We’ve started quite a wonderful family tradition of going skiing every year. Mr S has long been a keen skier and though I didn’t grow up going myself, I’ve loved starting Oscar early and seeing him take to it so well. My sister’s children have taken to it too and then my mum comes along for the ride! My mum, sister and I are non-skiers but we love a ski holiday!
We’ve fallen in love with the concept of Kinderhotels after staying at Moargut and visiting Sonnwies twice. For our latest trip I was keen to try Feuerstein Nature Hotel, a place that was regarded highly by some of my favourite bloggers.
February half term is THE time to go skiing (apparently) but it’s inordinately expensive both for hotel and flights so love going for festive December break. There’s nothing quite like a snow capped break at Christmas time.
What is Feuerstein Nature Hotel
Like Moargut and Sonnwies, the Feuerstein Hotel is a kinderhotel meaning everything is orientated around families and children; and happy kids equal happy parents. For example imagine arriving in a hotel reception, tired from your journey and a glass of prosecco is pressed into your hand but there’s also a soft play in the reception. You can relax and have a drink – your kids can burn of energy from the car journey!
The idea of a Kinderhotel may make you think primary colours and plastic toys everywhere but Feuerstein is nothing like that. Think tasting menus juxtaposed with pizza nights… adults only spas coexisting with an indoor water park! The idea of Feuerstein is that all the family are taken care of from the tiniest baby, to teens, to grown ups. It’s no surprise that this family-centric hotel is family run too – they know just what they’re doing. Some of the best things about this hotel is in the detail – extended restaurant hours, a bowl of apples in reception to help yourself, a lowered hand rail on the stairs for tiny legs, a new bedtime story delivered to your room every night… everything to make life easier for parents and satisfying for children.
The hotel is in the Pflerschtal Valley in South Tyrol, near the Dolomites, its a short flight into Innsbruck and an hour drive to Feuerstein meaning the travel time is child friendly too! The hotel itself has it’s own organic farm, animals and a riding stable so our city kids could experience nature first hand!
Hotel Design and our Room
We’ve really come to love the typical contemporary design of these alpine hotels. A focus on natural materials such as wood, stone, organic textiles with huge picture windows letting the outdoors in, as nature is truly at the heart of this beautiful place. The focus on sustainability is also key and they prioritise resource preservation and using a sustainable energy supply.
In terms of layout, the hotel is pretty much a horse shoe shaped surrounding a large outdoor playground and lake which is frozen over in winter. The hotel itself is quite vast due to encompassing so many facilities yet it has the uncanny ability to still remain intimate and you’re always bumping into the same guests. Though there appears to be lots of separate buildings, it’s all accessible via a main corridor so you don’t have to set foot outside when it’s freezing!
The hotel is pleasing to the eye but there is something fun for children on every corner. There’s mini-play area where you need them most (the reception and bar) and you can grab an apple if you need it, or a water (or a prosecco!) and sometimes see people doing face painting set up in the bar!
The vibe at the bar and restaurant is calming yet cosy and welcoming.
There’s lots of different room options among the 90 rooms, the idea being there’s something to suit every family combination. My mum had a double room, my sister had a family room amythst which includes a children’s bunk room allowing her 14 year old to have his own space. We had a Chalet Strahlstein which was absolutely perfect for us!
Design wise, the minimalist natural, uncluttered look is what can expect with balconies and valley views. The Chalets are located separately from the main building (though still accessible via a corridor) and are a bit further away from the main facilities than the other rooms but that was fine for us as it was so amazingly spacious.
We had a large living area with a fully stocked kitchenette. An extra bed can be put here in here too. Then we had a double room and a kids bunk with a pull out sofa and a cot for Noah.
The bathroom was really big with a large bath and then there was a separate room for the toilet. I loved the balcony which had a sweeping view over the hotel’s lake, iconic outdoor pool and the valley.
But again what I loved best about this room was the attention to detail: special children’s toiletries, a little step for the sink, a proper nappy bin, changing mat, kids ponchos for the pool. Something I absolutely loved was full black out blinds on the windows meaning Noah and I slept tremendously well, the best I’ve slept in ages. That alone is priceless.
Activities
Honestly, what wasn’t there at this hotel? The choices of activities were absolutely endless.
Indoor Activities for kids:
Playbarn: climbing wall, trampoline, slide, climbing and riding toys and hay play area. This was Oscar’s favourite play space.
