Hotels & Chalets · Our pick in the mountains
Schloss Elmau
Two hotels, six spas, near Krün · In depth
About Schloss Elmau
Schloss Elmau stands alone in the Elmau valley at about 1,000 metres, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen: a cultural retreat built in 1914–16 and rebuilt in 2007, now two hotels, the Hideaway and the Retreat. Between them are six spas, ten restaurants, a 300-seat concert hall with a year-round programme, a library and a bookshop.
A cultural retreat in the Elmau valley
The philosopher Johannes Müller built Schloss Elmau between 1914 and 1916 as a retreat for his readers. After a fire in 2005, his grandson Dietmar Mueller-Elmau rebuilt it, and it reopened in 2007 as the Luxury Hideaway. The Retreat followed in 2015. Guests of either hotel may use everything across the estate, from the concert hall, which seats 300, to the Silentium Library and the bookshop.
The adults-only spas
The Badehaus at the Hideaway is for guests aged 16 and over. It has three infinity pools: a 25-metre rooftop lap pool (32 °C in winter), a 20-metre saltwater pool at 35 °C and an 18-metre sunset pool, plus a 36 m² sauna, a saltwater steam bath with an open-air cold plunge and a Lady Spa with its own sauna and steam bath. The Oriental Hamam, also adults only, covers 500 m² of Jura stone, with three domed rooms, two steam baths and four treatment rooms. At the Retreat, the Shantigiri Spa has a 20-metre infinity pool at 32 °C, a Japanese onsen at 40 °C and two sauna areas with brine steam baths.
Guests of either hotel are welcome to enjoy all amenities and offerings across the entire resort, in the hotel’s words.
Family spas
Families have two spas of their own. The Hideaway Family Spa has a 25-metre indoor infinity pool at 32 °C, a Finnish sauna, a herbal sauna, a brine steam bath and an infrared cabin, with swimming lessons for children. The Shantigiri Family Spa at the Retreat has another 25-metre infinity pool, a barrel sauna, a fireside relaxation room, seven treatment rooms and a gym. In summer the Nature Spa by the Ferchenbach stream opens a heated natural pool. The pools are heated with wood chips.
Rooms and suites
The Hideaway has 100 rooms and suites. The Retreat has 47 junior suites, presidential suites and family apartments, all larger.
Eating and drinking
There are ten restaurants. Ikigai serves French-Japanese cooking under Christoph Rainer, Fidelio Thai, Indian and Chinese dishes with a jazz pianist, and the Pavilion sushi with Alpine ingredients, behind windows facing the Wetterstein. Summit is the adults-only Mediterranean room, La Salle and Tutto Mondo the family restaurants, and the Kaminstube serves cheese fondue made with the Swiss affineur Rolf Beeler. Ananda serves light lunches in the Badehaus, and the Elmauer Alm, 45 minutes’ walk up the mountain, does Bavarian classics and Kaiserschmarrn.
Families
The Kids Club for ages 2–5 opens all year, from 9.00 to 18.00 (until 21.00 in high-season school holidays), with no booking needed and no charge for guests, and there is a Kids and Teens Club for older children.
Our advice: choose the Retreat for space and the Hideaway for the Badehaus, check the concert programme before you book, and walk up to the Elmauer Alm for Kaiserschmarrn.
Why it's on our list
- Six spas, three for adults only
- Badehaus: rooftop 25 m infinity pool and 20 m saltwater pool
- Two family spas with 25 m pools at 32 °C
- Ikigai, Fidelio, Summit, La Salle and the Kaminstube
- Kids Club for ages 2–5, included for guests
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Schloss Elmau before you go.
Check availability
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