Salzburg: Goldener Hirsch v. Schloss Fuschl
 

There was a previous post in the SPG forum however its been discontinued...does anyone have any advice on which hotel - Goldener Hirsch v. Schloss Fuschl? We are thinking of doing in December 2020.

Any advice would be appreciated

We’re actually booked at Goldener Hirsch for a stay in December and hoping travel is safe by then. We chose it because we wanted to be in town with easy access to sites and Xmas market. Schloss Fuschl is quite a bit out of town, which is fine if that’s what you want.

Yeah, really apples and oranges. What is the intended purpose of the trip? If it is to see the actual town and do Christmas markets, etc., then stay in town at the GH...

Try both.

Did that on Feb and enjoy it very much.

Hi

As a Bavarian who was born close to Salzburg I need to say that both hotels/ locations are not really a comparison.

Goldener Hirsch is directly in the historic center of Salzburg (Getreidegasse) close to Mozart's birthplace and in the middle of X-Mas markets in December. Fuschl is where I go if I like to have a swim in summer (due to the Fuschl-See) and it's one of the nicest lakes in Austra (and cleanest - but you can drink the water of all Austrian mountain lakes). Having said that, Fuschl is definitely not a hub location for Salzburg (it will take you at least 45min one way to go there, with very limited public transport in between).

As others said, it's either doing both for several days or if you are a first time visitor to Salzburg, I would stay at Goldener Hirsch.

If I go to Salzburg, I stay in the Sheraton - it's closer to the main station, and Getreidegasse can be overrun by tourists so the hotel might be a bit loud. Never stayed there though.

Salzburg is magical during winter and CoVid numbers are extremely low in Austria, so if you can make it to Austria, you'll definitely enjoy.

I stayed at the Goldener Hirsch during the Salzburg Festival last year after it had come off its total renovation. In a nutshell: while the property itself is characterful and beautifully restored, I thought their service was supercilious and distant, and didn't enjoy it at all. The location is good if you want to be in the middle of the city, but Getreidegasse was truly - as mentioned by @Duck1981 - painfully overrun with tourists and always busy. We drove by the Schloss Fuschl and I'd definitely stay there next time given its spectacular setting, but I would also recommend the Sheraton. It's across the Salzach River but still a very short walk to the Altstadt, has been decently renovated and seemed more down-to-earth than the haughty Goldener Hirsch.

I adore Austria. You'll enjoy it, even in the depths of winter.

khabah

Agree. The only people who stay at the GH are foreign tourists with money to spare. Getreidegasse is so crowded and noisy that rooms that face the street cannot have their windows open at night. It’s a shame, actually. 30 years ago it was much more authentic.

Goldener Hirsch is a relatively noisy and expensive hotels in the city center (Getreidegasse) which is of course convenient.

Schloss Fuschl is really great - IF you love that sort of thing and have transportation ready.

Is the consensus still that the Sheraton is better than the Goldener Hirsch? Looking for a late July/early August stay.

I still remember the comment in the Let's Go Europe book (student travel guide IIRC by Harvard students) that the advantage of staying in the Sheraton is that you don't see it from your window.

IMO it's a long walk from the Sheraton/train station to things of interest in Salzburg. A compromise might be an outpost of the Sacher-Torte hotel in Vienna that's located across the river from the Altstadt.

I have never been at all charmed by Schloss Fuschl as I've seen the lobby packed, with long lines for the front desk, and tour buses in front of the entrance. This is not what I want for a LC hotel experience, regardless of the pleasant setting, which is some distance from Salzburg.

I stayed at the Sheraton over spring break 3 years ago and loved it despite it being a ways out of town. We didn’t have a car, but we managed to make it work with the public bus system although I was always quite nervous about missing the stop, as at that point stops are very far apart and busses only come by once or twice an hour (can’t remember exactly). We went into the city a couple days and to Hallstatt to the salt mine another. I don’t think there was a good option, at least not on points, in Salzburg at the time, so if there is now I’d do that for exploring the city and the Sheraton for a couple nights to enjoy the mountains and lakes.

It sounds like you may be referring to the now-closed Sheraton Jagdhof near the Fuschl, as opposed to the Sheraton Grand Salzburg which is in Salzburg proper.

I would say so - Goldener Hirsch is in my opinion not worth the premium given how old, small and dated the place is (and loud).

As others said, the Sheraton is maybe not the most beautiful property and the lobby/ restaurant are a bit dated, but they have now (at least when I was there last time early 2020) several floors/ rooms completely refurbished.

Its right in the middle between main station and the old town, but you can walk it in 10mins through a nice park (Mirabellengarten) so I would say it is conveniently located.

Or head to the river and walk along the bank with some amazing views. I really like the Sheraton and think the staff there are great.

I'd avoid the Goldener Hirsch simply due to its location in the Getreidegasse. In the height of tourist seasons, the crowds are oppressive and generally loud into the late evening. It's like a carnival midway of humanity.

Salzburg is beautiful, especially hidden alleys and the areas on the outer areas of the city center in my opinion. Consider staying on the other side of the Salzach River from the Altstadt (the Steingasse is actually the oldest part of the city). Sheraton and Crown Plaza are good options. On the Linzergasse you'll find many small, independent hotels run by local families for decades or centuries in some cases. These have far more character, are quieter, and easily walkable to the Altstadt. Save your Marriott points for another city.