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What’s new in the Austrian Tirol for 2014-15

1st September 2014 Print
Chalet Eden Rock, St Anton am Arlberg

As summer seems to get shorter and shorter, the ski resorts start gearing up for another successful winter season. Here’s a snapshot of the latest news for 2014-15 from across the Austrian Tirol region, including new hotels, improvements to ski lift infrastructure and tour operator additions.

New Hotels:

St Anton
The newly built 5* Chalet Eden Rock will open in St Anton am Arlberg in December 2014. Designed by award-winning architects, OFA Group, the property combines a traditional exterior blending effortlessly into the Tirolean landscape, with a luxurious interior featuring contemporary finishing touches. Eden Rock has an indoor pool, steam room and sauna and consists of three chalets, Ariane and Zari, which sleep 6 and Kanzi, which sleeps 8 people. The Chalet Eden Rock is featured by UK tour operators, Supertravel Ski and Interactive Resorts. Prices start from £1299 per person, based on 7 nights on chalet board with Supertravel Ski.

Zillertal
In December 2014, the newly built Aktivhotel Tuxerhof, will open in the resort of Zell am Ziller in the Zillertal. Located directly at the valley station of the Zillertal Arena, the hotel is close to the slopes and the the cross-country trails. The hotel offers 16 rooms and 9 apartments, with prices on B&B starting from €59 – €79 per person per day. tuxer-zillertal.at

The new Sports Residence 4*s in the Erste Ferienregion im Zillertal is scheduled to open on the 6th December 2014, with 21 suites and double rooms, a first-class spa, infinity pool on the roof and offering fine cuisine. schultz-ski.at; sportresidenz-zillertal.at

In Mayrhofen, the resort’s only 5* property, the Hotel Elisabeth, will re-open after extensive remodelling and become the first adults-only hotel in the Zillertal. Prices start from €268.00 per room per day on half board elisabethhotel.com

Obergurgl
To celebrate its 80th anniversary, the Alpen Wellness Resort Hochfirst in Obergurgl will open again in November 2014 as Obergurgl-Hochgurgl’s third 5* property. With a large spa area, indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, sauna’s and steam baths, the focus is as much on the wellness as it is on the fine dining and ski in ski out convenience, with a ski lift next to the hotel. Prices start from €186 per person per day on half board. hochfirst.com

Wildschönau
In the resort of Auffach in the Wildschönau Valley, the newly built Appartementhaus Berg Juwel, will open for the 2014-15 season. Located close to the cable car and giving immediate access to the Ski Juwel ski area, the apartments have been beautifully furnished and are suitable for allergy sufferers. Prices start from €138 per apartment per day.bergjuweltirol.com

New Lifts and Infastructure:

Ischgl replaces Pardatschgratbahn
The largest investment in Tirol this season is happeing in Ischgl, who are investing €40m (approx. £32m) for the 2014-15 ski season, leading with the replacement of the 24-year-old 4-seater Pardatschgratbahn gondola with a luxury 28-seater tri-cable gondola system. It will be the world’s biggest height difference tri-cable gondola with a 1,251m height difference from the base station in the village up to the Pardatschgrat peak at 2,624m, with no middle station. In just over nine minutes skiers and boarders will be transported from the village to the top station. The new lift will have 31 cabins which have the capacity to transport 2,800 people per hour. This follows last season’s €18.5m (approx. £15m) investment with the opening of the eagerly awaited Piz Val Gronda cablecar, which opened up 100 hectares of freeride skiing and boarding. ischgl.com

SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental investing €23m in upgrades
Across the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental a variety of upgrades and expansions will see Austria’s largest ski area grow to 280km of interconnected slopes, through the creation of a new 1.2km long red run in Brixen. Over in Scheffau the replacement of the 4-seater Aualm chairlift with a brand new hi-tech 8-seater chairlift will ease the journey at busy times between Brixen/Söll and Scheffau/Ellmau/Going. The Panoramarestaurant Bergkaiser above Ellmau has undergone a renovation, whilst snow-making investments have also been made with four piste bashers and more than 25 new snow making facilities. skiwelt.at; wilderkaiser.info

Wasserkar chairlift in Sölden becomes 6-seater
This season in Sölden, in the Ötztal valley, will see the replacement of the 3-seater Wasserkar chairlift with a 6-seater detachable chairlift, with full weather protection hoods. The new valley station for the Wasserkar chairlfit will be positioned a further 560m down the valley, providing an extended black run. soleden.com

New Programmes:

Freeride Camp in Alpbach
Around the Wiedersbergerhorn in Alpbach, there will be a new Freeride Camp for beginners, offering special lessons for competent skiers, who have yet to experience freeriding. The camps will take place on selected periods throughout the season (10th – 18th January, 7th – 14th February and 14th – 21st March) and prices start from €393 per person for 3 nights on B&B and 3 day freeride lessons (4hrs a day) from Sun-Tue or Wed-Fri. Backpack including avalanche equipment is also included. To Book contact the Alpbach Tourist Office info[at]alpbachtal.at, alpbachtal.at

Freeride Weeks in Kitzbühel
After the successful inaugural year, Kitzbühel will once again feature Freeride Weeks (7th – 17th January 2015), which will include free testing of new freeride skis, as well as film screenings and a special backcountry guiding programme.

