Austria’s five-star alpine wellness retreat Hotel Krallerhof has been updated with a new nature-centric glass-fronted spa, Atmosphere by Krallerhof.

Embedded in the slopes of the Asitz mountain, the five-star Salzburger hotel’s new adults-only wellness facility opened following a two-year project helmed by Iranian-German architect Hadi Teherani.

Hotel owners the Altenberger family tasked Teherani and his team with creating a spa facility – in addition to its existing Refugium spa – that is underpinned by a philosophy focused on regeneration, relaxation and renewal.

Letting nature in

Overlooking the Leoganger Steinberg mountain range, the new spa has been designed as an organic structure which slots seamlessly into the dramatic surrounding landscape.

For Teherani, it was clear from the start that nature and the landscape should be central to the facility. This led to the incorporation of natural materials such as ash and oak wood, alpine marble, glass and exposed concrete – most of which are sourced from the region.

The light-filled open space keeps guests connected to the outdoors as they gaze out floor-to-ceiling windows to see the surrounding mountainscape and the spa’s new 5,500sq m natural bathing lake complete with an integrated infinity pool.

The facilitiesWhen guests enter Atmosphere, they’re welcomed into a rotunda with an Alpine Zen garden where the sound of running water lightly trickles in the background.

Their journey then leads them to the large glass-fronted relaxation room where they can choose to relax or move on to explore the spa’s indoor offering; a Blue Grotto hydrotherapy cave; a Himalayan salt room; a herbal sauna; a steam bath; an ice grotto; a TechnoAlpin Indoor snow room; a women-only herbal sauna; and a cafe.

Outdoors, guests can recline on the lake-fronted sun deck or visit the new bathing lake, lap pool, whirlpool and outdoor mountain view plunge pool.

“It’s been a family tradition for decades to develop further with and for our guests and regeneration and relaxation are becoming more and more essential today,” says Philipp Altenberger, deputy managing director of the Hotel Krallerhof.

“With Atmosphere, we’re offering an additional relaxation experience. We’d like to give those who visit us the opportunity to leave the often demanding everyday life behind them."

Atmosphere is the alpine retreat’s second wellness offering in addition to its existing 17-treatment-room spa, Refugium.

The facility is comprised of nine saunas and steam baths, five relaxation rooms, a freshwater plunge pool, a whirlpool and outdoor pool, a salon, a yoga room, tea and vitality snack bars and a fitness area.

About the Hotel Krallerhof

The Altenberger family has led the all-season Hotel Krallerhof from a humble farm to a five-star establishment, which is now run by the fourth generation.