More Traveller Reviews of Harfenwirt Hotel
didnt click with herbert!!!!
from floridamad
just had to leave a review to say please dont be put off booking the cheap deals to austria in the summer,we do every year but,i didnt enjoy the year at the harfenwirt.we were also asked to wait for our rooms then put next door in a really dismal room.when we said the room was not up to standard we were left to wait outside the hotel with our cases till 4pm(we had got up at 3 that morning)when herbert with some atitude drove up the road to a cow shed and was surprised when we said no we wouldnt be staying there either.after that he stroped off and we saw the inghams rep who was just as rude and all we could do was pay extra to stay down the road in the sonnschein hotel(this is run by herberts wife)by then we were feeling like crap tired and wishing we had stayed at home and even though the sonnschein was lovely and we never complained again we were treated by herberts wife as if we were a pain and she really didnt want us there.in short i think if herbert likes you he will put you in his hotel and you will enjoy the holiday and probably think this is an unfair review but if like us you didnt click with herbert you will be shipped off in the nearby cowsheds and forgotten about.
strange strange place
from swansea_alan
Close to the button lifts and 500m from the gondola lift, the hotel is in a good postion, many rooms have lovely alpine views. If you can cope with the oddity of the owner, then this is not a bad hotel. Clean, warm, lift, jacuzzi, sauna all the things for a post ski wind down. But, if you have a problem then it all turns a bit Fawlty Towers, with the owner making huge gestures and waving bits of scrap paper lists around. Quite amusing, but can be frustrating. People come back here year after year, so it suits many. We liked the offbeat nature of the Harfenwirt, but its best to go in knowing that its not like a normal hotel.
Some people reakky are whingers
from nigelric
I really can't believe what whingers some people are! We stayed at the Harfebwirt probably at the same time as some of the complainers on here and had no problems at all. Yes we had to wait on the terrace while our rooms were prepared and ended up buying some drinks but so what? They have to make money somehow during a period when tourism is not at it's height in Austria and sitting on the terrace with it's stunning view with an excellant beer in my hand was a great way to start the holiday. I bet the moaners paid the same as we did £199.00 for 7 nights half board which was excellant value, what did they expect a 5 star hotel. Herbert was a great character and worked, along with his staff, extremely hard, I especially liked the way he refused to bow to modern technology and did all the paperwork the old fashioned way. The only complaint I would have is that the food portions were not exactly big but what to you expect for that price? I find it stange that people complained about the Tyrol night (and yes we were there when the large Dutch party were there) as everyone there seemed to enjoy it. Would definately go back there especially at that price.
You must go to Harfenwirt
from Netty33
I have just come back from the Tirol (Hotel Harfenwirt) and after reading some of the not so good reviews on this site I had to write one myself as you would be missing a treat if you read those and decided not to go. The hotel and staff are wonderful, I am 33 and at first thought I would be bored but I was anything but bored. The food is basic but excellant and the staff are very friendly and work very very long hours for I would imagine little pay. Anton is the main waiter and it seems he does not sleep as he's there constantly. Herbert the hotel owner can be somewhat abrupt but this is just the Austrian way. He's a wonderful, friendly hard working family man who takes pride in his business. He makes the effort to come and talk to all guests at dinner and plays the harp magically. The Tirol is a treat not to be missed, the waking is fantastic and the scenery is out of this world. We did trips to Salzburg, Innsbruck and the Krimmell waterfall and I would do them all over again. On leaving Anton got up at 4am to leave the guests a breakfast out, I think that says enough about the service as I've never been anywhere that would do that. Final note, just go. The hotel is in no way a palace but the people make it more like one that you can imagine. If you want a refreshing, relaxing and enjoyable holiday book. I hope this makes up for the less positive reviews as I will be going back soon.
Nice tranquil holiday
from LucyO
As we booked this as a last mintue holiday we didnt expect much for what we paid (£250). We were very surprised when we arrived at the hotel to find that we had been moved from the hotel to the annex in an apartment. Herbet took us to the annex with all our luggage which helped with the cases. The apartment which we had was spacious and clean due to the cleaner coming everyday and working hard. The food that we recived was delicious and always had a choice of 3 main courses with a starter and dessert. The staff who worked in the hotel were friendly and efficient (never stopped working!!) Overall we were very surprised and pleased with our holiday and we certainly would go back again.
