Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa Retreat & Cultural Hideaway
Casually grand. Think world-class everything — spas, concerts, food — but without the stiffness. The interior mixes Italian furniture, Indian textiles (elephants everywhere), and golden light fixtures by Enzo Catellani. The staff philosophy is literally: 'Just be yourself, and be nice.' Dress code exists only at Ikigai; elsewhere come straight from the pool.
Book Ikigai as far in advance as possible — it has just 28 seats and fills up fast. You can attend even without an overnight stay.
Why It Matters
The only hotel in the world to have hosted the G7 Summit twice. It holds 2 Michelin stars at restaurant Ikigai, was named Hotel of the Year 2025 (Germany, Austria & Switzerland), and runs up to 160 concerts per year in its own historic concert hall. Six distinct spas — three adults-only, three family-friendly — including the largest hammam west of Istanbul. Runs on 100% eco-power and 90% wood-chip heating.
Schloss Elmau is a one-of-a-kind resort sitting at 1,000 metres above sea level in its own protected valley in the Bavarian Alps — about 90 minutes from Munich. Two separate five-star hotels share the same estate: the historic Hideaway (rebuilt 2007, 100 rooms) and the ultra-luxury Retreat (opened 2015, 47 suites). Guests of either hotel can use everything across both. Six spas, nine pools, a two-Michelin-star restaurant, a legendary concert hall hosting 140–160 performances a year, a bookstore that rivals a proper cultural institution — this place is genuinely hard to categorize. It has hosted the G7 Summit twice, in 2015 and again in 2022.
Where You'll Stay
11 room types available
Hideaway Double Room
Entry-level rooms in the heritage-listed Hideaway castle building. Furnished with Italian and Asian materials. Not huge, but genuine alpine views and access to all resort facilities compensate.
25 sqmHideaway Family Suite
80 sqm suites in the Hideaway with two separate sleeping rooms, one with individual beds. Great views of the Elmau Valley with sunrise and sunset from May through October.
80 sqmHideaway Junior Suite
60–80 sqm suites in the Hideaway with large sleeping-living areas, balcony or loggia facing south, and a 16 sqm bathroom with separate Toto Washlet WC. Some have sofa beds and can connect to another Junior Suite.
70 sqmHideaway Summit Suite
120 sqm suites at the top of the Hideaway with master bedroom and balcony, living room, dedicated children's room with two separate beds, and a 24 sqm bathroom with two Toto Washlet WCs. Can connect to the Valley Suite (80 sqm) to form a 200 sqm Presidential Suite.
120 sqm
Retreat Double Room
Entry-level rooms in the Ultra Luxury Retreat — at 55–60 sqm they are larger than many hotels' suites. Set on a quiet hillside above the Ferchenbach creek, all feature views of the untouched Wetterstein Mountains.
58 sqmRetreat Family Suite
80 sqm family suites in the Retreat with expansive valley views. Two sleeping areas and premium finishes throughout.
80 sqmRetreat Ferchenbach Suite
85 sqm suites in the Retreat positioned above the rushing Ferchenbach mountain stream. Can connect to a double room to form a 140 sqm family layout. Named for the crystal-clear stream running below.
85 sqmRetreat Junior Suite
60–70 sqm suites in the Retreat with large sleeping-living areas and spectacular mountain views. Can be connected to the XXL Junior Suite to create a 150 sqm family configuration.
65 sqmRetreat Junior Suite XXL
80 sqm suites in the Retreat, connectable to a standard Junior Suite to form a 150 sqm two-room family configuration. Extra living space and panoramic mountain views.
80 sqmRetreat Summit Suite
At 120 sqm — or up to 200 sqm when connected to the Valley Suite — these are the grandest rooms in the Retreat and served as head-of-state accommodation during both G7 Summits (2015 and 2022). Master bedroom with balcony, separate living room, and sweeping Wetterstein Mountain views.
120 sqmRetreat Valley Suite
80 sqm suites in the Retreat with sweeping valley views. Can be connected to the Summit Suite to create a 200 sqm configuration.
80 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
12 venues on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
Archery sessions with a champion instructor on the estate grounds.
Access to three golf courses nearby: Oberau, Wallgau, and Seefeld. Hotel arranges transfers and tee times.
Three clay tennis courts on-site. Coaching available.
140–160 concerts, festivals, book presentations, and political debates per year in the legendary 300-seat concert hall. Artists in 2026 include Igor Levit (Artist in Residence), Grigory Sokolov, Janine Jansen, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Rolando Villazón, and Bill Murray with Jan Vogler. Included in the resort fee.
