Traveling over Christmas is magical. Austria’s snow covered peaks, holiday markets and festive flare provide a mesmerizing experience. But what to do on Christmas Day when most of the country is also on holiday? How about an alpine spa, nestled in the Otztal mountains? Yes please! Sign me up!

Photo’s were minimal on this day as the majority of the area’s don’t allow photography, especially in the textile free zones. We also left our phones behind the majority of the day and simply relaxed.

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Relax! One Day Holiday

While the spa offers a variety of packages to choose from, we selected the Relax! One Day Holiday package. This got us into all spa areas, gave a discounted rate on Spa Treatments and came with a small food voucher to use at any of their dining areas. We had reserved loungers in a private indoor pool that came with light snacks throughout the day. It was glorious.

After checking in and changing into your swim attire and robe (spa provided robe and slippers) our group of Relaxers received a mini tour and were taken to breakfast. They serve buffet style and have just about anything your heart could possibly desire. Champagne, orange juice, coffee and tea. Mimosa, yes please! Platters full of scrambled eggs, roasted veggies, potatoes, yogurts, breads, pastries, platters laden with fruit, sliced meats and cheeses. Brie, toasts and spreads. Those tomato slices the English are so fond of. Cucumber salad, rice and hard boiled eggs. There was so much food! Plates were piled high all around us as guests happily munched through the offerings.

For those not wanting to drive, there’s a hotel connected to the spa. The rooms rent for a pretty penny, but if one desires to stroll directly from your room to the spa and is willing to pay for that convenience, then more power to you. We were happy to drive in from Innsbruck.

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Spa 3000

Guests from the hotel are automatically granted use of Spa 3000. For those wishing to enjoy its amenities without an overnight stay, the Relax! One Day Holiday package will get you in. This was my personal favorite area. It was peaceful and never too crowded.

There are two floors, the lower contains a pool, the sauna, mineral saunas and showers. It has a tea lounge offering drinks all day. The upper floor offers a variety of loungers and a bar to order food or drinks from. The entire place is surrounded with windows. Very popular and busy at sunset. On the upper floor there are even outdoor individual “baths” overlooking the local mountains, though the water was mildly warm and not even remotely what I’d consider hot.

My favorite place in the entire complex was the steam room where you sat in tiled lounge style seats while enveloped in that ever delightful steam. Especially directly after the mineral shower. Scrub minerals into your skin and walk through three “showers”, one mild, one shockingly frigid and one hot. I never fully made it into the cold one. People are nuts. It may be healthy, but dang is it unpleasant to be doused in arctic waters. You could always tell when someone got hit with the cold water. Their shrieking squeal could be heard throughout the whole floor.

The lower area of Spa 3000 is a textile free zone. If one is squeamish about bodies, maybe not the best place for you. That being said, no one’s strolling around tall and proud in their birthday suit. Everyone wore their robes unless entering a pool, bath, steam room, sauna. Children are not permitted for rather obvious reasons.

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Aqua Dome Pools

Famed for their pools, they are by far the most busy. It is relatively inexpensive for a day pass to the pools. They are teaming with people and children. Consequently, pretty loud. There’s a main indoor pool with loungers on a first come first serve basis. There are even multiple floors to select loungers from, all with views overlooking the indoor pool. This pool connects to a lazy river that takes one to the outdoor pools. There are three main elevated pools. One offers salt water, one massage and the other a sulfur pool if I remember correctly.

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Sauna World

Sauna World is a textile free zone. Before one imagines nudists galavanting around, think nudes in robes. Fluffy white robes. And they offer “sauna towels” to wear if one prefers not to let it all hang out. There’s a healthy mix of free and covered within.

There’s a plethora of sauna’s offering a variety of heat levels from mildly warm and pleasant to thinking you just might suffocate it’s so stinking hot. To be fair, I prefer steam rooms. Dry sauna’s make me feel as if my sinuses are going to crack open and my nose and lungs ache. So, meh for me.

One dry sauna had an essential oil treatment that was interesting. Drums of water poured in the center at intervals causing the heat to ramp up. It had two levels of seating. We chose the lower level and I can’t imagine how hot the upper was. You’ll sweat in that one for sure.

There are also a few pools to utilize in the Sauna area, with varied temperatures as well as a restaurant. Textiles must be worn in the restaurant, or at least your robe and slippers. We had a lovely dinner here overlooking a pool. Gnocchi for me and Doug chose a burger .

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Spa Treatments

The spa offers all traditional treatments. It’s by the gym area if one wants to work out. (Eww. Why would I want to do that on a relax day?) We chose a couples massage. The ladies were lovely and the massages felt amazing. Afterwards you’re instructed to sit, stay, relax and have a refreshing drink. They gave us Prosecco. Yum. Always thought water was the go to after a massage but hey, when offered Prosecco take it. We did have water too.

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Twelve hours after our arrival, we packed up and headed back to Innsbruck. It’s about an hour drive. I was awake for part of it. Something about a car ride puts me to sleep.

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