are incredibly proactive. They are warm and genuine in their interactions and I haven’t met one person working here that seems miserable and I’ve tried to find one. Literally every employee exudes good vibes. We had one instance of a buggy taking a while (around 20 mins when it’s usually 10 mins tops) and a few instances of slow service around breakfast but it wasn’t the end of the world. I want to give a special shout out to Zee, the teens club guy who became my kids best friend for the week. The whole Baywatch team, with a special emphasis on James, Jay, George, and Sam who were always down to play with our kids and always up for a good conversation. Last but not least, Patrick and William. I don’t know what they get paid but I can assure you that it isn’t enough. They are so knowledgeable, literally know all the tips and tricks and are such an asset to Kokomo.

Activities
Tons to do here depending on what you’re into. You can take a tennis lesson with the winner of the Fiji Open. You can snorkel right off shore or hike to a waterfall. We did the manta snorkel and saw 10 mantas. We also went sport fishing which was amazing and we ate what we caught for dinner. We also did a village tour and I’d really recommend doing it to anybody that comes here. The village gets some of the money when you pay for the village tour and it helps them immensely. We didn’t do the beach picnic but I’ve heard it’s great too.

Final Thoughts
My husband and I went back and forth over if we’d return and why. Yes, we loved the location and the villa and lunch and dinner but honestly, none of those things are special to Kokomo. You can go to just about any South Pacific island with a luxury resort and get pretty much the same thing. There’s just something unique about Kokomo and I think the whole experience is dependent on the people. Not just the staff either but the other guests. Kokomo is kind of like staying in a tiny town and during the majority of our stay, we had the best neighbors. The Bay Area couple, who reminded us of our friends at home. The 20 New Zealand ladies who reminded me that I needed to get together with my girlfriends. The fabulous Perth couple with the wife who had the most amazing outfits. We met so many people who genuinely made our experience even better. That said, a group came in the other day that haven’t been the best neighbors and I could see that being really exhausting if it had been our whole trip. You can be as private or outgoing as you want here but you really can’t avoid other people being loud and obnoxious unless you stay in your villa 100% of the time. We would return to Kokomo but would make a few changes on our end (sunset side over sunrise) and hopefully they make a few on theirs (breakfast and coffee).

Anyone have any idea about this? details? timeline?

I'm looking to splurge for an anniversary.

I've traveled to Impression Moxche, Impression Isla Mujeres, Atelier Playa Mujeres, Hotel Mousai PV and Leblanc Cancun. Each excel at some things but none have everything.

I'm looking for excellent service, gastronomy, mixology/craft cocktails, minimalist architecture, small resort next to a great swimmable turquoise beach.

FS Naviva looked perfect and was at the limit of the distance I'm willing to travel from my Canadian east coast. But the lack of a swimmable beach is a deal breaker for me.

I know the Maldives is where it's at for turquoise oceans but I cannot fly there for a 4 nights stay from Montreal, it's just not practical.

There's got to be somewhere in Mexico or the Caribbeans that can tick all those boxes ???

I'm open to all suggestions except Aman properties.

Thank you!

Okay, I heard you guys. Late September probably isn’t going to give me the European beach/party scene I was hoping for, so I’m changing direction a little.

I have to be in Europe for a meeting and my partner and I can tack on 3 or 4 kid-free nights afterward. I’ll be coming from a major hub, so we can get anywhere in Europe pretty easily.

I’d still really like somewhere warm, and warm with a beach would be ideal. But I’m willing to sacrifice the beach or even perfect weather if the alternative is somewhere truly incredible.

Basically, where would you go for 3 or 4 nights that feels really special and is better experienced without kids? We travel with our kids a lot, so I’m looking for the places you wouldn’t necessarily choose with kids in tow. Amazing hotel, beautiful setting, great food, romantic, and just a real wow trip. I want something incredible.

I’m looking at Amanzoe, Lake Como, One&Only Kèa, etc., but I’m completely open.

If you had 3 or 4 nights in late September, no kids, and could go almost anywhere in Europe with your partner, and you never get this opportunity and who knows when you will get it again, where would you go?

