This was our second stay at the Schwarz. After an excellent first stay, we decided to push the boat out and return for a full week, incorporating New Year. Two different stays, two different experiences. The same hotel. The exterior of the hotel is welcoming and traditionally Austrian, and the whole spa resort, golf and leisure resort is owned and run by the Family Pirktl. You can tell that the place is family run, as it has many numerous personal touches and a lot of thought has gone into the tasteful and traditional interior decor. The family are very hands on, and Frau Pirktl Snr is very much in evidence, greeting diners in the restaurant and stopping by for some small (German) small talk. Other family members are also very much in evidence, but in a nice and unobstrusive way. Staff turnover seems to be low, and on the whole, they are a friendly and welcoming team. On our first stay, we stayed in the new wing of the hotel which was simply lovely. Large, airy, bright, beautiful traditional fireplace, lots of wooden carving, large and comfy beds, and a bathroom and shower which were state of the art. On our second stay, we were dismayed when shown to our accommodation. Instead of the anticpapted tasteful Tyrolean theme, we were taken back in time to the mid 1980's Laura Ashley floral outbreak. ARGH! The room was immaculately clean, but our double bed was two singles strung together, and the matching green floral bedspreads, curtains, sideboard covers, etc, etc, was simply awful. Fuddy duddy. However, it is something which the hotel's large 70+ year old clientele may well appreciate. Sadly, not us. It was not possible to move us to another room, as the hotel was fully booked for New Year. Shame. The standard of cuisine at the Schwarz is very good, and even the fussiest of diners will find something to their taste. There is a big emphasis placed on offering healthy eating, so there are always lots of fresh, healthy and appetising dishes on offer. Breakfast and lunch are self service, but the evening meal is always served. There are some themed evenings with suggested wines, which are on the whole, pretty well done. The wine list is good but not extensive, and offers a big range of up and coming Austrian Wines. The price range is medium to pricey! The spa area is modern, clean and well thought out. It offers a range of different steam and sauna baths, along with various showers and refreshing rock pools. True to Germanic (and not Scandinavian Sauna Etiquette) the place is mixed, which only further serves to prove the point that some things are best kept underwraps. Sitting in a steam room sitting opposite a mature gentleman with his legs akimbo and tackle on display to all, is just not how it's supposed to be done! (I am speaking here as a Scandinavian person myself, and I can promise you that I'm no prude!) Anyway, the Schwarz's audience of mainly German, Swiss and Austrians like to 'hang out' like this, so if you are in the slightest bit umcomfortable with this, the Schwarz Spa is not for you! The outdoor swimming pool which is warmed to 34 degrees outside is fabulous and affords many evening swims with the steam floating off the pool, and clear skies above and snow all around. Lovely. There is a wide range of walking activities on offer, and in the Summer there is a nine hole golf course. The hotel is situated right in the middle of the countryside, and even in winter, the aroma of farm animals can permeate the air. We have always surmised that visiting in the Summer would not be a good plan, given the combination of heat and pong. The damning evidence is also the fly swat which is also provided in every room. (No air conditioning either). For skiers, there is not a lot on offer on the door step. You need to travel at least 20 minutes or so to find downhill slopes, but there are some cross country trails located almost at the door of the hotel. The Kinder Club is well equiped, and there is a good range of activities offered from children up to the age of 16. There is a professional staff on board to care for the children, but organisation is not their strong point. Our New Year Dinner was totally stuffed up by not having a babysitter as requested and we ended up in our room at 10 pm with our four year old son. Be aware that the Kinder Club staff do not speak English and even in German, they are still prone to getting details wrong. There is a lot of scope for improvement in the organisation of the childcare set up, but there is no doubting the quality of the care which the children are given. It is the first Kinder Club which our son really enjoyed and asked to go back to. Going back to the spa, the beauty and massage treatments on offer at the Shwarz, are excellent. There is a broad range of both traditional and new treatments, and they are all done is modern, tasteful and welcoming treatment rooms by well qualified staff. Again, be aware that not all of them speak English, so you may have to use a bit of improvisation. A word about the New Year Dinner/party. (What we saw until 10.00 am). If you ever saw the original version of the movie 'The Poseiden Adventure', you will have a very good idea about the attire. It was a bit surreal - ballgowns, lots of silver, lots of sparkles, traditional Austrian costumes teamed up with silver shoes - it was a veritable sight to behold! Let's just say that we felt a little bit out of place, but hey, the food was superb, the decor immaculate, and we were told, the firework show at midnight incredible. The Schwarz seems to have grown quickly in recent years, and it seems to be unsure about its target audience. It is great for families with children, but there are also a similar number of silver foxes. One 81 year old told us how he tried to swim in the outdoor pool, but gave up after being jumped on numerous times by some ankle biters. The two target groups are not necessarily the easiest of bedfellows. And it shows. In our opinion, the Schwarz offers a high standard of hospitality, care and accommodation (Laura Ashley prints notwithstanding)in very relaxing environs. However, it is expensive, and next time we will try somewhere else by way of benchmark. Even with its website in English, the hotel is - on the whole - not geared up yet for English speaking clientele, and even if (like me) you only speak Swiss German (and not Hoch Deutsch) it can still be a battle to be understood. It will be interesting to see where the Schwarz is in another 5-10 years time - and whether or not they have finally decided who their target audience is. In the meantime, enjoy it now whilst it is just small enough to be called quaint.