Zell am See Hotel: What to Expect at Hotel Der Schütthof

Working in quality management, I am involved in all sorts of things at the hotel: sometimes at reception, sometimes in the office, and really wherever there is something to be done. My personal highlight: a few runs on the Schmittenhöhe, with the glorious view over Zell am See and the surrounding mountains.

Ursula Auer, Hotel Der Schütthof

How far is Hotel Der Schütthof from the areitXpress?

The areitXpress valley station is about 5 minutes on foot from the hotel. The gondola runs from Schüttdorf, a district of Zell am See, up the Schmittenhöhe, and its 10-person cabins climb to 1,400 m in seven minutes.

The lake is about 15 minutes on foot, and so is the Seespitz lido in Schüttdorf on its southern shore; in summer the water is usually 20 to 24 °C, depending on the weather. If you would rather stay on the lakeshore or in the old town, our guide to where to stay in Zell am See compares Schüttdorf with the town centre and Kaprun.

Without a car, buses and the local railway take you into town and to the other lifts. On a Saturday in early December 2026, according to the ÖBB timetable:

• To Zell am See station, in the town centre: bus 660 takes 4 minutes, bus 70 takes 6 and bus 650 takes 9 from the Schüttdorf ÖBB-Postbus Garage stop, 5 minutes' walk from the hotel. The Pinzgau local railway (Pinzgauer Lokalbahn) takes 5 minutes from Kitzsteinhornstraße, a request stop about 150 m from the hotel.
• To the cityXpress valley station in town: bus 660 to Postplatz, then bus 71, 16 minutes with one change.
• To the Kitzsteinhorn valley station in Kaprun: bus 660, 26 minutes without a change.

Postbus 660 runs every 30 minutes from 10 October to 18 December 2026 and every 15 minutes from 19 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, though only every 30 minutes between 11.20 am and 2.20 pm; times are subject to change.

Skiing from the hotel

The Schmittenhöhe is Zell am See's own ski area, and from the hotel the areitXpress is your way up. The ski season there is planned to open on 4 December 2026, snow and weather permitting, with the areitXpress planned to run from 4 December 2026 to 4 April 2027. The mountain has 77 km of slopes, and one lift pass, the Ski ALPIN CARD, is valid on 408 km in all across the Schmittenhöhe, Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn and the Kitzsteinhorn in Kaprun. Our guide to skiing in Zell am See covers the runs, the lifts and the way over to Saalbach.

At the areitXpress valley station, Schmidolin's Magic Carpet is an extra-wide, gentle practice slope with a covered conveyor belt, and ski schools and hire are close by. For lessons, the hotels' ski instructor is at the main reception of Hotel Latini to answer your questions, and you can book a course with him there.

The hotel itself is set up for ski holidays: there is in-house ski hire with 10% off, a ski pass service and a camera-monitored ski room, which is the bike room in summer. You get into the ski room with your room key card from 6 am to 9 pm; your ski boots can stay there, but take your helmet up to your room, as helmets sometimes get mixed up. What a lift pass costs, and which one to buy, is on our Zell am See ski pass prices page.

Schüttdorf is also a good base for skiing on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier in Kaprun: bus 660 runs there, and the Guest Mobility Ticket is valid on it between Zell am See and Kaprun. In winter the ski buses run as well, and with a Ski ALPIN CARD they are included during the lifts' opening hours.

How do you get to Zell am See from the UK?

Fly to Salzburg. Zell am See-Kaprun is about 80 km from Salzburg Airport, about 150 km from Innsbruck Airport and about 200 km from Munich Airport.

Salzburg Airport's winter 2026/27 flight plan, which the airport calls a preview, lists these flights from the UK; check days and times with the airline.

From the airport, you have four options:

• Bus 260 runs from the stop in front of Terminal 1 to Zell am See Postplatz without a change. On a Saturday in early December 2026, according to the ÖBB timetable, the 12.49 and the 13.49 each take 1 hour 45 minutes. From Postplatz, bus 660 runs on to Schüttdorf. With a pre-check-in before you travel, the Guest Mobility Ticket already covers the buses from Salzburg Airport: contact the hotel a few days before you arrive, and it will send you all the details.
• Bus and train: bus No. 2 runs every 15 or 20 minutes (every 20 on Sundays and public holidays) and takes about 23 minutes to Salzburg main station. Direct trains leave from there for Zell am See; on the same Saturday, the ÖBB timetable has the 9.11 arriving at 10.44 and the 10.13 at 11.54. If you come by train, the hotel collects you from Zell am See station free of charge, daily from 8 am to 6 pm, when you book the pick-up at least 24 hours ahead.
• Taxi: the hotel has no airport transfer of its own, but reception will gladly order a taxi for you.
• Hire car: it is about 1.5 hours by car from Salzburg and about 2.5 hours from Munich, and you need a vignette for Austrian motorways. For the sat nav, the hotel is at Kitzsteinhornstraße 2, 5700 Zell am See, Austria.

