Austria ski hotel with baby/toddler

[slidingsideways]

After having a baby we've had a couple of years of no snow holiday but we're desperate to go next winter. DS will be around 21 months when we plan to go end of Feb 25. He has his first snowboard all ready to go! So many people told me that having a baby changes everything and we wouldn't be able to snowboard as much. It will be different for sure but I'm excited for our new family of 3 trips!

We love Austria (and apres ski) and would like to find some accommodation that includes some childcare for his age group, won't break the bank, is close to the resort and lifts, and is in a lively resort (Ischgl, Solden, Schladming, Saalbach are some of our favourites. Would also consider some resorts in Italy). So not asking for much . At his age he won't be having lessons but I'm sure will have fun playing in the snow.

Would love some recommendations for great hotels that would fit the bill, and would very much appreciate if you could share your top tips for snow holidays with toddlers! Thanks so much x

A "Kinderhotel" would fit the bill as these are aimed solidly at families with children and have all of the facilities that you need. Since you mention Saalbach-Hinterglemm, you could look at the Ellmauhof in Hinterglemm, but there are dozens of other "Kinderhotels" in the Austrian ski resorts.

Thankyou @Havanananana, yes the Kinderhotels look great, but the price for a week is €6300 in Saalbach for the three of us. It's a lot more than we usually spend. That does include childcare but not lift passes for adults. But worth considering as facilities are great.

Saalbach is going to be more expensive than usual this coming winter as it is the venue for the 2025 skiing World Championships in February.

There are Kinderhotels all over Austria and many other hotels that are also geared towards families and there are many smaller, less expensive resorts such as Lofer or Rauris. Search for the threads on MN about first-time family ski holidays.

Yeah I know about the World Cup, that finishes on the 16th though and I was looking at the week of the 22nd or 29th, although I'm sure there will be some uplift in prices for the whole period before and after.

I had a look at other ski topics but didn't find quite what I was looking for, hence the question. Was hoping for some more specific recommendations for hotels that are particularly baby friendly as opposed to older kids as there is a lot of choice. Thanks for replying, appreciate your tips

We went to Felsenhof in Flachau one trip. They had childcare on site although mine were 6 and 3 at the time, they weren't keen. I wouldn't have wanted to leave a younger child there but I know needs must when you want to get on the slopes. Snowspace Salzburg area ain't no Ischgl of course (always loved ischgl) but we've never really had bad snow even though it is not that high.

Yes price is quite expensive.

What we did when ours were young was take grandparents to look after the toddler and stayed in an apartment. He wouldn't have had a bar of the child care anyway abd would have been crying. It was a tough couple of years but we got through it.

He's still too young now but once he's coming up for 4 years I'd recommend putting them in ski school. My husband and I are both snowboarders but decided it was best they were able to ski properly first before learning to snowboard. It took a lot of perseverance and endless bags of sweeties to get them to love the snow and mountains as much as we do but we are finally there. It took my oldest no time at all to pick up snowboarding when he was 10 1/2

The felsenhof was also suitable for babies from age 1 I think they were used to doing naps etc

100% a kinderhotel. Ellmauhof is wonderful for babies and toddlers and basically all inclusive for adults and children and all day childcare with fun activities but there are plenty of others slightly less luxurious that are a bit cheaper. Just make sure it's one aimed at the baby/toddler market as some kinderhotels are aimed at the primary age up and don't have brilliant baby facilities.

@NoKnit
I’m looking for a ski holiday with all inclusive childcare.
When did you go to Felsenhof? I’m wondering if it’s going to be good snow at the end of March or if it’s too low?
Was the skiing good?

@slidingsideways whwre did you end of booking? I’m trying to find something now for the end of March and Felsenhof looks good although I’m worried the snow might not be good then.

@Superwomann no we still haven't booked but planning to end of the month/beginning of March! So a little last minute. Have been worrying less about it the hotels and looking for resorts with good kids areas with magic carpets and a restaurant nearby we can set up camp in, and finding a hotel that's convenient to pop back for naps if we need to (and that's just for me haha think this is going to be a very different holiday). Are you going away this winter?

@Superwomann sorry I realised yes you said maybe Felsenhof - is that Flachau? We're considering Schladming (been before and liked it), Nassfeld, Zell am See or possibly Bad Gastein but the steep hills in the resort are putting me off a bit from carrying a toddler and all our gear up and down them!

We go every year to that area in January and have never really had bad conditions. We were actually at Felsenhof early March (it was 2020 just before Corona) and then the snow was OK.

I personally think anywhere end of March could be a bit risky for snow but it depends on what you define good/bad snow as.

