A Spa Hotel to Savour in the Austrian Tyrol

Opened in 2004 and celebrating 20 years of wellness, the Aqua Dome is a spa hotel to savour: almost 700,000 square feet of space, including a world-class spa, a gym offering a variety of fitness classes, and 11 saunas to complement an assortment of sumptuous soaking pools to suit any traveller’s taste. Nestled in the Ötztal Valley near the hamlet of Längenfeld, the hotel serves as a respite for adventurous visitors to the area—the alpine valley is famous for its hiking, mountain biking, and skiing.

Guests entering the Aqua Dome are greeted with a vast lobby, which is broken up by a stylish bar with a mirrored ceiling, the decor recalling a forest with neutral brown and evergreen tones. Beyond the bar are multiple themed dining rooms that overlook a verdant valley ringed by the rugged, sugar-dusted peaks of the Austrian Tyrol. The delectable locally sourced cuisine ranges from reinvented traditional recipes like Ötztal brown trout in alpine caviar or juicy veal with berry compote to penne carbonara with Tyrolean bacon and hay-milk cream (vegan options are also available). At the breakfast buffet, served until a relaxing 11 a.m., an omelette station churns out fluffy eggs alongside an array of smoked meats, creamy cheeses, and baked goods, all accompanied by freshly squeezed juice. And for those who don’t feel like getting dressed before or after a day in the spa, meals are also served at a cafeteria directly next to the enticing thermal waters.

Along plaid patterned carpeted hallways is a recently renovated wing where the guest rooms bring the German word gemütlichkeit to mind. This perfect blend of modernity and coziness is achieved in the burnished wood decor, furnishings upholstered in rich cream, heated bathroom floors, and the fluffiest duvets to snuggle up under. The free minibar is replenished daily, and there is a soothing serenade of cowbells and the bleating of baby goats frolicking in the pasture just outside the window.

The other wing has a more traditional mountain feel, with junior suites that boast crackling fireplaces and adjoining doors to accommodate families. These rooms offer more direct access to the thermal spa area, which has a children’s area with two waterslides and a playground.

Adult-only sections of the spa tend to be clothing free—bring towels to sit on and rest your feet on—including Sauna World, which features steamy sauna experiences infused with scents from lemongrass and mint to local Austrian beer. During these infusions, the sauna coach does an intricate dance that involves dousing the heated stones of the sauna with the scented liquid, smashing a ball of ice on top of it to increase the steam, then wafting the scented steam over a crowd of glistening individuals who breathe it in and sweat it out.

In the evening, when the stars are on full display, the heated saltwater pool at the top of the pyramidal staircase to the three distinctive outdoor “bowls” that give the hotel its unique architectural design is lit up with firefly-like lights. Hotel guests also have exclusive access to a lounge with a secluded wood-fired sauna, individual soaking pools that overlook the charming church in the heart of Längenfeld, and a bar serving cocktails and mocktails.

The spa also offers a sweet—and sticky massage, with Tyroleon honey from the valley in which the hotel is situated, the hives so close you can almost hear the buzzing. If being cocooned in honey is not your thing, the spa features a variety of treatments to lift the spirits, from antistress massages and detox birch oil massages to microdermabrasion and anti-aging facials, and classic manicures and pedicures.

The unique and relaxing Wave Signature Rituals, developed specifically for the Aqua Dome, involve combining sounds and sound waves with waves of warm water—alongside a treatment specialist—on a waterbed to achieve ultimate relaxation and regeneration. Rituals for kids and teens and pregnant women are also available.

Whether you spend a day or a week indulging in all the hotel has to offer, rejuvenation and relaxation are the top priority at Aqua Dome: a total immersion in wellness and alpine wilderness, guaranteed to soothe and satisfy.

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