Fantastic time at the Harfenwirt!
from treacle/simon
Working in a school it is always difficult to find bargains in the holidays so when we came across 7 days at the Harfenwirt complete with flights/transfers/ half board for £199.00 I have to say we weren't expecting much. Therefore I am glad to say we were soooo wrong! Before I left I checked the reviews on tripadvisor and was a bit concerned but now I just think some people are just too hard to please. The room was massive and the view from our balcony was delightful. Rolling hills with clouds gently breezing past set the scene for a wonderful week. From our sons room you could even see Llamas and goats in a small farm a couple of doors away. Herbert the owner whilst perhaps being a little abrupt at times, was in fact a man who worked really hard at making sure everything went smoothly for ALL guests. He came to see everyone during meal times, played the harp to entertain, gave lifts to those needing one and on top of the 1001 other things he had to do, loaded the dishwasher and cleaned the tables when needed! For a man of 60 I personally feel he had every right to be a bit jaded at times. I don't ever remember any waiters, managers or reps giving half as much service to customers on any other holiday I've been on. The food was always good, 3 choices of main course each night, the Tyrolean evening was really good fun and the staff were always friendly. On one occasion we were celebrating a birthday and good exam results and they even chilled the wine we bought from the local Spar, uncorked it and gave us champagne glasses to drink it out of! Someting that would NEVER happen over here without having to pay corkage. We will definately be going back and if we can get a good deal even better!
Go for something else!
from Culchiecouple
Stayed at the Harfenwirt for a week in July. It was our first experience of Austria. We arrived at the hotel at lunchtime and were the first in the line to check-in, only to be informed by the very rude owner that the rooms were not ready. We were asked to wait on the terrace where we were immediately pounced upon by the waiter to order drinks! One by one the manager came out called a name and took his guests off either to their room in the hotel or up to the annexes in his dirty van! We were the last two to get our rooms at 3pm (despite being up at 4am that morning) having to ask a waiter to find out where the manager had gone. It appears he had forgotten about us. We were then driven up the road (a short walk for those of you concerned) and left outside what I can only describe as a "barn", a far cry from what the hotel looks like, and told "Room 6". He disappeared! We dragged our cases up the steps (no lift) and found our room which was a huge disappointment, but in fairness was clean! The sheets were spotless but showed signs of wear and tear as they had a lot of repairs to them. We had a TV with only CNN in english, but the remote didn't work. Neither did one of the bedside lamps. We had a fridge which stopped working after one day and when we asked for it to be fixed we were told there was a €1.50 daily charge. We were afraid to mention the remote control or the lamp in case there was a charge on them also. There are no safes for valuables but Niederau appears to be a very safe place. The front door to the barn is left open day and night and we often left windows open. We were however woken most weekday mornings by the farmer next door operating his machinery. And it must be an Austrian farming thing, but every day a tractor collects slurry from the nearby farms and spreads it over the fields nearby so do expect a bit of a smell! When we went for dinner, we were ushered to a table for 5 even though we were only two, and then another family of 3 were seated beside us. The food was pleasant and edible but we were plagued by flies due to the hot weather. I'm sure an investment in those electronic fly zappers wouldn't cost the earth. The Tyrolean was a rip-off as there were two many people booked in for it. Two tour companies and a bus load of Dutch in a very small space! All in all Niederau is beautiful, if you crave peace and quiet and like walking, it's a paradise. But be prepared for a hotel owner who treats his guests as € signs not people!
Harfenwirt? Don't be a Halfwit!
