11/08/08 Family vacation at InterAlpen Hotel in Austria:

Looking to take advantage of our current location here in Germany, we decided to take a long weekend and take Baxley on his first "international trip". We found a beautiful 5 star hotel located in the Austrian Alps. The InterAlpen Hotel is a beautiful mix of old Austrian style and some very modern luxuries! And being only a 5hr drive from our house, it was the perfect spot for a weekend getaway!!!

The trip there was a bit difficult as all the German Autobahns end about 25km from the Austrian border. From that point through the Alps we had to take local roads which wound their ways through a number of tiny little villages. In the beginning it was a nice distraction from the normal drone of an autobahn, but after awhile one tiny village began to look just like the next.
; P

To add to the driving difficulties the main thoroughfare used in our GPS calculations was closed and we had to make some additional treks on the narrow winding roads through the Alps at night. But once we arrived at the hotel the difficult drive was quickly forgotten.

Pulling into the hotel you sorta feel like you're driving through someone's living room. The check-in counterr is very nicely prepared in the middle of the parking garage, complete with ornate wood carvings and carpeted greeting area. You unload your bags and ride the elevator up to the front desk.

At the front desk you are greeted by a very curtious staff wearing local Austrian-style dress (which can also be purchased as soviners from the hotel store). Your female guests will receive a seasonal flower as a greeting and thank you for their stay.

We scored a great off-season package deal which included a free room upgrade. So we had more than enough space to enjoy ourselves.

The dinners served in the restaraunt are a fine dining affair. There is a dress code so be prepared with suit and tie. The 7 course meal was very filling. I have to say that the food was just a little dissapointing, but only by grading it on the hotel's 5 star rating. The seven courses were taking too long for Baxley's liking, so we had to finish the entre and dessert in our room. The staff was more than helpful in delivering and setting up for our room service.

The bed was super comfortable and after the long drive it was a perfect ending to the day.

The next morning the breakfast buffet was on par with the hotel's 5 star rating. No cmplaints!

We were able to spend the day relaxing and checking out the hotel. Yasuyo was scheduled for a skin peel and massage also included in the weekend package. So Baxley and I hung out for a bit at the bar drinking and smoking cigars while Yasuyo enjoyed being pampered... ok, Baxley and I weren't really at the bar.
; P

The hotel had an indoor/outdoor pool, plus a number of saunas and other thearuputic baths and massages. The mountains surrounding the hotel were not yet capped in snow, but still very enjoyable to look at none-the-less.

The hotel also has horse stables for rides through the woods, a playground for the kids, mountain bike rentals, and plenty of other seasonal activities to include cross-country skiing.

All in all the InterAlpen was exactly what we were looking for and was a great time! It was very hard to leave all that comfort behind...

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