For your own travel date, check bus and train times in the ÖBB journey planner. To book the station pick-up or ask about the pre-check-in, call the hotel on +43 6542 5422 or email schuetthof@latini.at. However you arrive, you check in at the 24-hour reception of Hotel Latini next door.

The rooms

The rooms and junior suites are non-smoking, with Wi-Fi, cable TV and a shower or bath. You can choose from single rooms, Standard Areit and Comfort Schmitten doubles, Superior Schmitten rooms and the Kitzsteinhorn junior suites, and families can also book a family room; children stay at reduced rates. Zell am See cools down at night; should your room still get too warm, you can borrow a fan free of charge. The hotel has no accessible rooms, but the team is happy to help with small obstacles.

The Vulcano Spa on the roof

The Vulcano Spa has a Finnish sauna with a view, a bio sauna, a steam room, relaxation rooms, a panorama room facing the Kitzsteinhorn and a sun terrace. It is included in your room rate and open from 4 pm to 8 pm, for guests aged 14 and over. You can also book massages and beauty treatments, ideally well in advance; they are given at Hotel Latini next door.

Breakfast, dinner and Papa Rudolfo

Breakfast at Hotel Der Schütthof is a buffet, served daily from 7 am to 10 am, and it is normally included in your room rate unless you book a room-only rate. With half board, dinner is a themed buffet or a set menu, depending on the season, with regional and international dishes and vegetarian options. Half board is a rate of its own and is cheaper when booked in advance, but you can also add it at the hotel, or add dinner for just one or two evenings at a higher price. Each hotel has its own restaurant area: as a Hotel Der Schütthof guest, you eat at the Schütthof.

Papa Rudolfo, Hotel Latini's Italian à la carte restaurant, is right by the hotel and open daily from 11.30 am to 10 pm; the kitchen, pizza included, closes at 9.30 pm. Papa Rudolfo is closed from 11 October and reopens on 10 December 2026. The beer garden between Hotel Der Schütthof and Hotel Latini is open from about the end of May to mid-September; after that, it moves indoors to Pizzeria Papa Rudolfo. In the winter season there is also Kathi's Café & Bar.

What is included in the room rate?

Your room rate includes the Guest Mobility Ticket for buses and trains across the Salzburg region and, from 15 May to 31 October, the Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card (Sommerkarte) for cable cars, lake boat trips, lido entry and family attractions. Neither card can be bought separately, and both work under the Zell am See-Kaprun tourist board's rules:

In summer 2026, between 15 July and 15 September, the Summer Card was valid only from 3 pm on the arrival day, and four attractions only from the second day: the ride to the Schmittenhöhe summit on the Schmittenhöhebahn and trassXpress, the Gipfelbahn and Gletscherjet 3+4 on the Kitzsteinhorn, the round trip on the MS Schmittenhöhe, and the Kaprun high mountain reservoirs. For a stay in summer 2027, ask the hotel whether the same rules apply.

What is the best hotel in Zell am See for skiers and families?

If you want to walk to the gondola, travel without a car and have family rooms and a rooftop spa on site, choose Hotel Der Schütthof; if you would rather stay on the lakeshore or in the old town, look there instead. Skiers walk to the gondola and sort out ski hire and lift passes through the hotel; families find family rooms in the hotel and a gentle practice slope at the valley station; and with buses and trains included, the rest of the region is easy to reach. Hotel Der Schütthof and Hotel Latini next door belong to Libertas Hotels Zell am See. For what guests themselves say, read the guest reviews.

How do you get the best rate?

Book direct with the hotel: you get the best rate, better cancellation terms, an upgrade when one is available and a small welcome gift. The hotel's ski deals and short breaks include packages such as 3 nights' half board with a 2-day ski pass on selected dates.