Very Accommodating reception staff and newly refurbished Hotel.
Rooms very comfortable with lake views.
Great choice of food on offer with meat, Fish & Vegi options.
plus extensive Breakfast

Our second trip to this area having had a fantastic holiday the year before in Kaprun. Decided to return but to stay in Zell to benefit from the increased facilities a larger village would offer. Our first priority was to ensure we stayed in an hotel offering the Summer Card which gives free access to many attractions, ski lifts, bus service etc.
We booked the Freiberg because of its location and wasn't disappointed. The views of the lake and mountains were stunning at all times of the day. We were fortunate to have rooms 41 & 42 located on the ground floor with direct access to the garden and lakeside. Our rooms were large, clean and comfortable with plenty of storage space and a separate sitting area with TV. To hear the lake lapping at the shore first thing in the morning was heaven.

We were also very pleased with the half board arrangement, breakfast was plentiful and the evening meal of good quality. Each evening we were given a choice of either a meat, fish or vegetarian main course together with a soup, salad and desert course.

The hotel staff were all friendly, helpful and willing to give advice, recommendations and directions.

And now for the negatives - We knew this hotel was located near a train line but then Zell is a small place and all the hotels are within ear-shot of the trains. The hotel is very well sound-proofed and it wasn't an issue. We rarely heard trains at night and during the day they soon pass.
Finding the place - access is via back roads and you either go under the railway or over a level crossing next to the Grand Hotel. We hired a car and did our research before we arrived-therefore not a problem.
Standard of rooms - Our room was superb and of a very high standard although we did pay extra for a superior room. Some reviews indicate not all the rooms are as good however, the hotel is being completely refurbished between September and December 2011 to bring the hotel up to 4 star standard.
To summarize - a very nice hotel with stunning views. Enjoy swimming in the lake, walking in the mountains, shopping and the many bars.

We will be back.

As a family we had not stayed abroad before this trip. On arrival we where welcomed with a drink and our bags were taken to our rooms. The setting was magical down on the lakes edge with stunning views and easy access to the lake. As a family with two teenagers we where given two rooms next to each other.
We stayed half board and the food was excellent in both quantity and quality. From the dining room you could watch the mountains turn pink as the sun was setting. The staff provided recommendations for local drinks and then fine tuned them to our taste. Even one of our children who was recovering from anorexia was able to relax a bit and share the meals. Multiple courses meant we could keep the pressure off.
The Summer card provided us with more activities than we could possibly fit into a week. It was great after a hot days walking to be able to go for a swim in the lake to cool off. We "climbed" three alps with the help of cable cars
My son who was reluctant at the start of the week did not want to leave.

We stayed for a week in early August on half board basis. Our room was clean, spacious, well appointed and had direct access to the gardens and lake from the terrace - ideal for swimming!

The restaurant provided an extensive breakfast buffet of excellent quality, including fresh fruit, yoghurts, mueslis/cereals, cheeses, meats, fresh rolls/breads, and a hot selection of bacon and various egg dishes. We were spoilt for choice! The dinners were of an equally high quality with a varied salad buffet starter selection and delicious, fresh, home-cooked Austrian dishes. The daily fish choice was impressive too, with many unusual freshwater fish on the menu. It's hard to overstate how good the food was.

The hotel staff were friendly, helpful and spoke good English.

It is true to say that the railway line is very close to the hotel. We were aware of the trains passing behind the hotel but they did not disturb our sleep. In fact, they became a fun feature, especially when the very long freight trains went by as they had almost reached the centre of the town when the rear end was still curving round the lake beyond the hotel!

The location of the hotel is excellent for access to the lake, mountains with a good network of buses and lifts, and the town is attractive. We would highly recommend this hotel, especially rooms 41-44, which are very smart and have terraces with steps to the lakeside. We wish them every success with the refurbishment of the hotel, which will apparently be completed by December 2011.