from YorkLec
We stayed at the Harfenwirt for a week in July 2006. I have to say that Niederau is a lovely place in spite of our experiences at the Harfenwirt. OK, it's a three star hotel, and that's what we usually go for - we didn't expect anything flash. First the positives: we stayed in the guest house which is located about 2 minutes walk away. These appear to be ski accomodation. The rooms were basic but generally fine (they could have done with a good dust though!). There was a nice balchony with lovely views of the mountains. The food was generally OK, some nice main courses but the desserts were generally quite poor. Now for the negatives. When we arrived our rooms were not ready. Not good since it was 1pm, and the arrivals are at the same time every week! So we were hurded onto the sun-terrance and aksed to order drinks (which we had to pay for). It all felt like a money making ploy. Surely if the rooms are not ready a complimentary drink would have been in order? I am afraid to say that the hotel was run like a boot-camp. You had to sit in the same place for each meal (on tables with other guests when sometimes it would have been nice to have a little privacy - we are getting married next year!). The main problem was the owner. He was rude to a number of guests and actually interupted me (twice) while I was eating to ask for payment for using the fridge in our room. It certainly appeared that some guests were treated better than others. Avoid the tyrolean evening - very amateurish and again the owner hurds everyone in producing crowding. It was a cheap break and the setting is beautiful. However, my advice is to pay a little more for a better hotel. Hotel Austria looks better.
Fantastic time
from AnthUk
Stayed at Hotel Harfenwirt with husband and 7 friends for one week commencing 28th Jan 2006. The hotel was better than we expected and the views from the balcony of our room breathtaking. The hotel has a sauna and jacuzzi which was free between the hours of 4pm and 6pm but otherwise had to be booked. Breakfast was continental style with choice of 3 different cereals, bread, cheese, ham and selection of jams, marmalades and honey. At breakfast there was a menu which you had to make your choices for the evening meal there was always a vegetarian option on offer. The evening meal was served from 6:30pm until 8pm but we were told by other guests to ensure we were at the restaurant by 7:30pm at the latest. We used the Red ski school (Wildschno) which were fantastic, our instructor Dirk, looked after us extremely well and by the end of the week we did a black run (hardest)- however, this was our second time skiing, we had done a week of skiing at Niederau before. We hired our skis & boots from Margreiter ski hire which is just by the Gondola, they were helpful even when one of us had tried 3 or 4 pairs of boots before deciding they were comfortable! This is definitely a great resort for beginners and intermediates, although for extra runs the free ski bus goes to Auffach which is about 20 minutes away. Niederau itself is a beautiful place and the people there are extremely friendly including fellow tourists. Although there isn't a great deal of nightlife, there is plenty on offer for a week, we went to the Cave Bar which stayed open until 4am if you could handle it and also another bar (forget the name) which was near to the Markbachjoch gondola, they gave us free shots there!! The ski school display on a Sunday evening at 8:30pm shouldn't be missed it's great and they had fireworks as well. Thoroughly enjoyable holiday can't wait for our next visit to Niederau.
Happy at the Harfenwirt
from collywobbles
Stayed at the Harfenwirt, sister to the Sonnschein, in Jan-06. Weren't expecting much as the accommodation was very reasonably priced, and booked half-board. Were pleasantly surprised though - the accommodation was basic but very clean. Was located about 10 minutes from the centre of Niederau, with a drag lift on the doorstop virtually - but ONLY suitable if you're a proficient skier/boarder. The nursery slopes are in the centre of the village (so 10 minute walk), therefore whilst the hotel does have boot/ski storage, it is a long walk so we hired and stored our equipment from just below the Hotel Austria (opposite the Gondola). Food was adequate, with buffet breakfast of cereal, orange juice, bread and cheese/ham. Evening meal options were given during breakfast, and there were always 3 options (2 were meat/fish, 1 was veggie). Starter was always soup (but bread wasn't always offered), mains were enjoyable and then a desert. Bedrooms were cleaned daily, although sometimes they tried to clean before 9:30 am when we were still getting dressed! Herbert (the owner) made the time to see every guest during their meals (breakfast and dinner), and was always at the hotel - although he owns The Sonnschein, the Cave Bar and apparently other amenities in the area, he made sure his guests were treated personally, and he did work very long hours. The staff there do appear to be somewhat overworked, but perhaps this is normal in the area. If you get the chance, make sure you are around when Herbert plays the Harp - it is not an experience to be missed! We used the Activ ski-school (blue), and they were excellent - they seemed to have less people in each group when compared with the red school, wo would definitely recommend them. Runs in Niederau are best for beginners, but beware of the Red Run 19 (underneath the gondola) - it is difficult! Good value for money, and would go back there.
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1 reader found this review helpful
me and five members of my family just returned from this stunnin hotel where you get more than you pay for the owners Herbert and walter made our stay more than we could hope for they couldnt have done more for us from lightbulbs to extra pillows and advice on where to get... more