The welcome From the outside, Schloss Velden is the ultimate fairy-tale castle. I arrive late on a February night after it has been snowing for 24 hours. There is at least two feet of soft snow framing the Schönbrunn yellow walls of the legendary Renaissance building and the frozen lake. The scene is pure Disney. Once inside though, there is no mistaking its current usage. A uniformed bellboy escorts me through corridors full of serious art and avant garde sculptures and into the modern wing where my room is. Ten minutes later the phone rings and a man wonders if there is anything I would like. The restaurant is closed but they agree to send up a bowl of soup.
The neighbourhood The hotel sits on the banks of Lake Woerth in the Austrian state of Carinthia, within yodelling distance of Italy and Slovenia. The area is dotted with grand summer houses, and at that time of the year the hotel's large waterside Seespitz Terrace positively rocks with holidaymakers enjoying "Austria's Rivieria". Extraordinarily, given how close it is to several ski resorts, the winter season is the quietest. Both the town and the hotel are at pains to change this, and the arrival of a large casino with conference facilities may well be the catalyst. Klagenfurt, the capital of Carinthia, a charming 12th-century town with a series of narrow lanes and inner courtyards, is close by. It has twice been awarded the Europa Nostra diploma for exemplary preservation of old towns.
The room I am staying in one of the Capella rooms, a junior suite. The bedroom and sitting area are divided by an open fireplace visible from both sides. I adore fires, but my excitement is dampened when the bellboy advises against using it. He says it needs a special sort of log, and even then smokes up the room. It is not the only example of design triumphing over practicality. It is impossible to fill the kettle from the designer basins in the fabulous marble bathroom, there is nowhere obvious to plug in the hair dryer in sight of a mirror, and every time I run a bath it splashes onto the blinds. The TV screen directly above the bath is very nice until the inevitable happens - and no, the remote is not as waterproof as it looks. But these are small niggles; I absolutely love my room with its delicious bed, comfy sofas, floor-to-ceiling windows and private balcony.
The service Superb, with the occasional personal touch. A printout of The National hangs on my door every morning. Staff are warm and attentive, particularly the maître d' in the Schlossstern restaurant. Instead of a concierge, there is a "personal assistant" - a nice, if slightly gimmicky, touch. The scene Schloss Velden has for 400 years been a haunt of the rich and famous, initially as a private home and then as a hotel, with a few other interruptions in between. The hotel was bought (by the industrialist Gunter Sachs) and closed in 1992. It re-opened only three years ago under new ownership and the Capella management, after a massive renovation. In the summer it is packed with businessmen and their families enjoying the lake and the mountains. In the winter, Italians in particular come for a weekend break. There is also a steady flow of tourists curious to see the setting of a long-running German and Austrian TV series, Ein Schloss am Worthersee (A Castle on Lake Woerth).
The food There are two main restaurants, the Seespitz, located on the shore of the lake, and the gourmet Restaurant Schlossstern, where the German chef Silvio Nickol has won two Michelin stars and three out of four possible Gault-Millau bonnets with his highly imaginative fare. A three-course meal - Carinthian salmon, souffléed medallion of venison with blini potato and savoy cabbage on Rouennaise sauce, and manjari - molleaux on a ragout of caramelised fruits and a cappuccino of Tahitian vanilla-bean - with two "greetings from the kitchen" (making it five courses), costs €69 (Dh342). The breakfast buffet offers local breads, cheeses and meats, as well as a range of fruit and every type of egg. The poached eggs are particularly beautiful, coming in a glass on a bed of sauteed mushrooms. Breakfast at the Seespitz is also excellent with its large, fresh buffet, and dinner in the Schlossstern is simply sensational.
Loved Skiing in Gelitzen, a 20-minute drive away, and returning to the luxury of Schloss instead of some uncomfortable ski chalet. The seven-course vegetarian taster meal I had in Schlossstern rates as one of the best meals I have had in my life. Hated I was disappointed with my Moon massage - a light treatment that is a speciality of Auriga, the otherwise terrific spa. The spa treatments have been developed with the Organic Pharmacy - in my view one of the the best product lines in the world. However, the moon phase treatments, which cost €280 per session (Dh,380), have been introduced by Auriga as an "exclusive", according to the special flow of the tides and are only offered during the corresponding phase of the Moon. The new moon treatment helps you to refocus and reflect, the waxing moon treatment brings creative energy, the full moon treatment provides harmony and balance and the waning moon treatments have a cleansing and detoxifying effect. Different oils and massages are used for each. But mumbo jumbo aside, it involved a lot of flaffing about with towels, and very little real massage.
The verdict Lovely to see one of Europe's grand old hotels come back to life with such style and high-quality service.
The bottom line Double rooms cost from €275 (Dh1,288) during low season (January 13 until Easter) and from €450 (Dh2,108) during high season (July 2 until September 11 and the Christmas period). All prices include breakfast and taxes. Schloss Velden, a Capella Hotel, Schlosspark 1, 9220 Velden, Austria (www.schlossveldencapella.com; 00 43 4274 52888).
