Hotel Oberforsthof

The first thing to say is that I booked this hotel in a hurry and by mistake. I thought it was the Obersthof in Bavaria - some 150 miles closer to Calais and about the closest European resort you can drive to from the UK. Somewhere between Trip Advisor and Google suggestions we ended up in Austria. I only noticed the night before when I was programming the sat nav - doh. I had checked the hotel out on TA at least, only I thought it was in Bavaria. My muppetry aside, the hotel worked out very well for my family of four. We have two children aged 5 & 7 and this was their first ski trip. We booked a family room which suited our purposes very well with a separate bedroom for the children. We found the hotel staff to be exceptionally helpful and flexible. The breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner half board option we took was tremendous. High quality local food options all round. One slight criticism is that there is a sweet and ice cream section in the buffet which the children loved but their parents trying to get them to eat something vaguely healthy didn't so much. I didn't do the Spa or Swimming pool but my wife made a good report. They have a useful underground carpark with lift access in that area too. We got all our ski passes, lessons and equipment hire from reception. The ski hire shop is literally across the road. There is a shuttle bus to take you the 100m to the gondola station. It was the end of the season and warm so the snow wasn't great (at 900m) but I imagine it would be excellent skiing in February. On one day the gondola was shut due to high winds so we drove over to Frachau and skied there. St Johann links to three other mountains so you don't run out of options. The drive was 15 hours - which ordinarily we wouldn't contemplate but this was a spur of the moment, last minute trip and it felt like quite the adventure. We have friends going to Alpendorf next February with their children - it's an excellent place for them to learn. In fact several hundred UK school children were on the slopes when we arrived. I'd have no hesitation in recommending Hotel Oberforsthof - particularly to families with young kids. They even have a small zoo!

We arrived very early at the hotel but this was not a problem, in fact we were given a free upgrade to a larger south facing room with a double balcony. There was a great bathroom with 2 sinks a separate bath and a walk in shower. The hotel has a good sized indoor pool and an outdoor swimming pond. There is a large garden with trees and umbrellas for shade with lots of confortable loungers. There was a small area with alpacas, rabbits and mini pigs for the children to see. There was a large garage provided free of charge for our motorcycle. The food at the hotel was some of the best we have had in Austria. Breakfast included freshly prepared eggs of your choice with smoked salmon, bacon or sausage. In the afternoon there was a hot and cold buffet to keep you going until the 5 course evening meal. All the staff were helpful and attentive and most spoke good English. This was one of the best hotels that we have stayed at and is highly recommended.