Sportresort Alpenblick, Zell Am See, Austria. Traveling with Crystal Ski.

A good ski holiday is about so many things, so this review talks a bit about the Skiing itself as well as the hotel. Finding a great family Ski holiday is no easy feat, it is something that I have honestly spent endless hours on. As a family we seem to have a long list of requirements to keep us all happy.

Since discovering Austria three years ago, I haven’t looked back. Austria works for us for several reasons.

Firstly, great skiing. My husband is an advanced skier; he likes to be out on the slopes literally every second of the day. Austria has a great number of high altitude, big ski areas. All with advanced lift systems, meaning you rarely queue long to get up the mountain, and you often get a heated seat. Zell Am See is well managed, with good snow cannon coverage, great ski schools and ample food places. The region has around 138km of pistes served by 50+ lifts, around 56-66 runs to suit all abilities and then the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier which is over 3000m (Very important, a Glacier is always on our families list!) Another thing I love, the resorts here are not remotely pretentious and unlike some of the other European ski resorts, most Austrian are under two hours transfer from the airport, Zell Am See was only an hour and a half!

Secondly, children matter. The hotels I have stayed at in Austria have always been family run and really focus on happy children. They understand that if the children are happy and busy then the parents get to fully relax.

Lastly, they know how to Spa! In Austria they take Spa-ing very seriously. Honestly the Spa’s in Austria are the best I have ever used (and I may have used a few). This matters a great deal because I do not ski. There is nothing that makes me happier than a spa to myself while the rest of the hotel guests are up the mountain.

Our hotel Sportresort Alpenblick is rated 4*plus. It is a chic, modern, family-run hotel. We were greeted with happy faces and welcome drinks. My 9-year-old was immediately thrilled to jump on the swing seats in reception whilst we checked in. Being a hotel aimed at Families, she immediately made a friend.

Our room was located at the back of the hotel, meaning a limited view. However, it made up for this with a separate lounge and bedroom. Which worked well for travelling as a family. Our daughter basically got her own room, sleeping on the sofa bed in the lounge. The room amenities consisted of kettle with usual teas and coffees, fridge, ample hanging space, hair dryer and a great shower. The bed was large and comfy and there was a balcony off the lounge. We travelled over Christmas, so having the lounge area meant it was super easy to set up our mini-Christmas tree and decorations.

The short transfer time meant we had ample time on arrival day to go to the ski hire shop to get kitted out for the week. The bus stop is directly outside the hotel, they are very regular (free with your ski pass) and it’s only two minutes to the ski lift and ski hire shop. Because we booked as a package with Crystal Ski, we received all our lift passes, ski hire and ski school vouchers on our transfer coach. I find this hugely simplifies the process and limits the number of places you need to call to get mountain ready. The hire shop was hassle free and they were both soon practicing on the lower slopes to boost confidence for ski school the next morning.

Note on Ski-School. Austrian ski school is all day, with no option to just do morning or afternoon. You can collect your child for lunch or pay extra every day for them to eat with ski-school. You can flexi this day to day. Ski school drop off tended to be at the bottom of the lift in the morning and at the top of the first lift at lunch or the end of the day. We opted to only put our daughter in for 3 days out of the possible 6, the other days she skied with her dad. She’s 9 and an intermediate skier, they really love exploring together, they managed an epic day skiing the whole way down from the top of the Glacier to the very bottom of the mountain, using all Reds and Blues.

After returning to the hotel, we headed to the pool and spa before dinner. The wellness area is divided into two sections: a family-friendly pool area, which includes a steam room, and a separate adult-only (16+) spa complex, offering a quieter, more relaxing atmosphere. A full range of massages and beauty treatments are available, although these come at an additional cost. Throughout the week there is a timetable of classes such as yoga, even excursions out for walks around the lake, lake ice dips and guided ski trips. These were led by the hotel owners.

The indoor pool is rectangular and large enough for swimming lengths. A unique feature is the “magic button,” which opens a swim-through door leading to the outdoor pool. This outdoor area is also spacious enough for length swimming and includes built-in jacuzzi beds for relaxation. Surrounding the indoor pool are plenty of loungers, along with a peaceful conservatory-style relaxation area, where you can sit back to spectate the outdoor pool.

The adult only spa area is vast and over two floors. Downstairs there is a large sauna, steam room, a smaller infra-red sauna, a large relaxation room and a drinks station. The lighting in this area is kept quite low and talking isn’t encouraged. Upstairs the rooms overlook a snowy garden, the rooms consisted of a large relaxation room full of heated water beds -great for reading, another relaxation room with curtained cabanas and a large, very hot sauna with a glass wall overlooking the garden. You are provided with a spa bag in your room which includes, robes and slippers. Fresh towels you pick up on your way in.

