Marty K.
Yelp
This place is extraordinary. This villia is one of the best examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in Bad Gastein.
Pretty much every one of the nine rooms is a suite of some kind--we ended up in the Prince Rohan Suite on the ground floor, full of dark-wood paneling, mahogany wardrobes and a real, key-driven safe hidden behind the mirror.
We loved lounging in the parlour next door, chatting to the nine other guests, with tables set up for letter-writing or a quick rubber of Whist. Your hosts are exceptionally accommodating and will extend you every courtesy.
But the real reason you should stay here is the restaurant. The Lutter & Wegner wine merchants from Berlin run it, and the food is exquisite without being pretentious. Needless to say, the wine list is top notch. Dine on the terrace overlooking the rapids if you can.
And I must say, the prices for both room and food were surprisingly modest, for the quality of both.
Bad Gastein is a fascinating town, too. Many of the grand buildings are being renovated, while others have fallen on hard times. With the ghosts of Schumann, Grillparzer and Otto von Bismarck stalking about, it comes across as a little Victorian-style creepy, in an amusing way.
Heartily recommended.