Staycation: Hotel Das Central, Austria
The best luxury hotel to access the snow-sure glacier ski area of Rettenbach and Tiefenbachferner is Das Central. You can ski here from late September right through to April because the peaks are over 3,000 metres high, so the ski conditions here remain excellent throughout the season. An extensive snowmaking system also keeps the snow going as the slopes warm in the spring
Sölden village is a long, thin village strung out along the river that runs down the centre of the valley and the road to Obergurgl. Buildings are in traditional Tirolean style or are modern. You can find a range of hotels here from luxury ski apartments to the most luxurious place to stay in Solden, Das Central hotel.
The best time to visit Sölden is always in the prime of winter, end of January to early March, but prices are much cheaper at the start and end of the season, so we feel there is better value to be had in the lower season. Stay anytime from October to December, some of January and then April through to May and you can grab a bargain at this luxury hotel and throughout the hotels in this region.
This luxury hotel nestles up a side road, away from the main street. It overlooks Heidi-style alpine meadows which have a backdrop of the spectacular snow-capped mountains. Das Central is just a short walk or complimentary minibus ride from the gondolas which take you up to the snow-sure alpine slopes. It is also just a few steps from the lively village centre, which offer loads of bars, restaurants, ski shops, fashion shops and usefully, a pharmacy and a supermarket, ideal for topping up with snacks and chocolate, if the almost endless array of food in the hotel doesn’t fill you up.
Solden was one of the locations chosen for the James Bond 007 movie, Spectre. If you would like to follow in the footsteps, or should I say ski indentations of Daniel Craig, or if you are looking for a dramatic place to be chased down slopes by villains, you must try Sölden.
Rooms are immaculate, large and recently refurbished, with pine clad floors and walls and generous bathrooms. Our room was on floor 4 at the top of the building. It had a high ceiling crisscrossed with wooden beams, a large sofa to one side, a double seating area, a Nespresso coffee machine, a desk area and a flat-screen TV. The bathroom had an enormous tub and a huge walk-in shower as well as a double basin unit and a separate toilet area. The highlight, of course, is the views, and all rooms have a beautifully large balcony with a table and chairs where you can either sit out and look at the vista, or if that’s too cold, you can sit on the bed and absorb the views through the floor to ceiling windows.
Off the slopes, there is a large spa and swim area with a pool full of bubble jets and designed to look like it’s actually in Venice with murals depicting the canals and buildings of Venice over the two floors of this relaxation area. When you swim, it’s almost as if you are swimming beside the Grand Canal!
There is also a kids club, a gym with daily training activities and a spa, where you can have your aches massaged away.
Food is a real highlight at Das Central. You start the day with a substantial gourmet breakfast featuring vats of cereals and including about 5 yoghurt based dishes as well as the alpine essential, Bircher Muesli. You can select egg dishes made by an egg chef any way you like. There is a large dish of fruit and fruit salads as well as savoury trays of cheeses, meats, smoked salmon, and salads. A colourful juice bar and a wide variety of breads and muffins finish the offering so you will never be left hungry.
In the evening, you are spoilt with an excellent 5-course gourmet menu from cuisine awarded an ‘eternal toque’ by Gault Millau. It is utterly delicious with meat and vegetarian mains as well as a selection of additional alternative mains, so you have a choice between about 5 different options at each meal. The salmon and cod mains were particularly noteworthy and delicious, as were the mouthwatering soups. For dessert, there were cheese trays to choose from followed by sweet mouses, icecreams, creamy chocolate cake type dishes and loads of accompaniments to decorate your dessert. I loved the indulgent mini toffee balls that could be sprinkled over your ice cream (and everything else if you so wished).
