Zell am See, Salzburg region
Grandhotel Zell am See
Setting
The Grandhotel stands on its own peninsula in the middle of Lake Zell, on the Esplanade and a few minutes' walk from the town centre. The water is right there: the house has its own lake access with a private beach. Zell am See airfield (LOWZ) is around 4.6 kilometres away, about ten minutes by transfer. The Schmittenhöhe cable car and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski area are both a short drive away.
History & architecture
Built on the peninsula between 1884 and 1886 as the Hotel am See, the house reopened in 1896 as the Grandhotel am See. During the Belle Époque it was an address for ministers, industrialists and aristocrats. After war damage and two major fires, ski instructor Franz Gramshammer bought the ruin in 1955 for the symbolic price of one schilling and rebuilt it; after the flood of 1965 it was reconstructed once more in its original style. The Holleis family has owned the house since 1995 and modernises it continuously. In 2026 the Grandhotel marked its 130th anniversary. From the outside, the white building with its green shutters remains what it has always been: a ship lying above the water.
Rooms & suites
The four-star-superior house has around 130 individually furnished rooms and suites, nearly all with lake views. This trip is booked in the Superior double room of about 30 m², with balcony and a view across the lake. Above it come the Lake Residence (30 m²), the Wellness Deluxe double room (42 m²), the Junior Suite (45 m²), the Kaiser Franz Josef Suite (55 m²) and the Grand Suite and Grand Suite Deluxe at 60 m² each with their own sauna. The largest category is the Empress Elisabeth Suite at 85 m². Junior suites and suites are bookable for a supplement on request.
Dining
Dinner is served in the Kaisersaal or in the Belvedere overlooking the lake, with two panelled parlours for a smaller setting. The Seebar sits right at the water, the Imperial café bar inside the house. Since 2020 the Pinzga Bräu has been brewing in its own lakeside garden. The Grand Gourmet half board includes breakfast, an afternoon snack and dinner with menus that change daily.
Wellness & sport
The Family Classic Spa has a panoramic indoor pool with lake views, a textile sauna area with a quiet room, a gym and, in summer, direct access to the lake and the private beach with its lawn. On the fourth and fifth floors lies the GRANDSPA, opened in 2008 and reserved for guests aged 16 and over: a Finnish sauna at 85 to 90 degrees with views of lake and mountains, a brine steam bath, a herbal sauna, an infrared cabin and a Turkish steam bath, plus quiet areas, a gym of its own and a large spa terrace. Massages and beauty treatments are bookable on request.
Around the hotel
In summer, boat trips and stand-up paddling start right outside the door, with hiking, mountain biking and golf nearby; the Zell am See – Kaprun summer card is included in the stay. In winter the house sits on the Zell am See – Saalbach Hinterglemm – Leogang – Fieberbrunn ski area, with snowshoeing and cross-country skiing alongside. The Zell am See casino is next door, and the hotel arranges classic and sports cars on request.