Mini Room: Adjacent to the Play barn is the mini room with wooden toys and sensory play things for age 0 – 3.
Mud room: Great for sensory exploration and messy play for toddlers to older kids. This room, which was basically a room full of muddy sand was a little triggering for us Type A parents who are scared of mess but the hotel thoughtfully provides overalls, boots and shower to avoid too much stress!
Painting room: Art and craft spaces with classes. Overalls are also provided. Noah loved this room.
Woodwork room: Children can come along with their parents to develop their own creations and paint them after.
Games room: with table football, table tennis, billiards or darts.
Action room or Ninja warrior: Again a huge hit with Oscar and his cousin, Jackson. There’s a parcour adventure and Valo Jump trampoline as well as interactive games on the iWall. This was the only place I saw screens set up for kids everything else is very low stimulation.
Sports Arena: for football or basketball.
Teenie room: A place for teens to meet or hang out.
Outdoor Activities for kids:
In the winter the lake at the Feuerstein freezes over and the place becomes a giant outdoor playground.
Play Ground Equipment: There’s plenty of outdoor playground equipment for little ones to burn off energy.
Sledging: Oscar and Noah love the chance to go sledging and the hotel has a course set up so kids can go whizzing down the hill.
Magic Carpet: There’s a small skiing hill for little ones to make their first attempts are skiing but FYI this is extremely basic and only really for toddlers and very small children. There are plastic skis which you can strap on their shoes. The hotel offers lessons for under 4s.
Ice Skating: there is an ice rink but this didn’t seem to be in service when we were there.
Pony riding: there are lots of different opportunities to interact with the hotel’s horses and ponies. Oscar and Noah had a little group pony ride (Noah’s first time and of course I had to hold him on the pony) as part of the hotel programme.
You can also pay for private rides and ‘pony wellness’ where you learn to groom, saddle, bridle and lead, pony riding. There’s a whole equestrian centre too and professional lessons can be scheduled for more experienced children aged 6 plus and adults.
The Farm: kids can visit the petting zoo which includes alpacas, donkeys, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits and even learn to feed and care for animals.
Feuerstein is also very popular in summer and children can enjoy the bathing pond, playground, treehouses, football pitch, bungee and trampoline.
As I mentioned the Feuerstein treat adults and kids needs with equal importance and there are plenty of activities for adults only. There’s the horse riding, gym, a padel court, a yoga loft. There’s also a gorgeous concept store for buying gifts and Feuerstein’s branded products. There’s individual work stations around the hotel main area. The weekly programme includes sports, sauna infusions, wine tastings, cooking lessons, gin nights amongst other things satisfying a variety of interests.
The 3,000 m² Mountain Spa is the ultimate adult retreat including relaxation areas, sauna, steam rooms and a roof top hot tub. There’s an adult only area but also a family spa and kids spa treatments.
A major activity at the hotel is swimming and the Feuerstein has a water world including four pools.
The outdoor pool is of course a major selling point of the hotel. I’m not a particularly keen swimmer but the atmosphere of gliding into an outdoor pool, nicknamed ‘The View’ in the snow in the evening was utter magic. Measuring 20 m in length with a constant temperature of 31-32°C all year round, so you don’t need to worry about the frosty air!
Inside there’s a ‘Didactic’ pool, a simple 10 m long pool with water temperature of 32 to 33°C where children can duck and dive to their hearts content.
Noah loved the baby pool with ‘rainbow’ slide which kept a toasty 34 to 35°C for tiny tots.
The action pool was a highlight for our kids especially the 100 m long speed slide (the biggest in the area) the boys loved checking their speed on the stopwatch after. They also loved the racing slides.
Once again Feuerstein think of every detail, there’s poncho towels for kids in the room and there’s a big bucket of ready inflated armbands by the pool. You can purchase swimming nappies from reception too.
Skiing – Ski school and general skiing takes places at nearby Ladurns which is 4 kilometres from the Feuerstein with a frequent shuttle provided by the hotel. Oscar attended the ski school and soon mastered the learner slope and went up the mountain.
There was a total of 18 kilometres of pistes, ranging from easy to medium difficulty and quite limited for an experienced skiier like Mr S. There are larger pistes a little further afield.
