Seehotel Freiberg

2 readers found this review helpful

This was a family holiday booked through Crystal Active on half board. Watch out when booking Crystal for the 'what's included' - depends upon your hotel - this is a hotel available when booking the 'active programme' but is not a 'club active hotel' - so there is no 'stable of Mountain Bikes for your use' and no inclusive mountain bike tour or hiking tour. The hotel is very popular with families with very young children.
Staff are incredibly friendly and obliging. Half board gives limited choice but reasonable quality and very filling. Drinks costs are reasonable if you avoid bottles of wine (buy these at the supermarket and enjoy on your balcony). House wine in carafes is better value and reasonable quality. You are given 'your table for your stay' which is a nice touch the children really appreciated.
Rooms in the Seehotel side are very comfortable and stunning views. Simple furnishings but high quality, very clean. Stunning views also from the dining area. If you have noisy neighbours you will hear them for sure when your door is open or they are on the balcony - but then that's life in a hotel. There is a train line about ten yards from the front of the hotel but do not be put off - they will not disturb you - although we did hear someone ask for a room change from the very furthest room in the Seevilla section, which is closest to the rail line and no corridor between that room and the line.
Breakfasts great. The hotel really needs a better lounge area and bar service at night for a more social feel. There is a health area with Sauna etc, which my wife used and enjoyed very much. Swimming in the lake was great temperature 18 - 19 degrees but some form of footwear a good idea (rocks). Most staff have very good English.
Would I stay again? Possibly if I was in that specific area - hard to tell if it was good value due to the package nature of our booking.

1 reader found this review helpful

A beautiful place to stay. When the sun shines its stunning. Out of this world. I don't think the lake matches the temperatures they advertise it gets to, but is certainly warmer than any unheated pool I have been to anywhere!

The hotel itself we found to very good, clean, and the staff cannot be praised enough for their helpfulness and friendliness. However (isn't there always one?) - our initial room was at the end of the new Seevilla part of the hotel, nearest the railway line, and this kept us awake at night - at one point there were 10 goods trains rumbling past, between one and 2 o'clock in the morning. The next morning we asked to change rooms, and they switched us straight away.
As for the half board basis, we cannot decide whether this is good value or not. The starters are always interesting, the soups hit and miss, and the main courses a bit of a let down - (example - "fried sea bass with medallions of potatoes and vegetables" - turns out the sea bass is battered as indeed were the potato and veg which were mashed together, and came with a very generous pouring of parsley sauce!) The Austrian wine is worth trying, both red and white.
If its summer and you are reasonably healthy, then bike hire is a must, the routes are easy, quiet, and there are lots of places to explore. The town is not even 5 minutes away, at an easy stroll, and has some interesting shops and restaurants. Well worth a wander.
The Schmittenho has some stunning views, but at around 6000ft high we recommend the cable car up, though if you would care to risk a heart attack there is a 4 hour walking route to the top.
Would we go again?Hmm maybe (if they make our airports as easy to get thru as Saltsburg is!)

1 reader found this review helpful

We have been to the Seehotel Freiberg at least ten times. My husband and I were married there three years ago. Both of us are in our early thirties and we have never been put off by how traditional some of the rooms are.
A previous reviewer referred to them as dated, but in truth they are in the style of traditional Austrian decor, and every room is well looked after. The new part of the hotel is fantastic. All the rooms are fitted out wall to wall in wood. I don't think I have stayed in one of their rooms that I don't find comfortable sitting in.
The view from the bedroom's windows is to die for, and it awaits you at breakfast and dinner as well.
Dinner is four courses, and the fish dish should be tried at least once as it is a speciality of the hotel (the fish is caught fresh from the lake). The staff cannot do enough to help you. Anything you want just ask. Even dining outside on a warm night.
I would recommend this hotel to anyone, it's our home away from home.

Stayed here for a total of four nights in the summer and were very impressed with the place.
On arrival they apologised and told us they had had to upgrade us and they hoped that would be OK! We were given a huge room in the new wing of the hotel with two balconies and the most stunning views of the lake.
We had breakfast on the terrace overlooking said lake and dinner there a couple of times too. Unlike another reviewer I really enjoyed breakfast - lots of delicious fresh bread, plenty of choice of cold meats and cheese, boiled eggs, fruit and yoghurt. I'm not a fan of the 'full English' so this was great.
The dinners were fine, not the best but good and watching the sun setting over the lake more than made up for any culinary shortcomings.
One thing I noticed - people who had come on packages tended to be seated in the dining-room which was pleasant enough but obviously not as good as sitting outside.
The hotel is right on the edge of the lake and there is a lovely grass bank with sun loungers which you can use free of charge and from where you can swim.
It's a non-glacial lake and can reach up to 24 degrees Celsius in summer so quite refreshing.
Can't understand why another reviewer said it was a bit out of the way. It's a maximum 5 minutes walk to the centre of Zell!
I developed a slight earache and wanted to get it sorted before flying home to the UK. I asked at Reception for a doctor.
I thanked him and went back to our room. We had paid in advance for our room but when we settled the bill for a couple of extras that evening, I was presented with a bill for 100 Euros.
The receptionist was very apologetic but said the doctor had insisted - even though none of this was mentioned to me at the time and I had a valid E.U medical card.
Fortunately I speak fluent German so phoned him up. He wouldn't budge and even maintained he was doing me a favour because his usual consultation fee was 120Euros and he had only charged me 70 plus 30 for the tablets!
I would have been happy to pay a realistic price but we couldn't come to a satisfactory conclusion.

I would love to go back to this hotel and to Zell, which is a lovely place, but this episode left a sour taste in my mouth so I probably won't.

We stayed in Seehotel Freiberg in January 06, Crystal holidays had advertised it as a 4 star hotel, and the restaurant had received great reviews.
On our initial arrival at the hotel we were disappointed to be dropped of by our tour operator at the wrong side of the railway track and we had to drag our bags approx 400mts under a tunnel to the hotel, on arrival the hotel staff could not have been any friendlier and nothing was of too much trouble, including holding dinner until quite late for our party of 5.
The hotel rooms were basic but immaculately clean if just a little dated. Buffet breakfast was adequate, dinner in the evenings was of a great standard and couldn’t be faulted cold starter, soup , salad, and a choice of fish, vegetarian, or meat.
We all enjoyed our vacation immensely although I wouldn’t return to Seehotel Freiberg as it was just a tad out of the way for evening entertainment.