NOTE: Spas in Austria are generally nudie and mixed! Strictly no swim wear allowed unless stated. Family saunas and steam rooms are for swim wear.  If you are a little unsure about a mixed nudie spa, my tactic is to keep my towel on and to use the spa at quiet times. The etiquette is to always wear your robe when walking around or on a lounger and only be naked when inside the sauna or steam room.

Once ready for dinner, we headed down to the large bar area. This is very modern and chic, offering a wide range of drinks including an extensive wine and cocktail menu.  Like in reception there are swing seats, some sofa areas, as well as high booths and tables. Just off the bar there is a large family table with a huge interactive game table, pre-loaded with all family games like ludo, chess, card games and the option to change the language. While peacefully enjoying our drinks our daughter headed off to explore the hotels facilities for children with her new friend. Upstairs they discovered a playroom aimed at younger children, with soft play, arts and crafts and scheduled movie nights (this room runs as a creche during the day). In the basement off the bar and restaurant they found another playroom aimed at your tweens and teens. This one has air hockey, pool table, sofas and multiple play stations with a wide choice of games. They were very happy and didn’t pop back to see us all that often.

The dining room is more of a traditional Alpine décor, one of the things I love about the dining room is that you are allocated a specific table for your entire stay. Meaning you always know where you are sitting and you can go down for dinner and breakfast at any time during serving, no need to book. We stayed on a half-board basis at the hotel, and most guests appeared to do the same. Evening meals are 6 courses, a la carte, with a changing daily menu. Soups and starters are self-serve from the buffet, then mains and dessert served to your table. Drinks are table service and it’s an option to keep your open bottles of wine, for the next day’s evening meal. The food at Sportresort Alpenblick is outstanding, we only had delicious meals and found the menu varied. The wine list is extensive, and staff are trained to help pair your wines with your meal. There is a big nod towards healthy eating and wellness, as much as possible local produce is used in the kitchen. There are vegetarian, vegan options as well as food focusing on Alkaline balance and macros for those in the know.  And of course, being a family hotel there’s a kid’s corner, children can dip in and out of the a-la carte menu or do kids’ corner or a bit of both, the hotel was very flexible and accommodating.

Breakfast was extensive, a huge array of hot food including an egg station offering freshy made omelettes, fried or scrambled eggs. We always like to sneak a hot boiled egg; it makes the perfect snack/handwarmer in your pocket for up the mountain.  Vast amounts of breads, cheeses, jams, cereals, pancakes, cakes, fruit, smoothies, proper fresh juices actually squeezed from fruit, none of the premix stuff. Amazing coffee station, serving real lattes and every type of tea you can imagine and of course cava. Who doesn’t have cava for breakfast!

In the mornings, after dropping my daughter at ski school I tended to head up the mountain. It’s a bit Victorian but I like to take in the mountain air, enjoy the views and the sunshine. The week we were there we had gorgeous bright sunny days. So, I would take a book, sit on the terrace of my favourite restaurant order a latte or mostly a Jager-tea (local spiced tea with rum) and enjoy some peace. After a few hours I would head down the mountain a different way, taking me straight into Zell Am-See, go for a walk along the lake, mooch in the shops before heading back on the bus to the hotel. Afternoons were always spent in the spa having the place to myself. I enjoyed 2 massages during my stay, I can highly recommend.

Our stay fell during Christmas, we particularly liked some of the touches that the hotel offered during this week. On Christmas day, we enjoyed a brass band and carol singing with the staff and hotel guests. Father Christmas paid us a visit and gave all the children a small gift. We were shown and included in Austrian traditions to bring us luck for the next year. Many of the hotel guests have repeatedly stayed at Christmas for a good number of years, this made the guests all feel like family. Our Christmas Gala dinner was truly exceptional but don’t expect turkey and roast potatoes, that is not the Austrian way.

A final note to say the staff at Sportresort Alpenblick were always super helpful and professional. It is the sort of hotel that deserves every bit of its 4*Plus rating and nothing is ever to much trouble for a guest. There are many little extra touches that help it to feel special, such as the cheese table in the bar after dinner or the mini cakes at reception in the afternoon.

If you like the look of the Sportresort Alpenblick and would like a quote for dates that suit you, please feel free to get in touch with me at Escape The Rock Getaways. I’d be delighted to help

The Isle of Man school holidays for Christmas 2026 fall in a strange Wednesday-Wednesday pattern. So, I have priced up the Sportresort Alpenblick for the first week in January 2027.

2^nd of January 2027 Pricing

Departure: Manchester to Salzburg

• 2 adults, half board, Austrian twin room: £2,694.25
• 2 adults and 1 child, half board, Austrian twin room with balcony: £4,299.26
• 2 adults and 2 children, half board, Austrian twin room with balcony £5,290.08

Prices include, flights, accommodation, half board, 23kg luggage per passenger, and coach transfers. All prices are correct at time of quoting on 17/06/2026.

Prices DO NOT INCLUDE Ski extras, such as ski pass, ski hire or lessons.