Kids Club
70 hours of child care / kids club for ages 0 – 16 is included in the cost of the stay with different programmes tailored for different ages all focussing around authentic and meaningful experiences. The hotel mascot, Flammie a fire salamander can be found around the hotel both as a symbol and ‘in person’ leading activities.
Babies – Lets start with the smallest guest. Babies are very well taken care of from newborn to three in the baby and mini room. The room itself is an aesthetic dream, taking the form of a giant dolls house and there’s a racetrack, a cuddle corner, sandpit with polenta plus a sleeping area. Noah is always hesitant about kids club and this is the first time he was actively asking to go! Baby club runs daily from 9 am to 4 pm and from 6 pm to 9 pm. Siblings were welcome in the baby room so Oscar could come in and play with Noah.
Children – From aged four plus there is a programme of daily activities inspired by nature every day from 9 am to 4 pm and from 6 pm to 9 p.m. Activities such as crafts, cookery and outdoor exploration.
One thing that was quite different to my previous kinderhotel stays was that at Sonnwies the kids club itself was huge with soft play and a sports hall included whereas at Feuerstein it was one small room and while they do take the kids to the other play areas, Oscar couldn’t really see past the the kids room and didn’t want to go in. At Sonnwies the kids club took the children to the pony rides etc whereas at the Feuerstein they had to booked via an app and a parent had to take them. This was all fine but after the very easy free flow of Sonnwies it didn’t feel quite so hassle-free.
Having said that children and babies can dine in Flammie’s restaurant with the kids club from from 6 pm to 7.30 pm (though we never actually did this) and after that is ‘Feuerstein hour’ from 7.30 pm to 9 pm. Everyday there was an activity such as a dance party or a meet and greet with Flammie or entertainment such as a magician or wizard. The kids were happy and entertained while parents finished their dinner! Our kids loved this!
Teens – Can enjoy the teen hang out room and the ninja warrior course as well as a programme of activities including movie nights, sports competitions and game nights.
Food
As with everything at the Feuerstein, the experience is designed to make everything seamless and hassle free. Starting with your table, there is one main restaurant and you are given the same table for breakfast and dinner meaning there’s no search for a table or waiting. You go straight to the same place which is set up for your group.
Once again every age is catered for. When it comes to babies there’s high chairs from newborn to toddler, children’s tableware and cutlery (Noah loved the ‘lego’ fork and spoon) and bibs, there’s fresh purees and baby snacks available at every meal.
There’s always buffet and another thing I loved was the extended meal hours … honestly I was sleeping so well in this hotel that breakfast finishing at 11am was a requirement! Breakfast was an extensive but high quality buffet but food could be made to order too. Lunch is served from 12.30 to 4.30 with a selection of canapes, salads, freshly made pasta and choice of a different hot dish every day such as schnitzel, burgers and bolognese.
Dinner is a highlight of the day. The buffet is full of different salads and canape options, there’s fresh pasta, children’s dishes such as nuggets, fish fingers and chips cooked to order and most nights pizza from the pizza oven. There’s vegan corner, a whole bread wall, plus cheeses, desserts and ice cream for after.
The adults’ the main meal is a five course tasting menu which you can choose to have all of or pick and choose courses while mixing and matching with the buffet. There’s a daily children’s menu too. If nothing takes your fancy there’s an a la carte menu of set dishes such as steak, fish and schnitzel that you can have instead. The latter is included in the full board, whereas at Sonnwies we paid a supplement if we had the a la carte rather than the tasting menu. I loved the food here, and I really enjoy the tasting menu concept of trying a bit of everything! The food itself was excellent especially the pasta. Every night the sommeliers offer a wine tasting so that you can pair your meal with the best possible wine.
Final Thoughts
I think that you can tell that I absolutely loved this hotel, for me it was all the details that made our stay so thoughtful and seamless. Sometimes I come back from a holiday feeling even more tired and overstimulated but I can truly say that the Feuerstein really gave me a chance to unwind and sleep well. The beauty of the Feuerstein is that children feel inspired and free and parents feel restored. You can escape the noise of the everyday and connect with nature and each other.
Great for Kids
So so many activities both indoor and out
Food that kids will love but that is well prepared and thoughtful
The chance to feel free and independent while being safe and looked after.
Great For Parents
Adults only spa for true sensory relaxation
Feuerstein-hour for kids to enjoy an activity and adults to have a quiet meal!
Specially designed activities for parents and children to collaborate over.
PIN IT!!
