• Zürich Hotels/Restaurants • '95 Michelin Red Guides • Austrian Rentals GEMüTLICHKEIT The Travel Letter for Germany, Austria, Switzerland & the New Europe THIS ISSUE: • Europe Travel Briefing DEAR APARTMENT/CHALET SUBSCRIBER RENTAL IN AUSTRIA February 26, 1995 John Herbert, our Canadian expert on European vacation rentals, reports this month on Austria, a The Best Travel Guide country he says offers some of the best accommodations values on the Continent. To me, the travel year is offi- cially underway when the new n September, 1994, Wherever there are tourists verify that any unit you Michelin Red Guides hit the book- Gemütlichkeit re- in Austria there will be a are considering has a sep- stores. My copies of the 1995 Ger- I ported on apart- selection of “in-house” arate living room. Only many and Switzerland guides, ment rentals in apartments. Towns, villag- about one-third to one- though they arrived just two weeks Switzerland. While there es and rural areas have the half do. The remainder ago, have already lost their tight are similarities between most. Major cities such as usually have a sitting area newness. I've been at them. Each Austrian and Swiss rentals, Vienna and Innsbruck have in the corner of the dining year I look up every hotel I've ever there are two major differ- only a limited and compar- room or bedroom. Both stayed in to see how Michelin rates ences. In Austria prices are atively pricey selection. one and two-bedroom it. I never throw out a Red Guide lower and availability units are widely available. and have them from 1973, includ- greater. Austrian self- “In-home” apartments ing all 17 German guides, 1979 catering units constitute are usually on the upper Although we have through 1995. I like the heft and feel one of the best accommo- floor of the family home. made reservations in ad- of any Red Guide but particularly dations values in Europe. Don’t expect the glitz of a vance, we prefer to see an the Germany book. Switzerland, Florida or Hawaii high-rise apartment before renting only in its second year and a much Like Switzerland, Aus- condo. They will be clean, it. No two are alike. If smaller country, is a little skinny. I tria has three types of rent- fairly modern and fully- you stay away from July also like the prayerbook-style red als: those located in pri- equipped (sheets, towels, and August, and from ski page marker ribbon. A "bible" should vate homes; small four to toilet paper, etc.). Always look like a Bible. A few years ago eight unit apartment Continued on page 3… Michelin changed the color of the buildings; and the large, cover to a brighter red — which at multi-storied condo build- first I didn't like but now prefer — ings usually found in ski ZÜRICH'S MID-PRICED and went to lighter weight paper. At resorts. The most, by far, 1,015 pages, the 1995 guide has are in the first category. HOTELS & RESTAURANTS Continued on page 2… Associate editor, Bruce Woelfel, surveys Zürich's moderate to inexpensively priced hotels and restaurants. Swissair Price Reductions ürich has plenty of good hotels and a few that are Swissair, voted Best Airline of 1994 by the readers of “modestly-priced.” The trick is find one that is Condé Nast Traveler magazine, has extended through the end Z both. Accommodations in first-class hotels are to of 1995 its reduced fare program for Gemütlichkeit subscrib- be had for $100 to $150 single and $175 to $250 ers. Complete details have not yet been finalized but it is double. Even in these, rooms are relatively small and lack expected the reductions will be as before: the grand appointments available in luxury class hotels • $50 off any roundtrip sale fare. which start around $250 and run to $500 or more. Most • $100 off any roundtrip economy class fare. lower priced hotels are across the Limmat — on the "right bank" — a five to 10-minute walk from the rail station. • $400 off any roundtrip business class fare. • $600 off any roundtrip first class fare. Here is a look at some of these hotels, arranged from To obtain fares and the current price reductions, call the most expensive to least expensive. Unless otherwise main Swissair reservation number, 800-221-4750, and ask the noted, rates listed here include buffet breakfast. reservationist to access “G-star, reference QL2JLQ.” Hotel Florhof Please be aware that you must book and purchase your Only a few blocks from the heart of EDITOR’S ticket directly with Swissair to obtain the price reduction. Zürich, the Florhof looks like one of those clas- CHOICE For more info call Gemütlichkeit at 800-521-6722. sic village inns one sees in the Alps. Indeed, the Florhof Continued on page 4… February, 1995 you approach the city