5 WONDERFUL Spa and Wellness Hotels in Salzburg
Explorer’s note: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a booking through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep providing tours and top-notch travel advice.
Did you know that Salzburg is not just steeped in history, culture, and beauty but also a destination for spa and wellness? As someone who loves spas, I can attest that Salzburg offers some of the best spa experiences in Austria. From the luxurious Hotel Gmachl to the intimate Hotel Gerl and the all-inclusive Laschenskyhof, the five wellness hotels in Salzburg I picked for this article will leave you feeling rejuvenated.
Before diving into my hotel recommendations, I want to note that the options I suggest in this article (except for the Mönchstein) are just outside Salzburg and are best suited for a retreat or romantic getaway. While they offer great wellness amenities, they may not be the most convenient choice for those primarily interested in sightseeing. I recommend visiting the popular Paracelsusbad sauna in Salzburg, which I frequent weekly. If your priority is sightseeing, I suggest staying in a hotel in the old town of Salzburg and visiting the sauna during your free time in the afternoon or evening.
The Best Spa and Wellness Hotels in Salzburg
That being said, the spa packages offered by the wellness hotels in Salzburg are diverse and cater to all types of guests. Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway with your significant other or a relaxing spa day with your besties, these hotels have something for everyone.
Genussdorf Gmachl: Where Alpine Dreams Come True
For seven generations, the Gmachl family, owners of the Hotel Gmachl, has welcomed spa guests from all over the world. It’s one of the most firmly-established wellness hotels in Salzburg. Gmachl is also nicknamed Genussdorf, meaning “enjoyment village” in German.
The hotel calls a 600-year-old building home. Its grounds in the hills of Bergheim, 7 kilometers from the old town, offer guests stunning views of the Alps and days filled with the songs of birds in the air.
The spa experience here is the stuff that Alpine dreams are made of. Although the area boasts adrenaline-boosting activities, like mountain biking and running, the draw of the spa and all its amenities is enough to coax even the most ambitious to stay behind and play in the pools.
Guests spend the mornings in the rooftop spa, lounging on comfy recliners and reading the Tagespost between trips to the sauna and the rooftop water oasis. Down below in the garden pond, reeds reflect on tranquil waters as couples steal some time on a dock. It’s a quiet time for them and a lively time for their kids, who splash in the cool waters of the natural pool at the dock’s edge.
The creme de la creme spa experience comes when you make a reservation in this Salzburg hotel’s spa, aptly named the Private Spa. Couples who reserve this room find a whirlpool and sauna, a waterbed, and even massage options await them in this private spa area.
Hotel Gerl: Bespoke Spa Experience
From best friends’ coffee time to the time-together classic, this hotel’s spa boasts a fantastic variety of spa packages. Each is a private experience filled with the sights and scents of luxury. Hotel Gerl is a more modern, less traditional setting in the fields near Salzburg airport but also a more budget-friendly option than the previously mentioned Gmachl.
Spa visitors fall into two primary categories: couples who want to share an intimate spa day together and girlfriends and sisters who wish to pamper themselves in the company of their besties. That said, any hotel guest can partake in the spa experience.
Inside the spa, private couches encourage conversation and tea-time chats, while an assortment of fresh and dried fruits offer a sweet remedy to afternoon hunger. Most spa packages last about four hours, though that can vary. Some experiences begin with a hearty breakfast at the hotel’s buffet before introducing guests to a menu of activities that includes a Finnish sauna, steam baths, coffee peelings, infrared treatments, and even options for personal massage.
It is also among the wellness hotels in Salzburg that offer specialty massages, like hot stone massage and Lomi Lomi Nui Hawaiian massage. Guests of the private spa are invited to enjoy the hotel’s pools or spend the morning doing yoga and other onsite activities. The hotel even offers a bespoke spa experience, allowing guests to mix and match spa treatments to create their ideal day at the spa.
Mönchstein: Most Luxurious Castle Hotel & Spa
Given the history of the city, incredible is all in a day’s work at wellness hotels in Salzburg. This is particularly true when your work involves catering to spa guests in one of Austria’s most illustrious former castles, Mönchstein. Mönchstein is not only the best castle hotel in Austria but was officially awarded the title of “best castle hotel in the world”.
As you can imagine, that comes with a price tag. The Mönchstein is also one of the most expensive hotels in Salzburg, and with the Glass Garden houses a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Mönchstein, unlike the other wellness hotels in Salzburg, is located in the city center but away from the hustle and bustle on Mönchsberg mountain, one of the two city mountains surrounding and overlooking the old town.
