Kitzbühel, Tyrol, Austria
A 400-year-old coaching inn turned design hotel in Kitzbühel's centre, with Rainer Becker's Zuma restaurant in the lobby and the Hahnenkamm slopes minutes away.
Fifteenth-century stone walls from Kitzbühel's old defensive fortifications still stand in the lower level of Weisses Rössl. Above them, 45 rooms layer modern interiors over a building first recorded in the town archives in 1582. The lobby doubles as a Zuma restaurant, its robata grill and sushi bar filling a space that once served as a coaching inn called Bichlwirt, where horses were swapped on the Salzburg-to-Innsbruck route.
Dr. Christian Harisch and his family acquired the hotel in 2006. A complete reconstruction in 2017 earned it membership in The Leading Hotels of the World, the first and only property in Kitzbühel to hold that distinction. The name Weisses Rössl, white horse, still nods to the coaching days. Artists, politicians, and business figures have gathered here for centuries. That tradition continues, reshaped by design.
The Hahnenkamm ski area begins a short cable car ride from the town centre. The Hahnenkammbahn lifts skiers to slopes that host one of alpine racing's most famous downhill courses. At the top station, Berggasthof Sonnbühel, run by the Harisch Hotels family, serves lunch on a sun terrace with loungers and a snow bar. Summer brings hiking and cycling across the same terrain. Kitzbühel's compact centre sits right outside the hotel door, so everything is walkable.
Explore additional experiences in the surrounding area.
.jpeg?width=1000)
Area sceneryRoute length: 6.8km loopEstimated time: 1.5hLoop routeSchutzzone Objektschutzwald is a winter seasonal protected area where access is discouraged between December 1 and April 15. It serves as a forest and wildlife protection zone recommended by the 'Bergwelt Tirol - Miteinander' program.
Route length: 58.1km loopEstimated time: 13hLoop routeKaisergebirge is a protected nature reserve classified as Naturschutzgebiet since 1963 with protection class 4. It is officially recognized as a boundary protected area with available website resources for more information.
Route length: 4.9km loopEstimated time: 1hLoop routeSchutzzone Objektschutzwald, Maleralm, is a protected forest and wildlife area recommended for winter conservation. Access is conditionally discouraged during the winter from December to mid-April to protect the ecosystem.
Route length: 3.8km loopEstimated time: 50minLoop routeThe Bocksaualm Schutzzone Objektschutzwald is a designated protected forest area with seasonal winter restrictions. It supports the conservation of forest and wildlife during the winter months when access is discouraged.
Route length: 9.9km loopEstimated time: 2hLoop routeSchutzzone Rothirsch is a protected area designated as a winter seasonal forest and wildlife protection zone. Access is conditionally discouraged from December 1 to April 15 to protect wildlife during winter months.
Route length: 8.3km loopEstimated time: 2hLoop routeSchutzzone Birkhuhn/Auerhuhn is a protected area designated as a winter seasonal wildlife and forest protection zone. Access is discouraged during the winter months from December 1 to April 15 to preserve its natural habitat.
Route length: 0.3km loopEstimated time: 4minLoop routePanorama Badewelt is a sports centre with an indoor swimming pool. Access to the facility requires a fee. More information can be found on their website.
Route length: 3.4km loopEstimated time: 46minLoop routeSchutzzone Gams/Steinbock is a protected area serving as a wildlife protection zone during the winter season from December 1 to April 15. Access is conditionally discouraged during this period to maintain the safety and wellbeing of local fauna, specifically chamois and ibex. The area is part of conservation efforts under the Bergwelt Tirol program.
Route length: 5.5km loopEstimated time: 1hLoop routeSchutzzone Gams/Steinbock is a protected area designated as a Schutzzone with a protection class 4, focused on wild animal and forest protection. Access is conditionally discouraged during the winter season from December 1 to April 15 to preserve the habitat. This area is associated with winter skiing and snowboarding activities as indicated by its website. It serves as an important natural zone within the Großer Rettenstein Northwest slope.
Route length: 0.2km linearLinear routeThis is a ski jumping hill. It is designated as a one-way piste specifically for ski jumping. The site corresponds to the Schattbergschanze as referenced in German Wikipedia.
Zuma opens each evening at six in the hotel lobby. Founded by Rainer Becker in London in 2002, this Kitzbühel outpost runs the same three stations as its siblings in Hong Kong, New York, and Dubai: a main kitchen, a sushi bar, and a robata grill. The cuisine is contemporary Japanese, built on precision and high-quality ingredients. The Zuma Bar occupies the same space, serving cocktails, champagne, and lounge music late into the night.
Beyond the lobby, the Harisch Hotels family runs two more kitchens in Kitzbühel. Berggasthof Sonnbühel sits above 1,000 metres near the Hahnenkamm summit. Chef Eckart Witzigmann called its cooking among the best at altitude. Restaurant Neuwirt, led by Jürgen Kleinhappl, serves Tyrolean and vegetarian dishes in town.
The spa stretches across 1,000 square metres on a single level. An indoor pool anchors the space, flanked by a whirlpool, sauna, and steam bath. The relaxation area centres on an open fireplace, with a sun terrace just beyond. Treatments draw on two specialist partners: Augustinus Bader for skincare and Lanserhof for signature bodywork. The beauty and massage area takes appointments from nine to seven.
A Technogym-equipped fitness centre opens at seven each morning. Personal training sessions run on request. The hotel frames wellness simply: a state of being, not a programme.
Weisses Rössl occupies a building that has stood in Kitzbühel since 1582. Preservation of the original structure, including 15th-century stone walls, reflects a long-term commitment to retaining what already exists rather than building new.
No formal sustainability certifications or environmental programmes are published for the property at this time. The hotel's operational approach favours durability in materials and partnerships with local Tyrolean suppliers through the Harisch Hotels family network.
Weisses Rössl Kitzbühel offers 6 accommodation types.
Rooms and Suites
The hotel offers 45 rooms and suites combining timeless elegance and comfort. A newer annex called 'the Residence' houses spacious hotel rooms, exclusive suites, and the spa area.
Deluxe Suite Sonnberg
Deluxe Studio Sailer
Deluxe Junior Suite
Deluxe Room Seidlalm
Deluxe Room Sonnbuehel
Step into more than 400 years of alpine history, with Zuma in the lobby and the Hahnenkamm at your door.
Metsa AI is an independent travel directory platform. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by this hotel. All trademarks and brand names belong to their respective owners. For inquiries, please contact us at info@metsa.ai. Any stated affiliation or endorsement will be clearly indicated.