Guided e-mountain bike tours on idyllic trails through the Bavarian Alps. E-bikes included in the resort fee. Standard mountain bikes also available.
Guided hiking on secluded mountain paths in the Karwendel and Wetterstein ranges. The 9km round trip to Lake Ferchensee is a popular beginner route. Alpine summit hikes also available. Included in resort fee.
Kite-surfing lessons and sessions on Lake Walchensee, one of the largest alpine lakes in Germany.
Mountaineering and extreme climbing in the Karwendel and Wetterstein mountains, guided from the hotel.
SUP and rowing on the stunning Lake Eibsee, accessible from the hotel.
Wild swimming in the crystal-clear Ferchensee lake, 3km from the hotel. Water temperature reaches 22–24°C in July and August. Accessible via a 9km round-trip scenic path along the Ferchenbach stream.
Two state-of-the-art gyms across the two hotels. Spiroergometric diagnostics (metabolic testing) available, plus one-on-one personal training sessions. Basic gym access is included in the resort fee.
The Gaga movement language — created by choreographer Ohad Naharin — makes the joy of dance accessible to all regardless of prior experience. Regular retreats hosted throughout the year.
Natural cold therapy and bio-hacking at the Ferchenbach mountain stream year-round. Self-guided or with expert instruction. The Nature Spa lap pool operates June to September; ice bathing in the stream itself is available year-round.
Daily Taiji and QiGong classes led by Dr. Imke König. Described as meditation in motion. Included in the resort fee. Multi-day retreats also available.
Daily Basic and Open classes led by Advanced Certified Jivamukti Yoga teachers. Classes run morning and afternoon. The Yoga Pavilion (120 sqm) has panoramic mountain views. Included in the resort fee.
Daily Pilates classes and retreats in the dedicated Pilates studio within the Badehaus. Included in the resort fee as part of the daily activity program.
Kids Club for children up to 5 years, Kids & Teens Club for ages 6–10 (during main holiday seasons). Edutainment workshops, AI Creativity Labs, soccer camps with Bundesliga-affiliated coaches (VfB Stuttgart, VfB Wolfsburg, RB Leipzig), and swimming lessons. Included in the family resort fee for children under 15.
Personalized multi-day programs combining TCM, ice bathing, yoga, Taiji, QiGong, Pilates, intermittent fasting, and music. Designed around holistic, transformative regeneration with measurable methods.
Multi-day yoga retreats led by internationally recognized teachers from renowned studios. Different styles available throughout the year.
Multi-day tango retreats for all levels. 'Dancing makes you happy and keeps you young' is the tagline.
Full Traditional Chinese Medicine service led by Dr. Imke König, including acupuncture, Tuina massage, QiGong consultation, and longevity program design. Additional cost beyond standard treatments.
Hotel ski concierge handles equipment, ski safaris, lessons for adults and children, and cross-country (over 30km of trails). Shuttles to the Zugspitze ski area (generally December through late April) and Seefeld/Garmisch-Partenkirchen are included in the resort fee.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Boardroom (12 seats), 3 breakout rooms (50 guests each), Yoga Pavilion (75 seats for meetings / 90 theatre-style), Concert Hall (180 banquet / 300 theatre), full buyout of one or both hotels available. Twice a G7 Summit venue.
A legendary performance space with exceptional acoustics hosting 140–160 events per year including classical music, jazz festivals, literary readings, and political debates.
Considered one of the best hotel bookstores in the world. Curated across three libraries with mostly English, German, and French titles. The Silentium Library seats 11 in silence.
Full breakfast buffet for all guests, included in the mandatory resort fee added on top of room rates.
Daily afternoon cakes and fruit served in the lounges, complimentary for all guests.
One gym per hotel, both well-equipped and with spiroergometric testing capability for metabolic performance diagnostics.
On-site boutique selling accessories, home décor, lamps, fabrics, Schloss Elmau's signature colourful bathrobes, and collections by emerging designers.
Three adults-only spas (Badehaus, Oriental Hamam, Shantigiri) and three family-friendly spas (Hideaway Family Spa, Shantigiri Family Spa, Nature Spa). Pools range from 28°C to 40°C.
The entire resort runs on renewable electricity and primarily on wood-chip biomass heating.
Complimentary shuttle to local Klais train station and to ski arenas at Seefeld and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, included in the resort fee.
80 electric vehicle charging points on-site. BMW iX vehicles are available for complimentary guest sightseeing.
BUILD YOUR SCHLOSS ELMAU LUXURY SPA RETREAT & CULTURAL HIDEAWAY PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
Start Planning