Hi I am confused by where to stay in Hallstatt, Austria in August. The more I read the reviews, the more confused I am. Is the Hotel Gruener Baum worth the extra expense? The rooms and outdoor areas look wonderful but its almost twice as much as Gasthof Simony next door. I've read some recent negative reviews regarding poor service at Braugasthof Lobisser that apparently owns both that hotel and the Simony.. Has anyone stayed at any of these hotels recently or do you have a recommendation for a hotel there?
Thanks very much!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6788 posts
We also found Gasthof Simony perfectly nice. Not fancy, smallish rooms, but it felt like a well-worn shoe, and met our needs nicely. Stunning views from the lakefront rooms. We were quite happy there for a couple nights.
Posted by
Palm Desert
126 posts
We recently stayed at Hotel Gruener Baum on a GAS tour. The rooms were huge with a separate sitting room. We faced the market square and had a front row seat when the 2 hailstorms hit over town and started the flood. We were all sent upstairs from the dining room. Our guide told us that lots of money has been spent on this hotel.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32220 posts
Laurie, Either Gasthof Simony or Hotel Gruener Baum would be good choices. Which to choose will depend on your budget and the desired "comfort level". As mentioned in a previous reply, Gruener Baum has had extensive renovations in the last few years, with balconies added to the lake side rooms, etc. The dining room is very comfortable and the food is excellent. Gasthof Simony is a "classic Rick Steves" hotel, with creaky floors and decor with character. It's clean and comfortable and from what I saw it has also had renovations on a regular basis (they were painting one of the rooms when I was last there). Some of the rooms there also face the lake. Happy travels!
Posted by
Missouri City
252 posts
We last stayed at the Simony in 2010 in one of the lakeview rooms with balcony. The views were stunning. However, the Simony is a bare bones hotel -- no TV, no radio, no phone and small thin bath towels -- minimal amenities. And, in our bathroom, there was a lot of mold on the tile grout in the shower. BUT, that said, the price is more reasonable than the Gruner Baum and does have the "charm" factor if you don't mind the things I mentioned above.