Eriro, Austria

In short… Eriro is a nine-suite hideaway tucked in the Tyrolean Alps with an emphasis on sustainability and a seamless indoor-outdoor connection to nature.

The surroundings…  Eriro is located near Ehrwald, Austria, at an elevation of 1,550 meters (over 5,000 feet) above sea level on the Austrian side of the border, overlooking the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak. You arrive at the property by cable car, meaning your first impression of the surrounding landscape is a serene glide over waterfalls and pine forests into the mountains. Your luggage is delivered directly to your room, allowing you to walk the final short, scenic route through Alpine meadows up to the timber property unencumbered. During my visit, these Alpine meadows were dotted with groups of grazing highland cows, including an adorably spry three-day-old calf, as well as sheep and horses. Indeed, throughout our stay, the sound of cowbells marked the rhythm of our days, their song starting in the early morning and ending just as apéro hour approached. 

The vibe… Upon arrival, we were invited to dip our hands and arms in a stone basin just outside the building’s entryway. The bracing and invigorating cool mountain-fed water served to both wash off the travel day and connect us to the Alpine energy. Throughout my stay, I found myself repeating the ritual every time I left and re-entered the property.

Water elements are found throughout Eriro, and the property’s sustainable design incorporates locally-sourced materials, including stone and wood from their forests, wool from the sheep grazing in nearby pastures, and a color palette inspired by the surrounding nature: browns, creams, grays and greens abound. The blend of materials and textures, combined with the emphasis on natural light, creates a vibe that is inviting and cozy yet minimalist.

We enjoyed a leisurely welcome drink on the sun-drenched outdoor terrace with the property’s exceptional GM, Henning A. Schaub. I can imagine our glasses of small-producer rosé champagne would be equally transportive in colder weather, taken fireside in the main lobby overlooking the snowcapped mountains. 

The rooms… There are only nine suites in the property, each uniquely designed with a minimalist, nature-inspired aesthetic that again incorporates elements of water, stone, wood and wool. My partner and I stayed in room number three, which was described to us as one of the more intimate suites. Turns out, even at its most intimate, Eriro’s rooms are spacious. Ours was southwest-facing, with floor-to-ceiling windows that framed a spectacular view of the mountains. Nearly every spot in the room offered a view—whether from the plush king-sized bed, the rain shower and washroom set just behind it (the windowed half wall in between steams up nicely for privacy), the long, wooden, freestanding bathtub just inside the private terrace. I spent a bulk of my time on the terrace’s daybed soaking in the fresh mountain air and views. Paired with a book and either a cup of coffee (made in the in-room Chemex), a pour of Almdudler (a carbonated Austrian herbal lemonade from the minibar), or a glass of wine (kindly sent up by the team) it made for the perfect start, middle, or end to the day. There was also a record player and a selection of records to play (there are purposefully no televisions to distract you from the magnificent nature right outside) as well as a small table and nook for dining or playing one of the chic wooden board games offered in the room. Set on the bed was a welcome note and gift of thick woolen socks, which we were encouraged to—and did—wear all around the property. Other suites offer a fireplace and/or a private sauna.

The wellness… If you didn’t end up booking a room with a private sauna, grab the plush robe from your room and head to one of the two saunas in the spa facilities on the property’s ground floor. I especially enjoyed the spruce needle sauna, which overlooks the Alpine pastures and mountains. The other option is a Finnish sauna set deeper into the spa area. 

The spa area itself draws nature indoors via huge boulders situated throughout, and a variety of pools: a small heated pool inspired by a Japanese onsen, a heated panoramic pool with floor-to-ceiling views, a dimly-lit meditation pool with a brass singing bowl on the ceiling that can be played by pulling a rope, and an outdoor L-shaped pool made of local granite rock and fed by the brisk, invigorating water from the mountain’s lakes. The spa also includes a hay-and-straw-filled sound room with loungers, indoor and outdoor lounge areas, Tyrolean hammocks made from local sheep wool, and a tea station stocked with herbs foraged nearby. 

Personalized treatments, deeply rooted in Alpine heritage and inspired by medicinal herbs (including mountain arnica, St. John’s wort, common yarrow, ribwort plantain, and stinging nettle), are offered on the top floor. During my stay, I enjoyed a treatment with Andrea Memmersheim, the lead of wellness and vitality at Eriro. The session began with acupressure, moved on to a relaxing oil massage, and finished with sound therapy. I walked out ready to return to my room’s outdoor daybed for a midday nap.

The food & drink… Led by chef David Franken, the kitchen is zero-waste and hyper seasonal and with ingredients sourced from local farms and foraged from the surrounding landscape. This means the culinary team is both creative and intuitive. For example, given the lack of citrus in the Tyrolean terroir, the kitchen uses other ingredients (some examples in our case included wood sorrel and slices of the season’s fresh plums) to add brightness and acidity. They forage herbs just hours before using them, make and store seasonal jams, pickles, and sauces when ingredients are at their peak to use throughout the winter, cheeses, yogurt, and milk are all local (and delicious), all the sausages are made in house, even the salt is produced locally. 

Eriro’s remote location means that all meals, including drinks, are included in the stay. To keep things fresh, Eriro sets up an array of dining styles on rotation: from multi-course tasting menus in the main dining area to family-style dinners at the long table in the main living area. In nice weather, outdoor dining is an option. Our last evening, we were treated to a spectacular sunset alongside our meal from the property’s terrace. 

After we briefly mentioned to Tim Lange, the head of F&B service, that we enjoy local, natural wine, for the rest of the stay he poured us incredible bottles of natural wine from both Austria and Germany (including a few personal favorites from Heinrich and Keller Künstler). 

Extra tip goes to… The team was kind, gregarious and helpful throughout the entirety of our stay. One of the highlights of our time there was a sunny afternoon spent foraging with sous chef Alexander Thos in the meadows and forests surrounding the property. We gathered peppermint blossoms which executive chef David Franken later included in the evening’s marinated fennel salad with fresh sheep’s yogurt and slices of plums. We crushed stinging nettles in between our fingers, searched the fern and moss-laden field for chanterelles, and stumbled on some of the last wild strawberry leaves (which we were encouraged to snack on and were told they are just at the end of their season). On return to the property, we dropped our finds in the kitchen in exchange for the rest of the stoneware bottle of Soellner’s Irden Allerlei Im Steinzeug we had started at lunch. 

Be sure to… Get outside. Depending on the season, Eriro offers a range of guided (or not) experiences including barefoot hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, climbing and more (the property can set you up with all the equipment you need). We were there in the late summer and opted for a privately-guided early morning walk and lakeside meditation, which proved to be a highlight of the trip and an ideal way to rouse our appetites for breakfast on return. 

Parting words… While I visited Eriro near the end of summer, I already look forward to returning during colder weather and ski season.

Date of stay… August 23 – 25, 2024