I'm not sure about the reality of going back to the hotel for naps and then going back out to ski afterwards to be honest. Mine are well past the naps time but I'm not sure it would have worked going to nap and then back out to ski

I think when it comes to end of March conditions it just comes down to luck - I've been that time of year and could hardly get to the resort there's been so much snow and other years the pistes went through fields with cows already grazing either side. Just depends! On the plus side it's typically a bit warmer with longer days.

@NoKnit yeah think we will just play it by ear, if the hotel is central it might be doable. My little one will only be 20 months when we go so realistically if he's on his snowboard for even an hour a day I think that's pretty good going! Will definitely need some downtime, either in the hotel or in a restaurant/base station.

@Superwomann how are you getting on with your search? We have now booked Schladming. Hotel is right opposite the main gondola (and Europe's largest apres bar, last time we were there they did little kids parties before the main apres started). No childcare but hotel has a kids playroom and there's two good areas on the slopes for kids with magic carpets, so will see how we get on. My dream one day is to have a group of friends with kids who all want to go on a ski trip and get a chalet together but will have to work on that for next year!

We’ve been taking our son on ski holidays since he was 6 months old. He is now eight and this year was the first one where he was able to come out and ski with us all day. From age 3.5 he did lessons. We used to use Esprit ski, who had all-day crèches/nurseries that looked after babies all day and took little ones for the afternoon after morning lessons, but that company has sadly folded now as their business model of using British staff didn’t work post-Brexit.

I’m a little confused at how you plan to spend your days if there is no childcare. A 21-month old on a snowboard will basically just be sledging and will last about an hour a day max. There will be no point you even taking your boards on a nursery slope. You can maybe go up in a gondola with him and have a walk around at the top I suppose, and there are playgrounds. But when are you and your husband going to snowboard- will you each go off individually?

How about a spot of cross-country skiing during the napping years? You can tow your kid around in a trailer. You get to ski whilst they get to nap.

@HotCrossBunplease, thanks for your input, we weren't really looking for childcare to be honest, I miss our little one so much when he's in nursery and I'm at work so actually looking forward for hanging out all week. If he's on the board for even half an hour a day I'll call that a win - I don't have high expectations from that point of view and we have lots of ideas for things to do off the slopes. Yes husband and I will take turns, we always planned that. Lots of resorts do lift passes for this purpose where two adults can share when they have a child too young for ski school. I'm very aware this will be a different holiday to the ones we are used to but that's ok

@HotCrossBunplease also forgot to mention we have chosen the resort carefully - there's a kids area with a playground, magic carpet and a restaurant at the top of the first gondola out of the resort so it should be easy to set up camp for a bit and switch between us without having to go all the way back to the bottom.

@rzb good idea, thanks, have never tried and always thought I'd like to one day

OK, forgive me for mentioning childcare when your OP said

“would like to find some accommodation that includes some childcare for his age group”!

Doing all your boarding alone will certainly be a very different holiday, DH and I found that continuing to ski together was a really nice way to clear our heads and regain our identity as a couple after having a child (we met on a ski holiday and got engaged on one too, so it’s very important to us).

But snowy mountains are great for mental health no matter what you do in them, so sure you will have a lovely time.

@slidingsideways we’ve booked a Kinderhotel in Serfaus Fiss Ladis in Austria, they have 7 day childcare and really cater for families, I’m so excited and I hope it’ll be as good as I think!

@HotCrossBunplease fair point
I wrote that post back in August, I guess my priorities have changed since then. Our little one had only just started nursery then and I feel differently now about being apart from him. Plus nursery fees kinda impacted on the budget! If there were childcare available and it were affordable then I agree that just a couple of mornings just the two of us could be lovely. My husband and I didn't meet on a ski holiday but it's always been a key part of our relationship together. Pre-baby we went away two or three times each winter, and also got engaged on top of a mountain. We had a great trip to Schladming a few years ago, good memories. I think we have just accepted that this will be a very different holiday and we're ok with that. We have been working hard at home to prepare our little one - he's had a snowboard since the summer that he gets on when he wants to play and we drag him round the house on it, and we've been trying all the gear on and watching little videos of kid snowboarding, so whilst he's not going to be let loose on a blue run just yet I'm hoping he will at least not hate it and be happy to play in the kids area.
Appreciate you sharing your experience and advice - where did you go this year and which are your favourite family resorts?

@Superwomann that sounds perfect, sure you will have a fantastic time!

We liked Champoluc and Ubergurgl. Went to Cervinia this year which was the right level for our 8 year old as lots of wide pistes.