An Austrian city at the eastern end of Lake Constance, Bregenz is dominated by a performing arts festival, the Bregenzer Festspiele, in the summer months. The annual festival is a major event, with opera and music performances taking place upon a lakeside floating stage known as the Seebühne and the glass-front Festspielhaus. Their performance of Tosca featured in the James Bond film, Quantum of Solace.
The nearest luxury hotel to the performance centre is Grand Hotel Bregenz – MGallery and it is no surprise how popular it can be especially during July and August. LLM travel writer Baldwin Ho checked in to find out more.
Hotel
The hotel has a very business-like exterior with inoffensive shades of grey and white but once you enter the reception area, you’ll discover a homely, welcoming environment. Splashes of colour in the furniture are interspersed with soothing greenery, whilst shelves with designer vases and coffee table books add to the warmth of the hotel. There are theatrical touches throughout, none more so than the commanding horse head sculpture at the entrance, which wouldn’t look out of place on an opera stage.
For a hotel that seems to be more geared towards events and conferences, you’ll be surprised to find a significant wellness centre on its top floor. The hotel is conveniently located close to the main railway station but without any noise pollution. They offer bike rentals for €12 for a half day or €24 for a full day. There is a scenic cycle lane right along the waterfront and it is the most picturesque way to get to downtown and to the main shopping and museum district.
Room
They have a total of 105 guest rooms and suites. The classic rooms start at 22m² and on the other end of the spectrum are The Suite Terra 2 and The Suite Aqua at 45m². The latter has a special terrace that has a splendid view of the festival park. The rooms are all newly renovated with green foliage wallpaper that soothes the senses as soon as you enter the room. The rooms all offer a 55″ flat screen TV, air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a minibar and a safe.
The bathroom is functional in terms of size, but the use of turquoise-coloured tiling adds vibrancy to the room. Here, you’ll find L’OCCITANE toiletries in larger refillable bottles.
Food and drink
There is no shortage of dining choices in the vicinity of the hotel and in the downtown area of Bregenz. Right next to the hotel and Seebühne Bregenz is Buehnedrei. Run by the professional catering team from evenTZ by food affairs, they ensure you get high-quality cuisine in a speedy fashion and specialise in comforting classics like wild mushroom ragout and veal goulash.
Great options for a quick lunch include Pier69 Hafenrestaurant where you can enjoy classic goulash with spätzle. They proudly list the provenance of their key ingredients from local partners. There is also the KUB Café Bar right next to the Kunsthaus Bregenz, where they serve up well-portioned Caesar salads along with homemade iced teas.
If you are looking for a more leisurely, fine dining experience, there is Petrus Café Brasserie, who specialise in Belgian-French cuisine, so you won’t be surprised to see that seafood features prominently on the menu. You’ll find high-end treats from Pleiade Poget No.2 oysters to the most umami-rich bouillabaisse soup you’re ever likely to encounter.
Spa and wellness
The wellness centre on the top floor is a hidden city gem. For a hotel that specialises in events and conferences, you’ll be surprised to find a cosy swimming pool, a decent-sized sauna and steam bath and a gym that has all the basic equipment you’ll need to burn off any excess calories from your wining and dining expeditions.
To do
The undoubted must-do activity, if you are visiting in the summer months, is to book tickets for Bregenzer Festspiele. Enjoying a classic opera with world-class singers on a whimsical stage on the shores of Lake Constance is definitely a bucket list experience. The timing of the performances is always around sunset, so you’ll appreciate the majestic beauty of the lake and surrounding vista.
Culture vultures will also enjoy visiting their world-renowned museums such as Kunsthaus Bregenz, which focuses on blockbuster international contemporary art exhibitions and Vorarlberg Museum, which focuses on the state’s art and culture.
In a nutshell
If you are looking for a cultural escape to Austria, Bregenz is the ideal place to visit during the summer months, and the perfect base to explore the city is to stay at the Grand Hotel Bregenz – MGallery.
Factbox
Grand Hotel Bregenz – MGallery offers rooms from €110 per night.
Address: Platz d. Wr. Symphoniker 2, 6900 Bregenz, Austria
Phone: +43 5574 461000
Email: h0799@accor.com
Website: grand-hotel-bregenz.meinhotel.top