you are faced with the one step below Michelin star status and I have DEAR SUBSCRIBER problem of finding your hotel in an unfamiliar town. never been disappointed.) Under Auggen in the Continued from page 1 The Fürstenhof’s listing provides the map coordi- main listing you find the Zur Krone where a com- nearly 100 more pages than the 1990 guide but is nates and tells you that the letter “v” indicates the plete meal ranges from 39 to 66 DM ($26 to $44). hotel’s location on the in-book map. You immedi- a half-inch thinner. The town of Münstertal, 65 km (40 miles) from ately locate it on the Rathausplatz about 100 meters Basel, also looks promising. On the locator map it There are also Red Guides for France, Great — according to the map scale — from the Iller is highlighted in yellow with a Michelin star and also Britain, the Benelux countries, Ireland, Italy, Spain/ river. The map even shows the direction of the has a red marker. These indicate a starred restau- Portugal, Portugal (separate Portugal guide for the town’s one-way streets and you have no trouble rant and a “particularly pleasant or restful hotel.” first time in 1995), Paris, London and the Europe driving directly to the hotel. Turning to the listings you find the Romantik-Hotel Main Cities guide. For the uninitiated, Red Guides Spielweg, which has 42 rooms, a one-star restau- cover hotels and restaurants. Michelin Green Had you discovered that all the hotels in rant and has been awarded three red roof peaks. Guides provide information on sight-seeing. Kempten were booked you could have referred to your Die Generalkarte #25 map to find a nearby This is likely to be very special hotel with an As anyone who has been a Gemütlichkeit town. You might have seen that Wiggensbach is outstanding restaurant. For its starred restaurants, subscriber for longer than 24 hours is well aware, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of Kempten. By Michelin lists the kitchen’s specialities (in Ger- we consider these books the European traveler’s looking up Wiggensbach in Michelin you would man). You see one of them is Münstertaler single most useful reference. They are essential have discovered that it is a town of 3,800 and has Rehbäckle mit Waldpilzen, venison with forest for the auto traveler but they are also a “must- a listing for the 24-room Hotel Goldenes Kreuz. mushrooms. Complete meals range from about carry” for train travelers. Since Michelin rates this hotel as “comfortable” (it $39 to $70. Rooms at the hotel go from 150 DM lists no hotels it does not recommend) you can be ($100) for the cheapest single to 380 DM ($253) for Red Guides are highly publicized for awarding confident of decent accommodations very close to the best double. stars — one, two or three — to a tiny percentage Kempten, your original destination. of expensive, mostly French, restaurants. No You can see how the guide allows one to travel doubt many guides are sold to persons interested Another Michelin feature which I find particu- according to whim, with no set itinerary or advance only in starred restaurants, but elite eateries are larly useful, since I am always looking for special hotel reservations. This works in each country for only a tiny part of the value and scope of these hotels and restaurants, are the 10 pages of locator which there is a Red Guide. Unfortunately, there is books. Let’s use the German guide as an example. maps in the front of the book. Throughout its no Red Guide for Austria, though the German guide It rates and provides a mass of information on guides, Michelin indicates special hotels and res- has a listing for Salzburg and the Main Cities list more than 10,000 hotels and restaurants. A typical taurants by printing their symbols in red. The cities Vienna and Salzburg. Frommer’s or Fodor’s guide for Germany lists in which these special places are located are shown about 1,000 establishments. on these locator maps. Let’s say you have just Continued on page 8… crossed the border into Germany from Basel, Swit- The Red Guides' greatest strength is in the CORRECTION zerland, and are driving north on the Autobahn. It country side. A Frommer’s guide contains listings is mid-afternoon and you feel like splurging; maybe Last month our Prague story for only about 100 principal German cities. Michelin, a very good meal or an especially nice hotel. You contained an inaccurate and mislead- on the other hand, makes hotel and restaurant turn to locator map #8 and immediately see more ing statement. In the story Prague recommendations in over 3,000 German cities, than a dozen choices within a 45-minute drive from Travel Advisory, under the heading towns and villages.