A day at the Mönchstein spa includes weather permitting, a swim in the outdoor infinity pool. For twilight lovers, this might mean a relaxing float under an expanse of stars. For fun-in-the-sun types, it’s all sun all the time, punctuated by the sublime service of ala cart drinks and snacks. Life in the City of Mozart doesn’t get much better than this.
Complimentary bathrobes, slippers, and towels warm guests up after their swim. If that doesn’t do the trick, then a dip in the whirlpool or a visit to the sauna does the job nicely. When it’s time to recover from a long workout in the hotel’s fitness room, a deep massage remedies sore muscles. Thai massage, Tibetan herbal stamp massage, and the house specialty, Mönchstein massage work the knots and the cares of the day away from tired muscles.
Note: You can access the spa at Hotel Mönchstein even if you’re not a hotel guest. For a fee of €75,-, you can also visit as a day guest. A 50-minute treatment package can reduce that fee to €40,-. This makes Mönchstein spa a more exclusive alternative to the public spa at Paracelsusbad I mentioned earlier. During the winter months, Paracelsusbad can get crowded.
Laschenskyhof: Family-Owned Wellness Hotel
The Laschenskyhof is a proper down-to-earth Austrian hotel for a more authentic, rural experience but also one of the best wellness hotels in Salzburg. Hotel Laschenskyhof offers guests a complete spa package from fitness centers to natural ponds. A heated swimming pool ensures guests can take a dip, whether the sun sits high in the sky or gentle snowflakes flutter down through the misty air.
For those who want a more natural swimming experience, the natural pool beckons. Warm flat rocks and lush green grass invite sunbathers to spend a lazy afternoon soaking up Vitamin D.
Spa visitors who have spent time playing in the hills around Salzburg will appreciate the hotel Laschenskyhof’s saunas. They’re a tonic for sore muscles. Guests can enjoy either a Finnish sauna or the organic Swiss pine sauna. A steam bath tops the experience, allowing any excess tension to melt away in the heat of the water.
A refreshing sip of herbal tea or fruit juice from the Vital Bar infuses the body with comforting and healing nutrients that end the spa experience on a high note. This spa hotel in Salzburg also offers pampering of the cosmetic kind. Manicures, pedicures, and facials coax a woman’s interior beauty to the surface of her skin. It’s a perfect indulgence before a trek out to one of Salzburg’s many cultural attractions.
All of this is to be expected, of course. The owners of the hotel boast generations of experience. The Laschensky family have been hoteliers for centuries – since at least the early 1800s. It’s not an exaggeration to say that warm hospitality is a large part of their DNA.
Schloss Fuschl: Escape to the Beauty of Lake Fuschlsee
Schloss Fuschl is the stuff that fairy tales are made of. Sitting on the banks of Lake Fuschlsee in the Salzkammergut Lake District, this castle-turned-resort dates back to the 15th century. Given the setting of Schloss Fuschl, this Salzburg hotel’s spa experience extends beyond the hotel’s walls and into the wooded hills surrounding the castle.
Fuschlsee is half an hour from Salzburg and a great day trip destination for a relaxed walk around the lake, but Schloss Fuschl, other than the previous picks of Wellness hotels in Salzburg, is outside of Salzburg.
Inside the hotel, spa guests bask in the beauty of the glacier lake from one of the spa’s decks. Pristine natural waters pour into the spa’s lap pool. Seasoned massage therapists knead away the cares of the world as cool breezes from the lake flow in through the windows. Luxury private dinners and time spent by a swan-decorated lake await spa guests when their spa experience is done.
***As of this writing, Schloss Fuschl, formerly a Marriott Hotel, is closed for renovations. It’s slated to open again in September of 2023 under the Rosewood banner as an ultra-luxury hotel resort.
According to a press release by Rosewood hotels, the new space will include an “integrative well-being concept, with eight treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a fitness center.” Given its long history and breathtaking settings, it’s likely to be a fairy tale experience for the 21st century.
My Recommendation for Wellness Hotels in Salzburg
While the above mentions are the best wellness hotels in Salzburg, there are two more options I would like to add. One I already mentioned is picking any of the hotels in the old town and visiting a public spa-like Paracelsusbad or the day spa at Hotel Mönchstein for a more exclusive experience. That comes with a significantly lower price tag and adds convenience when it comes to sightseeing.
The other option is to venture further to the south of Salzburg and into the Alps, where you find an even more pristine setting and many more options for wellness hotels in Salzburg Land (the province of Salzburg). There are too many offers in those places for me to claim expertise, but towns worth looking into include Bad Gastein, Zell am See, Leogang, and Obertauern.
