Only a few kilometers from fashionable Ischgl lies Kappl, a family-friendly snow paradise. Here in the Paznaun Valley stands the modern and avantgarde Zhero Hotel with its captivating architecture. We recently visited this Design hotel and let ourselves be delighted gastronomically by, among others, the meat sommelier (!) …
Opened in December 2012, the Zhero Hotel is situated in the Paznaun Valley just outside the village of Kappl and only 4 km from the lifestyle and sports center of Ischgl. The stylish hotel, bearing the logo of a “Design Hotels“, stands out dramatically with its impressive architecture and a façade of glass, wood and stone from the other village buildings.
Design Hotel Zhero
Luxury, comfort, and avantgarde lifestyle sum up the Hotel Zhero philosophy. This is why it offers not only an exclusive designer lounge and bar, but also a luxury boutique and a stylish spa.
Despite a recondite and rather cool interior, you immediately feel at ease thanks to the comfortable furnishings and modern ambiance. In the lounge, the fur throws in front of the fireplace smell pleasantly of cedar wood.
The 78 guest rooms (divided into ten different categories) live up to the highest design standards and are also appointed in noble native materials like wood, stone and glass.
Especially deserving of mention is the bathroom’s open shower! Very special… even if it is a bit profligate with half the water splashing away. But it makes for a more heady sense of freedom when you are under the shower. Or should we say liberating?
Professionally responsible for the interior design is Jens Liebhauser, founder and owner of the Zhero Hotel. You even find pieces of furniture throughout the hotel that are his own creations!
Toque-level Cuisine
A highlight of the hotel is the first-rate dinner. Star chef Klaus Brunmayr uses his 15 years’ experience in Michelin award-winning restaurants for pampering his guests at the highest level.
The restaurant is best known for its grilled specialties. So, there was meat sommelier Salvatore (yes, there really are MEAT sommeliers!!!) to explain just about EVERYTHING about the meats available and select ways of preparing them. Briefly pretending that we were vegetarians was just our way of having a little fun ;-)
On Salvatore’s professional recommendation, we opted for a T-bone steak from Tyrolean grass-fed cattle.It came with an exquisite red wine sauce and crisp asparagus as the vegetable. Delectable!
But first we let ourselves be transported by exquisite appetizers; a vitello tonnato with tuna on red beets (beetroot) and white tomato foam as well as a delicious lobster salad. Delightful!
Zhero Wellness & Spa
Another highlight at the Zhero is the remarkably stylish spa area with assorted saunas, a steam bath, two Kneipp basins and an indoor pool. Here also, the refined architecture and gentle light from very special lamps are superlatives. It is all somehow reminiscent of the Vals thermal bath.
The Paznaun Valley and its Versatile Ski Areas
The Paznaun Valley is surrounded by impressive 3,000 meter peaks of the Silvretta chain, with many summits and glaciers and a diversity of ski areas. Whether you’re into cross country skiing, carving, ski touring, snow hiking or snowboarding – all your winter sport wishes can come true here.
The Paznaun not only has in it world-famous Ischgl – one of the most popular winter hot spots – featuring a huge number of hotels and gourmet restaurants, not to speak of the first-rate, giant ski area. The Silvretta Arena features more than 230 kilometers of trails, 40 modern ski lifts and also includes the cross-border Swiss Samnauns.
At the legendary Top of the Mountain concert on the Idalp a very special world star is expected this year! None other than Robbie Williams with his complete Big Band on May 3, 2014 will perform before a mountain backdrop without equal! Wow!!! It promises to be an absolute highlight for guests staying in the Silvretta Arena!
A nice-to-know item: The Zhero Hotel provides a free shuttle daily from 08:00 – 23:00 to nearby Ischgl!
If you would rather pass on the Ischgl high life and opt for something more compact and down-to-earth, you’ll feel at home in Kappl. The family-friendly ski area of Sunny Mountain Adventure Park with its 40 kilometers of trails and richly varied take-offs promises a heavenly winter vacation for young and old. The Adventure Park features a variety of beginner lifts especially for the little ones.
Even from Sunny Mountain’s mere 2,690 meter altitude, you can take in a splendid panorama of Tyrolean mountain scenery.
And not to be outdone, top events are presented here as well for your entertainment. For example, Christina Stürmer, currently the most successful Austrian pop singer will appear live on March 16, 2014 in the Kappl ski area.
And for anyone looking for nerve-tingling thrills, on February 22, 2014 the Open Faces Freeride Contest will take place. Well, so break a leg!
It’s not as if the Paznaun offers too little in the way of entertainment, lifestyle and cuisine! The valley, incidentally, has the largest concentration of luxury hotel accommodations and gastronomy in Austria! A visit is well worthwhile in all respects…
This time, our thanks go to…
Beatrice Rössler and Petra Wittmann of PrimCom for brokering and organizing this trip. We also received support from the Paznaun-Ischgl Tourism Association. Many thanks for the hospitality!
Warm thanks also to Team Zhero , most of all meat sommelier Salvatore, Massimiliano, our server, and restaurant manager Michael Rock for the terrific dinner service. What a fine experience!
More images of Hotel Zhero and the Paznaun Valley are in our Flickr photo gallery:
[slickr-flickr search=sets set=”72157640424971616″ type=”gallery”]
For connoisseurs: Here you will find prices and availability for the Zhero Hotel in Kappl.
