Zell am See Ski Holidays: Staying at Hotel Der Schütthof

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

Is Zell am See a good ski resort?

Yes. Zell am See's own mountain, the Schmittenhöhe, has 77 km of pistes, and the tourism board describes it as a panoramic and family ski resort. One lift pass, the Ski ALPIN CARD, combines 408 km of pistes and 121 cable cars and lifts: the Schmittenhöhe, the Kitzsteinhorn glacier with the Maiskogel in Kaprun, and the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. You reach the Skicircus over the Schmittenhöhe, on the zellamseeXpress link lift.

The areitXpress, one of three ways up the mountain from Zell am See, leaves from Schüttdorf, the part of town where the hotel stands. Its 10-person cabins reach 1,400 m in seven minutes. From Hotel Der Schütthof you walk to the lift rather than ski from the door.

Schüttdorf is also a good base for the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, with its longer season. The ÖBB Postbus 660 runs as the ski bus from Zell am See to Kaprun and on to the Kitzsteinhorn, and it stops at Schüttdorf ÖBB-Postbus Garage, 5 minutes on foot from the hotel. It runs every 15 minutes from 19 December 2026 to 4 April 2027 (every 30 minutes between 11.20 am and 2.20 pm) and every 30 minutes from 10 October to 18 December 2026 and from 5 April to 2 May 2027, subject to change. With a valid Ski ALPIN CARD the ride is included when you travel in ski gear during lift hours, and departure times are posted at every stop.

Pistes, lifts and every lift's season dates are in our guide to skiing in Zell am See.

When to go: the 2026/27 season

The Schmittenhöhe plans to start its 2026/27 season on 4 December 2026, depending on snow and weather. The areitXpress is planned to run from 4 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, daily from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. The cityXpress in the town centre is planned to run from 10 December and the zellamseeXpress from 11 December 2026, both until 4 April 2027.

On the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, skiing began on 10 October 2026 and is planned to run until May 2027, depending on weather and snow. The 3K K-ONNECTION, the lift up from Kaprun, runs again from December 2026; until then the Gletscherjet 1 and 2 take you up to the glacier.

Hotel Der Schütthof and Hotel Latini are closed from 26 October to 26 November 2026, so check your winter dates in the booking box or ask the hotel.

Package or book it yourself?

ATOL is financial protection when you book a package trip that includes a flight, and with an ATOL-protected trip you should be given an ATOL Certificate. It is not travel insurance, and a flight you buy from an airline, with an e-ticket issued when you pay, is not covered.

If you book it yourself, you pay for the flights, the lift pass and ski hire separately from the room. Booked direct, the room comes with the hotel's best rate, better cancellation terms, an upgrade when one is available and a small welcome gift. The rooms at Hotel Der Schütthof range from single rooms to Kitzsteinhorn junior suites. The hotel also offers its own packages on selected dates: ski packages can already be booked on its packages page, and more are being added.

The hotel's own ski hire is open daily from 8 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 6 pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 6 pm. There is enough equipment for hotel guests, so you do not need to reserve, and you get 10% off the whole range: a Top Carver set of skis, boots and poles costs €36 for one day or €165 for six or seven days in 2026/27, before the discount.

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

Fly to Salzburg, about 80 km from Zell am See-Kaprun. For winter 2026/27, Salzburg Airport lists direct flights from London and other UK airports; outside London, most routes run on Saturdays. Innsbruck Airport is about 150 km away and Munich Airport about 200 km.

From Salzburg Airport, bus 260 leaves from the ÖBB Postbus stop in front of the terminal and runs to Zell am See. Or take bus 2 to Salzburg main station, about 23 minutes, and the train to Zell am See, whose station is in the town centre: Hotel Der Schütthof picks up train guests there free of charge, daily from 8 am to 6 pm, if you arrange it at least 24 hours ahead. The hotel has no airport transfer of its own, but reception will gladly order you a taxi. Bus and train times are in the Salzburg Verkehr trip planner online and at the stops.

Flight days and times can change, so check with your airline before you book.

By car, Zell am See is about 1.5 hours from Salzburg and about 2.5 hours from Munich, and you need a vignette for Austrian motorways.

The Guest Mobility Ticket is included with your stay: it covers public buses and trains across the state of Salzburg, including line 660 between Zell am See and Kaprun, but not the cable cars or specially marked ski buses. It is funded by a mobility tax of €0.50 per person aged 15 and over per night. To use it on bus 260 from the airport, ask the hotel about a pre-check-in before you travel.

What does a lift pass cost?

For a week's skiing, an adult six-day Ski ALPIN CARD costs €440 in peak season and €396 in the early and late season.

Prices are in euros and include 10% VAT, and the lift companies may change prices and dates. Christmas, New Year and February fall in peak season.

A multi-day pass runs on consecutive days only. Day and multi-day passes are valid from 3 pm the day before they start, except flexible, discounted and special-offer tickets: fly in on a Saturday, and a pass that starts on Sunday already works from 3 pm that afternoon. Prices for children and teenagers, the season pass and every other pass are in our Zell am See ski pass guide for 2026/27.

Families skiing at Easter should buy their passes on site. From 20 March to 4 April 2027, all the family's children born in 2011 or later get a free lift pass when one parent buys a pass for at least 4 days, and the children's passes run as long as the parent's and also work on the Kitzsteinhorn and in the Skicircus. The offer is sold only at the lift companies' ticket counters, with proof of age.

Ski lessons

The ski instructor for both hotels, Jürgen from the Skischule Zell am See-Kaprun, is at the main reception of Hotel Latini next door, where you can ask him about lessons and book them; he teaches in English too. For more on what the hotel offers skiers, see our page on ski holidays at Hotel Der Schütthof.

After a day on the slopes

Back at the hotel, the rooftop 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. Hotel Der Schütthof has no pool of its own, but you can use the indoor pool and Gold Spa at Hotel Latini next door: the pool costs €10 a day (€5 for children up to 13), or €20 a day with the sauna area.

If you book half board, dinner is a themed buffet or a set menu, depending on the season, with regional and international dishes and vegetarian options. Kathi's Café & Bar is open in the winter season, and Papa Rudolfo, Hotel Latini's Italian à la carte restaurant right by the hotel, reopens on 10 December 2026. For an evening in town, see Hotel Latini's guide to where to eat in Zell am See.