Austria's Dreamiest Hot Springs to Visit

Known even to the Romans, the famed sulphurous springs of Vienna lie at the core of the largest and most modern city spa complex in Europe. The 26 pools, 25 sauna and steam rooms, thousands of loungers and a huge health and fitness area also make it the largest thermal baths in Austria. Adjoining them is a leafy pond-dotted park.

Barely a stone’s throw from the Hauptbahnhof railway station in central Vienna, the Schani has a relaxed hipster vibe with digital nomads in sight. Modern and playful, this isn’t the kind of place to fumble with outsized key rings or queue to pay bills. That’s because you’ll have their dedicated app, chosen your particular room, floor and view, checked in online and received a mobile key. The 24/7 bar accepts bitcoin, there’s a co-working space and free scooters and skateboards. Rooms, unsurprisingly, are minimalist cool with ultra-fast wifi.

If James Bond ever lolled in a spa, he might have done it here in the alpine Ötztal Valley where “healing” springs were discovered in the 16th century. Today, an almost futuristic look stems mainly from a pair of steaming satellite-dish pools and a glazed teepee alongside the boldly angular hangar-sized complex.

Alpine-modern characterises this hotel by the Aqua Dome spa that melds chalet-like accents of wood and stone to 21st-century steel and glass. Rooms and suites feature pleasing contemporary design in a muted palette of woody browns and creamy whites with stripped floors and panoramic windows. All have balconies and fireplaces to help lift the suites. Guests have exclusive access to Spa 3000 and, among other things, the moss-walled pools and almost psychedelic mineral bath found there.

The slatted wooden facade of Naturhotel, with rounded corners and a shrubbery-softened roof, certainly matches the “natural” credentials. Yet, sections of angled glazing, grey cladding and a bastion-like lobby also lend modern sophistication and the feel of an uber-groovy chalet. It’s a laudably sustainable property, too: biomass heating, CO2-neutral electricity, sheep-wool insulation and (as far as possible) regional produce – especially meat and dairy – in the dining room. Accommodation features pleasing pine-dominated interiors and notably pared-down but elegant decor with high-end furniture and finishes.

In the heart of Sölden, the Bergland is the oldest hotel in the ski resort, though the swanky upscale property of today bears little relation to the original. Striking details abound, ranging from giant ring-lights suspended over the rooftop pool and hanging chairs beside glazed walls, to white sculpted sheep heads fixed (like trophies) to black restaurant walls. The fun is somewhat tempered in rooms dominated by natural wood detailing and furniture. Most have balconies or terraces and rocking chairs; the Wellness Suite also has a waterbed.

Gastein thermal spa lies in the heart of Bad Hofgastein, a pretty market town south of Salzburg. The most arresting features are the two gorgeous swimming lakes; the larger Emerald Lake is around 1,300sqm (14,000sqft) of hill-cradled loveliness. The popular complex is divided into Worlds – Family, Relax, Sauna and Ladies – and stands in spacious parkland.

A 19th-century elegance meets nomadic hipster cool in this handsome Belle Époque mansion next to Bad Gastein waterfall. Once having hosted touring aristocrats and royalty, the town today comprises a fair chunk of digital nomads, and the Selina taps that youthful vibe. Accommodation embraces compact doubles with touches of Art Deco and vintage-looking family rooms. There’s co-working space on demand, too.

A family-oriented, almost resort-style property with a youth games room and children’s adventure playground, the Mondi resembles a fin-de-siècle apartment block – with rooftop conservatories at each corner. Accommodation comprises more than 200 studios, apartments and suites, all with kitchenettes and balconies. The in-house buffet restaurant is perfectly fine, but rather more adventurous is the 600-year-old chalet bar-restaurant high up the mountainside with a dedicated chairlift and a toboggan run.

Few other hotels have the whimsical quality of Rogner Bad Blumau. Set in the midst of idyllic Styrian countryside, it has a wonderfully weird, colourful and asymmetrical cluster of curving facades that emerge from the lush greenery like an organic fantasy. Blame Austrian visual artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser – an opponent of the straight line and de facto eco-warrior – who injected verve into this 40ha (100-acre) spa complex built over thermal springs in the late 1990s. Several spring-fed pools plus an Olympic-sized pool, salt grotto and myriad saunas feed the senses and soothe the soul.

North of Salzburg near the German border, this thermal spa lies in the pretty rural countryside in Geinberg village. It’s a large complex with 11 saunas and steam rooms, 3,000sqm (32,000sqft) of pools – including a Caribbean saltwater lagoon with palm trees – Middle Eastern-style hammams, treatment rooms and a sports hall.

Essentially part of, though slightly set back from, the Geinberg spa, VitalHotel sits in a modern low-rise with no-nonsense rooms, prestige doubles with balconies and walk-in wardrobes, and exclusive Spa Villas with a bathing pond, butlers and personal spa rituals. There’s gourmet cuisine in the restaurant, while buffet breakfasts include organic dairy products, homemade jams and speciality honeys.

This modest property in Kirchheim im Innkreis, a workaday village near Geinberg, is a straightforward family-run pension. Wholesomely unpretentious, accommodation is neat and spotless. Breakfasts include produce from local farms, while the in-house pub promises a good old knees-up oiled by schnapps from regional distilleries. There’s an outdoor pool and child-friendly facilities for trampolining, badminton and fishing. Situated on the Römerradweg, or Roman Cycle Trail, it’s handy for cyclists, too.