Go Freestyle and Go Race 
For the second year running, the Tirol Tourist Board will be the destination partner of choice on Snowsport England’s GO SKI GO BOARD national participation campaign. Aimed at getting more people into and back into snowsports, the initiative has brought together a network of England’s indoor and artificial snow slopes to offer value for money, all inclusive ski or snowboard sessions. In its first year over 10,000 people participated in a one off ‘TRY’ ski or snowboard session or a six hour GO SKI GO BOARD course. This year Snowsport England are launching two new elements with the GO RACE GO FREESTYLE, along the same lines that they get a 6hr course (ideally over 6 weeks) for an all-inclusive price, but focussing on skiing gates or trying the jumps and rails in the park. GO RACE GO FREESTYLE will be launched at a media event on Tuesday 23rd September at the Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead – all media are invited. goskigoboard.org.uk.

Tirol is home to 33 terrain parks across the region, including well-known names like the Vans Penken Park in Mayrhofen to emerging stars like the KPark in Kühtai. This season the Snowpark Obergurgl will feature an easy and medium line and in Fendels in Kaundertal there will be a new slopestyle park.

Tour Operator News:

Momentum Ski is offering a once in a lifetime skeleton bobsleigh experience with Olympic Gold Medallist Amy Williams. Taking place in Igls, near Innsbruck, participants will have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of tackling a World Cup Skeleton track under the watchful eye of Amy, who will be on hand to offer support and guidance throughout. Taking place from the 13th -15th December 2014, packages start from £1500 per person to include 2 nights accommodation in the 5* Grand Hotel Europa, 2 dinners with Amy including welcome drinks and wines, private transfer from Innsbruck airport, transfers to and from Igls, the Skeleton track day experience and coaching with Williams, lunch and one Bobsleigh taxi ride. momentumski.com/skeleton

Inghams (inghams.co.uk) has introduced three new Tirolean resorts to its programme, Scheffau in the Wilder Kaiser, St Johann in the Kitzbühler Alps and Oberperfuss, just 20 minutes from Innsbruck airport, featuring as an Inghams-exclusive learn to ski resort. Prices start from £699 per person for an all-inclusive package with accommodation, flights, ski school, lift pass and equipment hire.

Crystal Ski (crystalski.co.uk) has introduced the resort of Nauders to its winter programme for 2014-15. The resort lies at 1300m in the west of Austria and benefits from a solid early and late season, good value and it’s even possible to ski three countries from the resort (Austria, Italy and Switzerland). The properties featured are all 4* or above and prices start from £579 per person at the 4* Hotel Erika.

Luxury ski specialists snow-wise (snow-wise.com) will offer stays in Ischgl this season and has expanded its hotel offering in St Anton for 2014-15. Prices at the Art Hotel Elizabeth, Ischgl start from £1895 per person and at the Alte Post in St Anton from £1595 per person. Both prices include scheduled flights, private transfers and half board.

Supertravel Ski (supertravel.co.uk/ski) will offer the newly-built, Chalet Eden Rock in St Anton this coming season.

Zenith Holidays (zenithholidays.co.uk) has introduced the resort of Soelden to its programme for 2014-15, as well as the ultimate wellness hotel, the 4* Aquadome in Längenfeld.

For 2014-15 Neilson (neilson.co.uk) will focus on pre-bookable ‘Private tuition and Specialist Ski clinics’, operated by local ski schools. In Niederau there’s the option for Freetsyle and Carving clinics, in Mayrhofen there’s an off-piste adventure day, in Sölden freestyle clinics and a Teenager’s Freestyle camp is on offer and in Söll a ‘Ski Safari’ day is available.

Ramblers Worldwide Holidays (ramblersholidays.co.uk) has launched its first Winter Spirit brochure for 2014-15, dedicated solely to winter walking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing and Christmas markets. Its offering in the Austrian Tirol includes cross-country skiing in the Stubai Valley and downhill skiing staying in Ried, with access to six skiing areas.

Kaluma Travel (kalumatravel.co.uk) will have a new chalet in St Anton this winter, the Chalet Narnia, which will suit families with 6 bedrooms, sleeping 12 people but is equally suitable for groups. Lead-in prices are from £11,040 (lowest season) - £17,280 (at New Year), excluding travel.

Ski Total (skitotal.com) has added a new property in Ischgl, the Chalet Belmonte in Ischgl. Branded as an Xtra Chalet, this chalet will include ‘Xtras’, such as a full resident’s bar service, cakes and savouries at afternoon tea, rosé wine and a local cheeseboard, to top off the chalet dining experience.

Esprit Ski (espritski.com) will introduce specially designated Baby And Toddler Weeks, which will operate in all Tirolean resorts on the weeks 11, 18, 25 Jan, 1 & 22 February. Parents will welcome the BAT-Week savings of up to £479 per family, with free infant places and half-price Esprit Child Care during these weeks.

For more information on the Tirol region visittirol.co.uk or keep updated at facebook.com/visittirol.

More Photos - Click to Enlarge

Chalet Eden Rock, St Anton am Arlberg Sport Residenz Zillertal Freeride Kitzbuhel Vans Penken Mayrhofen