Hotel Jagdschloss Kühtai

Hotel Jagdschloss Kühtai is very special—so unique that it will appeal to merely a few lucky guests. The hotel is only open during the winter, and although it faces the ski slopes, does not pretend to be a world-class resort for skiers in quest of a huge mountain with an extensive network of trails. Instead, Jagdschloss Kühtai offers a low key, friendly Alpine experience—perfect for those seeking a winter vacation off the beaten path combined with the intimacy of staying in a lovely hunting castle. Christian Graf zu Stolberg-Stolberg, your charming host, is the great grandson of Kaiser Franz Joseph I, the last Emperor of Austria. The castle, which was given to his grandmother as a wedding gift, is an imposing white chalet-style hunting lodge, accented by shutters painted in gay red stripes. When you enter, the true appeal of the castle is revealed and its age immediately apparent. The spacious entry hall is not original to the castle, but the dining room, intimate lounge, and bar are extraordinary. These rooms ooze cozy, old world charm with paneled walls gleaming with the patina of age, antique furnishings, hunting trophies, and wonderful paintings—all authentic to the castle. All of the guestrooms are charmingly furnished in a Tyrolean style (my favorites are those with antique paned walls). Many of the guests (usually with their families) return year after year, so the ambiance in the hotel exudes the warmth of a house party.

The House of Habsburg is omnipresent in these ancient walls, whose foundations were laid in the year 1280.  There is not a single apartment, or room, or corridor, where you will not find – in addition to all kinds of antiques – valuable copperplate engravings, family trees and portraits from the owner’s ancestral gallery.

In 1952, the then hunting lodge was transformed into today’s “Jagdschloss Kühtai” – a winter sports hotel, rich in tradition and boasting all the comforts, with a truly aristocratic soul.