Swimming with a view: Wellness in winter: These hotels have the most beautiful pools with mountain views
Is there anything nicer in winter than bathing in a warm outdoor pool and enjoying the surrounding spectacular mountains? Wellness hotel tester Andrea Labonte looked around for you and discovered the most beautiful hotel pools with mountain views.
1. Mohr Life Resort, Lermoos, Tirol: Where wellness and art meet
With the construction of the “Mohr escape”, the Mohr Life Resort 2018 ushered in a new era. Because this spa is not just a spa, it is an attraction: 26 different art installations in the water and in the relaxation lounges create an unforgettable spatial experience. Architecture, nature and art combine to form an impressive triad.
For me, the 165 square meter outdoor pool is the real sensation. It seems to be sloshing into the vastness of the Lermooser Moor and only to be limited by the Zugspitze and the Sonnenspitze.
The large indoor pool with its floating islands of tranquility is in no way inferior to the outdoor pool in terms of view and aesthetics. While the outdoor pool is reserved for adults only, families can also swim laps in the indoor pool with a breathtaking view of the Zugspitze.
And the interior of the new Mohr escape also impresses with its creative design. At the center of the new sauna cosmos is an ice fountain that is stylishly illuminated. In addition, wellness fans will love the Alphasphere room. This multidimensional experience space with sound, light and color elements is intended to contribute to the deep relaxation of its visitors. But the highlight is the panorama sauna with a breathtaking view of the Zugspitze.
On my forays through the Lermooser Mohr, I can hardly help but be amazed. I also get into a frenzy of excitement when skating on the hotel’s own ice rink right in front of the hotel bar. When I pirouette at the foot of the Sonnenspitze in the morning, when the Sonnenspitze in front of me is bathed in a pink light, I feel like I’m in a winter fairy tale.
The Zugspitz Arena promises pure skiing fun with slopes of all levels of difficulty. Cross-country skiers will find one of the most beautiful cross-country trails in the Alps right outside the hotel door, connecting the towns of Biberwier, Ehrwald and Lermoos.
- Information and prices: One night in a double room “Ranch” from 146 euros per person including luxury half-board; www.mohr-life-resort.at
2. Excelsior Dolomites Life Resort, St. Vigil, South Tyrol: Bathing fun in the wintry Dolomites
This is exactly how it must feel to discover the Unesco World Heritage Site by swimming. The white shining peaks of the Dolomites seem close enough to touch. And the white splendor also glitters on the roofs of the picturesque mountain village of St. Vigil. Warm wafts of fog rise above the pool in the freezing cold air. But I only feel the 33 degree warm water that surrounds me like a warm cocoon in the panorama infinity pool.
It’s not just this contrast between warm and cold that fascinates me up here on the third floor of the Adults Only Sky Spa in the Excelsior. No, it’s also the feeling of floating between heaven and earth in this outdoor pool with a spectacular view.
About the expert
Andrea Labonte has an unusual job that is the envy of many: she is a wellness hotel tester at the online guide Wellness Heaven. In this capacity, she not only collects splendid spa experiences, but also carries the most bizarre incidents from her everyday work in the regularly published column “From the life of a hotel tester” together.
With more than 400 tested wellness hotels, Andrea Labonte has a broad basis for comparison and knows what is important for the discerning traveler. Her professional background: she has an international degree in business administration with a double degree. She completed her studies at the University of Applied Sciences in Mainz and at the Ecole Supérieure du Commerce Extérieur in Paris.
But the other wellness facilities of the Sky Spa in the Excelsior are also impressive. For example, there is the puristic forest infrared sauna. Here I sweat thanks to the large window fronts with a view of snow-covered fir trees. To boost my immune system, I make a flying visit to the outdoor relaxation lounge after the sauna session. The cool snow under my feet tingles pleasantly. To top off the light and airy feeling of floating up here, I take a seat on one of the two outdoor swings.
The relaxation room of the hotel also awaits me with a unique natural cinema: the setting sun shines on the Marebbe valley and envelops the Dolomites in a soft pink light. The interior of this cozy hideaway is also remarkable. Small, gold shimmering light balls illuminate the ceiling of the room and attract everyone’s attention.
Families with children also get their money’s worth in the 1300 square meter Spa Dolomiti. Old and young can relax together in the year-round heated outdoor whirlpool with a view of the Dolomite peak Piz da Peres (2057 meters) or do their laps in the indoor pool. A larch sauna, a Finnish sauna, a herbal bio-sauna, a brine inhalation grotto and a herbal steam bath are also among the sweaty highlights for families.
- Information and prices: One night in a double room “Fanes” from 184 euros per person; www.myexcelsior.com
3. The foresightAllgäu: Unobstructed view of the mountains
An Allgäu getaway where I can admire the distant mountain peaks from the pool is the Hotel Das Weitblick in Marktoberdorf. The highlight of the house is the 2000 square meter light-flooded hot spa: in the 30 degree outdoor pool (11 x 6 meters) I enjoy the unobstructed view and look forward to an exotic spa break.
Because at Hotel Das Weitblick I can take trips to a wide variety of countries during my sauna sessions. A Mexican environment awaits me in the 60 degree hot herbal sauna “Colorido”. Here I sweat with the aromas of North American herbal essences and a humidity of 30-35 percent.
The “Himalayan Salt Mine” also takes me to distant climes and has an effect with its floating salt crystals and a temperature of 50 degrees beneficial to my skin and airways, just like the Berber steam bath. Of course, a Finnish sauna should not be missing in the sauna cosmos of the hot spa. At 85 degrees, you sweat here on the comfortable wooden loungers with footrests.
The retreat niches of the wellness hotel are just as multifaceted as the sauna cosmos. There are several relaxation options open to me: Would I like to relax in the “Orient” relaxation room under the flowing towels of a four-poster bed or would I rather relax in the African-style atrium? In any case, accessories, wallpaper and design elements create an absolute feel-good atmosphere.
- Information and prices: One night including breakfast in a “Stadl” double room from 99 euros per person; Weitblick-allgaeu.de