Hotel Bären

Feel-good oasis, culinary heaven, casual bar, yoga temple, cycling paradise, ecological showcase project, organic boutique hotel ... Hotel Bären actually covers almost all of these things, and is pretty good at everything too. In the middle of the Austrian Alps, centrally located on the charming Mellau village square, it’s hard to imagine the Bregenzerwald region without this massive stone building. The history of the hotel began in the early 1800s as the Gasthof Bären and ended with a village fire. However, the story picked up again with the reconstruction of the building in 1870, followed by a complete rewrite in 2015 and 2019: During these years, the Frick host family had the building renovated from the ground up showing great love and respect for the historic structure. Functional original elements were retained. The old made way for something new, whose values are characterized by simplicity, deep regional ties, naturalness and emotional warmth. Today, the 26 rooms are carefully designed and stylishly furnished. Pleasantly light shades, beautiful wooden floors and furniture made by local craftsmen ensure the perfect balance between comfort and purism. The furnishings are pared back to the essentials, leaving plenty of room for relaxation. You can book classic hotel rooms with a terrace or apartments with their own small kitchens. No matter what you choose, the regional breakfast in the hotel’s own Café Deli is always included. And rumor has it that it’s by far the best hotel breakfast in all of Austria ... One of the countless reasons for treating yourself to a break at Hotel Bären.

WHAT WE LIKE MOST:

• The pared back, pleasant design of the rooms, light colors and natural materials make them very cozy.
• A sense of ecological responsibility is a top priority at Hotel Bären: The building has been renovated according to modern eco-standards, the heat supply comes from renewable energy sources, the hotel uses green electricity and there are virtually no plastics—hat off!
• In the hotel’s sauna, you can enjoy pure wellness above the rooftops of Mellau while being rewarded with a fabulous view of the Mellental valley and the surrounding mountains.
• Finally time for some self-care: Studio B, the yoga studio on the first floor, welcomes you with solid oak flooring, warm light and beautiful linen curtains—just the right ambience for meditation and mindfulness. When there are no courses taking place, you’re welcome to use the room for your own sessions.
• Finally time to take it easy: On the sun terrace, you can relax until you drop, browse through coffee-table magazines or just quietly enjoy the informal atmosphere.
• For kids, there’s the teddy bear cave with games and children’s books.
• The hub of the hotel is the Café Deli, which was named the best café in Vorarlberg in 2023 (Fallstaff)—this is where the sensational breakfast is served and even if it’s hard to believe, Hotel Bären has even more culinary spots to offer: The cozy Ristorante Pizzeria Sandro and the convivial Bar s’Bärle.
• In Hotel Bären’s gift store, you can treat yourself or others to something, including selected books from Gestalten and Brandstätter Verlag, Hotel Bären products, organic tea, cosmetics from the Bregenzerwald and delicious local delicacies.

GOOD TO KNOW:

• Families are welcome and a baby bed is available on request.
• The Bregenzerwald offers a varied mix of gentle hills, wide plains, romantic river valleys and imposing peaks.
• Mellau is located directly at the entrance to the largest nature reserve in Vorarlberg: Mellental-Hoher Freschen.
• Just a few steps away from the hotel await the Alps and wonderful tours through green forests, past mountain meadows full of flowers up to the summit—of course, you can always take a shortcut with the cable car.
• Attention road bike fans: Hotel Bären is a certified Roadbike Holidays hotel and offers everything an ambitious cyclist’s heart desires, including a workshop corner, guided tours and special bike offers.
• Those who arrive climate-neutral by bike will receive a 50 euro voucher for all hotel services as a bonus.
• There’s no such thing as boredom here. If you want to keep your vacation active, Mellau is the place to be: Trail running, running (there are varied routes of different lengths along the Bregenzer Ache river or into the Mellental valley), golfing (driving range and putting greens in Mellau, 18-hole golf course in Riefensberg-Sulzberg), swimming in the Mellau outdoor pool and various bathing spots in the Mellenbach stream.
• selbst für die kleinsten Gäste warten jede Menge Abenteuer: wie z. B. eine Nostalgiefahrt mit der Museumsbahn Wälderbähnle, Bauernhöfe hautnah erleben bei Metzler Käse oder beim Schafmilchbetrieb Gmeiner Bizau oder der Besuch im Naturerlebnispark Holdamoos
• Those who love a real winter vacation can look forward to enchanting winter hiking trails, perfectly kept cross-country ski trails, guided snowshoe hikes and ski tours for all abilities (discounted ski pass tickets are available at reception).
• For stays of three or more nights, there is the Bregenzerwald Guest Card, which allows you to use all cable cars, outdoor swimming pools and public buses free of charge until October.