This should be the gold standard by which all pensions should be measured against. The incredible view, ambience, and service more than make up for any deficiencies anyone could find in Pension Sarstein. The rooms are cozy and done up in typical Austrian/Swiss style and absolutely spotless.

Of note (if it matters to you):
- There is no hot breakfast, but great continental + boiled eggs
- No wifi, but there is a computer and second internet cable in the library/entertainment center
- There are a lot of stairs. We lived at street level, but there were 3-4 flights of stairs to get down to the rest of the facilities. Tougher if you are with young kids or elderly.

Hallstatt is so small that location is not an issue. Whether you are arrival by shuttle, boat or bus, it is all walkable. Pension Sarstein is 5 minutes walk away from the tourist areas (boat dock, restaurants, town square) and 15-20 minutes from the saltmine.

The picture that everyone wants to take of Hallstatt (see photo) is NOT visible from Pension Sarstein. But you just have to step out and walk 30 paces from the building to get it. That being said, the scenery and tranquility is just breath taking (see other photo). Every room appears to face the water, so I don't think the view will be terribly different. My favourite moment here was after breakfast one morning when I went out to see the swans. Klaus - lederhosen and all - came out with bread so I could feed them.

I recommend this hotel like everyone else does. This is one of very few hotels I would come back to just for the incredible stay.

We stayed here in Oct 2011, just before Hallstatt was closed for the season. The pension is about 5 minutes walk from the jetty. You can see the pension from the ferry itself. If you have a very big luggage (like us), going up the small slope can be an effort. But it is worth it! We had a nice room, with attached bathroom, onlooking the lake. From the room, we could see the ferry and the train on the opposite side of the lake. Superb!

Breakfast is ok. Not much choices but bread, eggs, cereals, coffee/tea/chocolate, and orange juice is just perfect for me. But my husband was looking for some ham/sausages. But you can get hotdog at the gate of Hallstatt. There was this van, selling hotdog, french fries and chicken, at very good price. You can get 1/2 chicken for approx Eur4.

There is also internet connection in this pension. You can either use the computer provided in the pension or connect using your laptop. Very convenient!

Overall, it's worth the price. Reasonable price with good facilities and location.

The Sarstein is a lovely hotel situated right on the edge of the lake. You can see the hotel with its name clearly displayed from the ferry which takes you across the lake to Hallstatt from the train station. So there is no trouble finding it. It would be about 500 metres from the ferry terminal.

We had a lovely room with a balcony overlooking the lake. What a magnificent sight, with the mountains in the background! It was tempting just to sit on the balcony all day and admire the view.

The owner, Mr Fischer, was very nice. He cooked a boiled egg to order for us at breakfast each day and was always very interested to hear about our previous day's sightseeing activities. He was also very helpful with advice about Hallstatt and things to do. He told us about a walking track around the lake which is probably the best walk we have done on all our travels.

There are a couple of things you need to be aware of if you intend to stay at the Sarstein.

1. The external doors to the hotel are locked 24 hours a day, so it is a bit of a surprise to arrive and find the place all locked up. But there is an intercom at the front door and it was answered immediately by Mrs Fischer who came straight away and checked us in and showed us to our room.

2. The towels are a bit rough and thin and no soap is provided for the bathroom.

I mention these things just for information and in no way should they deter you from staying at the Sarstein. We will certainly stay there again if we ever return to Hallstatt. In fact, we wouldn't even think about staying anywhere else.

Stayed here a couple nights and were very pleased with the wonderful view. The cost was super and the room and bathroom were clean and tidy. The breakfast was adequate but the staff were very friendly and helpful in suggesting activities. Nice little grassy area right on the lake allowed for a nice comfortable area to relax by the lake, although our room had a fantastic balcony as well. Location was at one end of the strip along the lake - close to the action, but slightly off the well beaten path. Would definitely recommend.