A family for family holidays

Huge sandbox. The four of us stand in amazement at the sandy landscape with the fountain, mini wheelbarrow and sand toys. Sister said, “Don’t you want to go inside right away?” He tries to persuade his brother. We parents grin: The teenage girl actually wants to come in and is looking for a reason to play in the sand.

We traveled to the Hotel Steiner in Obertauern not because of the sand, but because of the snow: we want to enjoy the first few days of skiing. In Zurich, we took all our skis and got on the train, and seven hours later we got off in Radstadt. We were picked up there by the hotel bus.

Food fun for everyone

After the indoor jungle playground comes the playroom: the kids visit it very often afterwards, and there is also a large play and craft room where they can de-stress and do crafts. You are hungry after splashing in the pool. I think about the six-course menu with some trepidation: hungry kids and a multi-course menu is not a good idea. But hoteliers Andrea and Thomas Steiner, who have two sons, know this and have taken precautions.

While creating our menus by choosing what you want from local, alpine and vegan delicacies, children benefit from the buffet prepared specially for them. So we enjoy the starter and it’s the first round from the buffet. We eat and play together throughout the evening. There are extra games ready at the entrance of the dining room. They are used with care by young guests.

He took over the hotel at the age of 20

The Steiner family’s table is right next to the game store. “This is our family dinner table,” Andrea Steiner confirms. “We live here in an apartment in a hotel. The table is our meeting place where we host our friends and family as well.”

The Steiners life is probably why groups of boys who want to ski together or friends who want to go to the spa together stay at the family hotel here. Andrea and Thomas Steiner took over the hotel at the age of 20, which now has 60 employees and 94 rooms. They have been running it together for 24 years and know from their own experience the needs of solo travelers, groups, couples and families.

roof pool

Wellness companions now have an entire floor of their own: two saunas and a mountain-view pool for all guests aged 18 and over. The spa will open these days.

So the four of us relax in the family sauna instead of the pool. It’s a new experience for kids and they find: It’s pretty cool, but at different water temperatures Kneipp is much more exciting. “Get into cold water first, then less cold water, and come back again. Then one foot is cold and the other is warm: Did you notice the difference?” it is asked. And watch an older couple watching us do the same after us.

Skis everywhere

Although the weather is constantly foggy, we dare to ski. Take your slippers to the ski room, put on your ski boots, cross the street with your skis and you’re on the slopes. The first turns are still a bit rusty and the slope is only very short until the Zehnerkar-Bahn. From there it goes counterclockwise around Obertauern. As the hotel is right in the middle of the tracks, we basically enjoy lunch at home. We sit next to our guests with bathrobes and those who start their day comfortably. We take something quickly from our room and continue on our way on the Tauern Track. The tracks are varied, the cable car rides are not very long, and there are restaurants and attractions everywhere.

As we leave, we experience the greatest attraction: bright sunlight on freshly fallen snow at night. This makes it even harder for us to break up.

This article was produced as part of a press tour.