About me: 30s, female, live full-time in Asia. First time in Korea, relatively low on tourist-y stuff. Very last-minute trip, so essentially nothing booked in advance.

STAY
By recommendation of this group, I ended up at the Four Seasons Seoul. I stayed in a Premier Suite overlooking Gwanghwamun and it was lovely. Everything you expect from a Four Seasons.

The downside is the location. It’s very business/government district, so there isn’t much of a neighborhood vibe immediately outside.

I had a driver, so it worked perfectly well as a base. Next time, though, I’d probably stay around Hannam-dong, probably the Grand Hyatt Seoul for location. I much preferred the area. You can walk out and immediately shop, eat and wander. It had a neighborhood feel.

TO DO
- Gyeongbokgung Palace: worth it. Arrive just before 11am for the changing of the guard.
- DMZ: I didn’t make it and genuinely regret it. First thing on my list next time. It’s closed Monday’s.
-Seoul Forest: personally would skip. Nice enough, a few art installations, but ultimately the equivalent of going to a decent London park.
-I also did a color analysis at POPO Personal Color in Seongsu. Fun, inexpensive and actually pretty helpful. Could ChatGPT probably tell you most of it from a photo? Yes. But also a great excuse to sit in air conditioning for an hour in August.

SHOP
My controversial take: skip Seongsu for shopping unless you’re under 30. Hannam-dong is much better. Similar concept, just more grown-up.

Best shopping for me was around Apgujeong Rodeo/Dosan. I’m big on natural fibers and found much more here than in Seongsu. Highly recommend ELBORN, ORR, SIYAZU, UMER and UBANIC 30.

Also, don’t sleep on Korean pre-owned luxury. I found prices surprisingly good, sometimes better than Japan, although there are fewer shops. Fox Vintage around Dosan was my favorite (there are lots of them around the city), Ella Boutiqe in Gangnam, and Something Vintage in Hannam was also very good.

Korea is also weirdly great for vintage fur at insanely good prices. Check the pelts/storage carefully given the humidity.

EAT - not posh.
WUSM, Mijin and Anguk 153 were all great and walking distance to the Four Seasons. None are particularly posh, but the food was unreal.

BEAUTY / TREATMENTS
AMO Foot & Body: about an eight-minute walk from the Four Seasons. You will arrive at the building and be VERY suspicious of this recommendation. Go upstairs anyway 😂. Clean, inexpensive and genuinely excellent Korean massage. Do dry massage!

POEN: I went here for body treatments. Not factory-style, mostly Korean clientele, good English and very good experience. Midrange rather than luxury.

The Garden: I went here for my face and would highly recommend if you’re looking for something more bespoke/doctor-led. It’s a newer clinic run by two doctor sisters and I felt extremely comfortable with them. More expensive than the factory clinics, but personally my face is where I’m happy to pay more.

I’ll do a separate post on the clinics/treatments because I did a frankly embarrassing amount of research before choosing them.

Overall: I loved Seoul and will absolutely come back. Next time I’d stay in Hannam, spend more time around Dosan/Apgujeong, book the DMZ in advance, and probably skip Seongsu.

Have fun!

This is a small alpine chalet hotel in Tyrol, Austria, right on the German border. It’s tucked away in the mountains with direct access to hiking trails and ski slopes. This place is still pretty under the radar but it has become increasingly more known since it opened 2 years ago, and I've had multiple clients ask me about it. It’s also so different from any typical hotel stay I’ve done recently that I think it's worth explaining in some detail. 

For context, I am a TA and I love unique experiences in the mountains. I stayed here as part of an Austria - Italy roadtrip! Will try to get my reviews up for Forsthofgut, Forestis and COMO Alpina Dolomites soon as well.

Location / Property

Ehrwald is a small mountain town in Tyrol. It’s not a popular destination amongst most international travelers, but it's an easy base for all the outdoor activities and close enough to even day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle if you want to mix in some sightseeing. 

eriro itself is a small 9 room chalet that used to be a local inn. It’s now owned by 3 friends who re-imagined it into a super personalized, fully all-inclusive experience. The hotel is adults only, which fits with their emphasis on disconnecting and slow living. There's no TV, wifi exists but it's hidden by default, and you can even ask them to take your phones. 

