The Best Hotels in Scheffau am Wilden Kaiser

Lake suites with private footbridge access set the tone at this sleek alpine lodge in Scheffau, the prettiest of the four villages clustered at the foot of the Wilder Kaiser. The place was designed so you'd never have to leave, which turns out not to be a hardship: rooftop pool, natural swimming pond, a spa, a kids' club with its own cinema, and a bar that serves brunch late. Hiking trails run directly from the front door.

A cluster of chalets on a hillside above Scheffau, with the Wilder Kaiser peaks as a permanent backdrop, Leitenhof reads more like a small alpine hamlet than a hotel. Aged timber, stone fireplaces, and fur throws set the tone inside; the larger chalets run to private saunas. The kitchen pulls herbs from its own garden, and the wine list, poured into hand-blown Riedel glass from nearby Kufstein, runs deep.