Refueling my batteries and getting new energies is once in a while on my schedule and what could be a better choice than indulging into a spa resort with girlfriends for a couple of days! Especially at the end or the beginning of a year a relaxation stay away from it all definitely refreshens body and mind.

This time we choose to spend a long weekend at Austrian Jungbrunn resort in Tannheimer Tal which was recommended to me several times. The moment you step into that stunning hotel and hold your Prosecco in your hand you get a first feel for the friendly hospitality and know that your choice was totally right. Somebody immediately takes care of your luggage while you grab a plate from their wonderful midday salad buffet, you’ll get your little basket with towels and bathrobe and the relaxation starts right away.  

The style of the resort is Alpine chic, which usually is not my taste, but totally fits the Austrian mountain world and the surroundings of the hotel: a lot of wood, silver venison sculptures on the wall, deer skins, loden, warm colours, red and white chequered bed linen and all team members wear beautiful traditional costumes in the same look and feel that they are changing daily. We stayed at the cozy “Schwalbennest” appartment which offers two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a comfortable seating area, a little balcony and has just the right size for a party of three.

As the hotel offers half board you may choose between three restaurants in the evening and I am just unable to say which one was the best as they are all outstanding. Whether you go for the delicious six courses at the Kulinarium, the modern Tyrolean cuisine at the Wirthaus or the Grill offering meat, fish or vegetable you certainly won’t be disappointed. Just make sure to book your choice of restaurant before arrival as Wirtshaus and Grill need to be reserved ahead. At lunch time they have a salad buffet with one or two warm dishes to bridge your culinary needs between the extensive breakfast buffet and dinner. Very convenient and casual is the fact that you may come here directly from the spa in your bathrobe and don’t need to change – everyone does so.

The highlight of the hotel is of course it’s huge and extremely divers SPA. On 7‘000m² you will find an immense sauna and bathing area as well as private SPA suites in which you may easily leave your everyday life behind. The list of offerings is endless: from the stunning earth sauna, a tepidarium, the steam camomile grotto, a bio sauna, an infrared room, a heated terrazzo outdoor pool, outdoor jacuzzis, solebath and relaxation zones to a natural pond and a 3D mountain view sauna – it’s just hard to decide which one to use first. Here you will also be able to benefit from drinking the water from the alpine spring underneath the building, which is filtered and led through taps to a fountain in the SPA (by the way: the Jungbrunn owes ist name to this spring).

Treatments are divided between the three pillars beauty & care, massage & therapy and Ayurveda and include pneumatic cupping, manual lymph drainage, triggerpoint massages, the East Asian herbal massage Pantai Luar, blue chamomile oil baths just to name a few. The list of treaments is endless and executed by highly professional therapists who definitely know their business extremely well. No wonder the hotel has been honoured with many prestigious awards over the past. As I am a big fan of Ayurveda treatments I was going for the Abhyanga in the Ayurvedic centre which is separated from the usual treatment area. This is a form of massage which uses large amounts of warm oil often pre-medicated with herbs for specific conditions commonly including sesame, coconut, sunflower and almond. For me this treatment is the ultimate essence of relaxation! The whole-body massage is one of the most beneficial and effective forms of Ayurvedic health care and harmoniously combines several techniques that relaxe and vitalize your body at the same time. No wonder Abhyanga in old Indian language means «great oiling with loving hands ». The high-quality oils penetrate deep into the skin for healthy purpose and in addition, the soft touch is very effective to free the head. Just loved it!

In case you still do not have enough after all the spa treatments, you can fill your day with a sports and fitness program. Be it with relaxation courses such as phantasy meditations, autogenic training or Qi Gong, with Tennis lessons or Pilates or with a guided hiking tour to a nearby mountain hut. In the evening the program is rounded off with wine tastings, live music or a DJ in the cozy bar in the basement. I wish I had stayed a whole week to benefit from all of it.

Conclusion: A stunning SPA hotel in which you can let your mind go from the first to the last moment and in which every team member under the highly professional management of the Gutheinz family lives the Jungbrunn philosophy with a lot of enthusiasme and true heartfelt hospitality. I am deeply impressed and will definitely be back!

Hotel Jungbrunn – Alpine Lifestyle Hotel, Oberhöfen 25, A-6675 Tannheim-Tirol, +43 5675 6248, hotel@jungbrunn.at, www.jungbrunn.at