This is definitely the best location on Mt Buller. A few steps to the Ski School and Holden Chairlift. This hotel has the old world charm of an european ski lodge. We stayed in room 15 which had a seperate sleeping area for the kids. Basic furnishings etc, but very clean and everything we needed. The kids loved the computer room and TV Lounge. The spa and sauna area that you can pre-book was great too. The cooked breakfasts were really high quality and it was lovely eating overlooking Bourke Street. Note - it is very expensive to stay on the mountain with true ski in and out facilities, so dont compare prices and facilities to city hotels. We had the misfortune of having a sick child whilst we stayed and the staff were so helpful and caring. It was not bother to come and change bed linen twice during the night! The hotel even refunded us our unused ski hire as we decided to take out sick child home one day early. I can't recommend Pension Grimus enough. Well done and thanks!!

My husband and I stayed at the Pension Grimus last week – our first trip to the snowfields of Victoria. We stayed in Room 8 – with a spa and balcony. The room itself was large, with a king bed (made of 2 singles zipped together) , a trundle of 2 singles, a couch and dining table as well as bathroom and separate toilet.

The Grimus is an institution on Mt Buller and has been there since the 1970’s and is styled like an Austrian lodge; I believe the owners are from Austria originally. The feel and decor is reminiscent of this with character lighting, decor and restaurant. It has a homey lived in feel that is welcoming.

A previous reviewer mentioned that the room spa was difficult to get into – I would disagree. I am 5’2 think that it was perfectly fine. I would mention that as the hotel is spread across multiple levels it is not really suitable for the elderly or infirm – essentially neither is a ski resort.

There was also a Spa, Sauna & Plunge pool located on the first floor that was available to rent free of charge in ½ hour allotments. The spa is about 2 metres square with many mirrors and a very powerful set of jets. The sauna is a dry sauna and very relaxing. The plunge pool was cold, very cold.

Our Likes;
1. Heated floors
2. Large Spa in room
3. Room layout
4. Abundant doonas & pillows
5. Breakfast to order is part of the tariff
6. Complimentary use of washing facilities as well as Spa & Sauna
7.Free internet and lounge with Austar TV
8.15% discount on ski rentals

Our Dislikes;
1.Noisy bar fridge
2.Shower temperature and pressure varied a lot
3.TV was small and some channels disappeared
4.The fuses blew twice when a light bulb died
5.Housekeeping didn’t replace tea and milk on two occasions

The location was one of the best – about halfway up next to the Holden Express chairlift. The view was spectacular and the noise was minimal – the double glazing even kept out the snow machine noises. We paid about $480 a night and overall the hotel was quite nice. A few upgrades and maybe a microwave in the room or shared areas and I would give it 5 stars.

We have just returned home from a holiday to Victoria which included a trip to Mount Buller to enjoy the snow.
I will now giveTrip Advisor reviews a little more merit, as before I booked at Pension Grimus all indications told us that there was not a lot of happy clients. Unfortunately our stay at Mount Buller will not be the most 'magic holiday' due to unsatisfactory accommodation quality.
Being involved in the tourism industry I believe I can also be a critic when a product does not meet certain standards.
When we first arrived there was no lobby to indicate where the entrance was to the hotel. The only door to the hotel entrance was a single doorway which you had to hold open while the family passed through with their cases and luggage all at the same moment people are trying to exit the building. You then have to climb a narrow flight of steps with all your luggage to the reception area. The staff behind the desk do a great job in booking you in promptly then show you to your room which is up another set of stairs and narrow passages which two people approaching each other would not be able to pass each other unless one person steps sideways to avoid the other.
We were booked into room 8 and when we first walked into the room, there was a little disapointment considering we paid $600AU a night. The view from the balcony was good overlooking the snow fields, but that was the only positive about the room. The bedding arrangements had two single king size beds zipped together - although this is common in many hotels - but the bedding covers was two SINGLE doona's!! The bathroom floor was heated as mentioned in a lot of reviews but when expecting a luxurious spa to relax in we found a 1300mm corner spa bath with a glass shower screen/enclosure all the way around it (it also acts as the shower) and would be very difficult for the elderly to access. The toilet was through a door straight off the main bedroom area but only had a screen wall that was shared with the bathroom so there was not alot of privacy whilst one was in the toilet. There was also evidence that they had done some renovations in the toilet and very obviously filled in an existing window with brickwork as the very rough brickwork awaiting plaster and tiles was still present and unslightly.
The room was also experiencing the many knocks, gurgles an noises many people have previously written and complained about.
After spending a few days at the hotel, on the last day we requested a late check out which the hotel granted, but we thought it might be nice after skiing in the morning to end with a spa and sauna (which the hotel does not charge for this use) before leaving. Unfortunately we could only spend 10 minutes in the spa because the fumes from the chlorine was so strong it was affecting our eyes and throats!
I might sound like a 'whinger' but believe in praise when it's due, but the Grimus is an 'old Hotel' which might have a reputation for being a landmark on the mountain but have a good look around to see if you can spend your dollars better.
Smarten up Guys!

How do you criticize an icon of Mt Buller? First remember that criticism can be positive as well as negative. The staff are absolutely terrific, as is the location & ski hire. No complaints there, Hans & Loti Grimus. But as a recent Mt Buller News had put it in reference to Hans and a couple of other Buller old timers “all of us silly old guys, we’re tired and cynical and running out of ideas”. Yes, you are!
One thing that is apparent is that the money making machines are going full bore. Everyone knows skiing is expensive, that’s not what I’m on about. When you hire a Roller and an old Holden shows up, that’s just not fair! Our room, which was as strangely the aforementioned No. 7 in another review, was truly showing its age, much like the owners. When we complained of the constant motor like noise, we were informed by one and all that no one had EVER complained before. Ok, reality check time, maybe it’s us. Nope, noise still there, and almost masking a strange gurgling/ bubbling sound also constantly present. Apparently the noise was coming from the kitchen exhaust, straight below us, so it did switch off around 11pm, but was back on for breakfast, lunch and so on. The aquarium noises were constant.
At breakfast, which was really good and part of the deal, we spoke to a couple who had also complained about their room and had been moved. They mentioned that the in-floor heating was almost too warm. Strange, our floor wasn’t heated and the bath/toilet were really cold. Time to ask, again!
The maintenance guy told us there was nothing he could do, about the kitchen fans, which he tried to adjust, about the gurgling noises, even after he had tried to eliminate a possible trapped air bubble in our hydronic radiatior panel, and about the lack of floor heating, eventually remembering that they had to isolate our “section” because they had had a “problem”. We request a room change several times, since for about $750 a night, we wanted to be comfortable. In the end Loti told us she would find us other accommodation on the mountain since she “didn’t want us to be unhappy”, but she never got back with a viable alternative, other than to reassure us that hotels ARE noisy.
The stay on Buller itself was terrific, great skiing and atmosphere, only spoilt by the disappointing accommodation, and the attitude of the obviously “experienced” management to do anything real about the problems, other than tinker around the edges.
As the saying goes, it’s hard to teach old dogs to do new tricks.