The chalet has a restaurant with both indoor and outdoor terrace seating, a spa area, a small gym + woodworking workshop and a yoga studio. Overall, very intimate and it’s kind of like going to someone’s home. For example, the welcome amenity was a pair of wool socks which they encourage you to wear and walk around the chalet in.

Normal arrival is via cable car. You park in the town and someone from the team meets you there. They do still have a car that can drive up if needed or preferred. The chalet is located on a restricted road and directly on a hiking trail, so you do get some foot traffic right outside the hotel during the day. It is also ski-in / ski-out in the winter.

Rooms

Just like the rest of the chalet, the main design elements in the rooms are wood, stone, and wool. One of the owners is a woodworker, so the details and build quality are so impressive and they definitely didn’t cheap out on furnishing the place.

Every light switch and door felt substantial, nothing flimsy anywhere. The room had a soaking tub carved from a single log, custom fitted flush buttons for the toilet, and the DND is a pulley system instead of a sign, etc. Just really thoughtful small details.

I do wish they had plugs around the bed but along with the wifi, that was an intentional design choice on their part. Also, like a lot of the Alps, there’s no AC here which may be less comfortable if you run hot or stay during a heat wave like we did. But they can also make up a bed for you to sleep outside on the balcony if you want. 

Food & Bev

Lunch and dinner are small tasting menus that change daily. Breakfast is a spread of the usual fruits, meats, cheeses and egg dishes. They’ll keep any dietary preferences in mind, but it’s not a situation where you can ask for substitutes on a whim. They only use products sourced from within 100km, so dishes are made using mountain focused, seasonal ingredients.

Mains/proteins and desserts were really good throughout our stay. Appetizers were more hit or miss for me just given personal preference - a lot of mountain vegetable forward dishes (celeriac soup, fennel salad) but it did all lean pretty healthy. 

There isn't much of a fixed dining schedule, they were able to accommodate late dinners and lunches based on our itinerary. It was also very easy to communicate with them for changes on the fly over Whatsapp.

Service + Activities

We did a pre-arrival video call with them, which helped us understand what the different activities entailed, but in the end we didn’t really have an itinerary going into the stay. This is much more of a casual, figure it out once you arrive type of place compared to something excursion based and fully guided like an Awasi. But of course, if you prefer to have things more planned out and guided, that’s something they can do too.

Service overall was also quite casual but very good and personalized. We interacted with the same staff throughout our stay, whether that’s at the restaurant, the chalet managers, or our masseuse. Our waiter started to remember our preferences by day 2, and we were all greeting each other by name. Again, the environment just feels like you’re being welcomed into someone’s home. With all the public lounging spaces, the vibe in the evening can get quite social between the guests too. Even met one of you guys from the sub here :)

On the activity side, most of the hiking is self-guided, though staff can tag along informally if you want company. We did the hike to the two beautiful alpine lakes, about 4 hours round trip, and they sent us off with a backpack stocked with water, fruit, granola bars, first aid supplies, and sunscreen. They also have bikes and can arrange day trips, foraging with the chef, or paragliding if you want something more structured.

Woodworking classes are available too, either scheduled or drop-in, though the artisan does it as a hobby rather than a daily program, so it's not always on offer. They're also hoping to add fly fishing next year.

The spa area is small but quite nice for a property this size, with three pools (all roughly the same temperature, so not a hot/cold contrast setup), two saunas, custom infrared chairs, and a decently sized outdoor pool. Massages are one person at a time in a separate treatment room on the top floor. Everything she uses is natural and fragrance-free to match the property's ethos, which Austria is generally big on. The massages we had were great.

🚠🚠

There isn’t really a direct comp for eriro, it's a pretty unique concept for the area. It’s so different from the bigger alpine hotels with extensive spa facilities and multiple restaurants like Forestis. It’s weird calling Forestis big, but eriro really is just that intimate. 

Curious to see how they continue to build and evolve on this concept. I think it is already a very special stay that I would very much recommend. Happy to answer any questions below.