About this hotel
General information
Das Kranzbach is an adults-only retreat on a secluded mountain plateau near Krün in Upper Bavaria. At its heart is the Mary Portman House, an English-style country house built in the early 20th century for an English aristocrat to designs by two architects of the Arts and Crafts movement. Its stepped stone gables earned it the local nickname of the “English castle”, and the hotel describes it as the only building of its kind in Germany. Inside are five lounges with open log fires.
Alongside stands the contemporary Garden Wing in wood and glass, and in the forest above the main house sits a timber Meditation House designed by Kengo Kuma. The hotel occupies its own alpine meadow; it hosts no weddings, seminars or public events, and the restaurant is reserved for guests. The focus is quiet and nature: a separate spa house with five pools, yoga, meditation and a daily programme of outdoor activity.
Location
The hotel sits on a sunny plateau at around 1,000 m in a quiet mountain valley between the Wetterstein and Karwendel ranges, looking towards the Zugspitze, 15 km from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Its own 130,000 m² alpine meadow and forest surround it, with no through roads and no neighbours; access is by a private toll road from the village of Klais. Innsbruck airport (Austria) is 52 km away, Munich airport 105 km and Memmingen airport 148 km. A free hotel shuttle collects guests from Klais station, 3 km away, between 08:00 and 22:00 if booked at least a day before arrival.
Spa
The Wellness & Nature Spa fills a separate building, the Badehaus, reached across a light-filled bridge of wood and glass, and is open to hotel guests only. It holds five indoor and outdoor pools, nine saunas and steam rooms, relaxation rooms with log fires and views of meadow and forest, a covered deck, a lawn with loungers and a clothing-optional roof terrace; a tea and juice bar serves the sauna area.
- Ladies Sauna & Relax — a women-only area with two saunas, a steam room and a relaxation room.
- Nature Spa treatments — classic massages, rituals for two, scrubs and wraps, facials with THALGO and MASSADA products, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
- Medical department — medically supervised detox programmes, medical therapies and InBody body-composition analysis.
Sports & leisure
A daily programme runs in all weathers: Nordic walking (rucksacks and poles on loan), aqua fitness, Pilates, body workouts, stretching, Qi Gong and Tai Chi, plus guided themed hikes ranging from gentle forest and meadow paths to mountain ascents. Yoga has two studios, a terrace and a platform in the forest; yoga and meditation sessions in the Meditation House run in small groups, and the pavilion can be booked for private meditation. There is a fitness centre with ten Cybex machines, personal training, e-mountain bikes with routes starting at the door, a games room with its own games curator, darts and table tennis. In winter, snowshoes are lent out and walking paths are groomed. Eighteen golf courses lie within a 70-minute drive, among them a 9-hole course in Wallgau and an 18-hole course in Oberau, both with reduced green fees for guests.
For children
Das Kranzbach is designed for adults — couples, friends and solo travellers — and children are accepted only from the age of 12. The hotel offers no dedicated children’s facilities.
Restaurants & bars
Stays include an extended half-board: a breakfast buffet with a juice room for pressing your own fresh juices, a light lunch of soup, salads and a dish of the day, homemade cakes in the afternoon, and a six-course dinner with salad and cheese buffets and a nightly choice of regional, fish or vegetarian/vegan menus. The in-house bakery produces more than 80 kinds of bread and rolls, herbs come from the hotel’s own garden and water from its own mountain spring. The same menu is served in every dining room:
- Panorama Restaurant — large picture windows onto the Karwendel range and the Zugspitze, beside the breakfast, salad and cheese buffets.
- Herb Garden Restaurant — overlooks a garden of more than 130 herbs and medicinal plants.
- Greenhouse — a room full of plants, with alpine views beyond the glass.
- Kaminzimmer — a snug, wood-panelled room built around an open fire.
- Pool-Bistro — in the Badehaus, serving an early swimmers’ breakfast, a light lunch and homemade cakes.
Swimming
The Badehaus pools are open from 07:00 to 20:00:
- Sport pool — outdoor, 21 m long (210 m²), facing the Zugspitze, 28–30 °C and heated year-round.
- Saltwater pool — outdoor, 45 m², 35–37 °C.
- Onsen — an outdoor pool modelled on Japanese hot springs, 50 m², kept at 40 °C.
- Whirlpools — one outdoor (46 m², 35–37 °C) and one indoor (50 m², 35 °C).
- Hot pool and 12 °C plunge pool in the sauna area.
Skiing
In winter there are cross-country trails, ski runs and snowshoe routes right by the hotel; for alpine skiing and snowboarding, guests head to Mittenwald, Garmisch-Partenkirchen or Seefeld.
Pets
Dogs are welcome: specially equipped rooms with direct access to the alpine meadow come with bowls, a dog bed and waste bags. A dog-wash point sits by the underground garage entrance, with towels at the other entrances. One dog is allowed per room and should be mentioned when booking; dogs are not permitted on the lawns around the pools, in the Badehaus or in the restaurant.
Rooms
Rooms are spread across the historic Mary Portman House, with individually furnished English-style interiors; the contemporary Garden Wing in larch, oak and glass, where every room has a south-facing balcony or terrace; two historic gatehouses; and a treehouse in the forest.
Every room has oak floors, a selection of teas and capsule coffee, and Wi-Fi.
Single Room Mary Portman House
A single room in the historic house, with individual furnishings, bumblebee wallpaper and a bed 160 or 180 cm wide.
Junior Double
An English-style room in the Mary Portman House for one or two guests, with a 200 × 200 cm bed and a shower room.
Double Room Mary Portman House
A double in the historic country house with bold, artful decoration; some rooms have a Poltrona Frau chaise longue.
Junior Suite
A spacious room in the Mary Portman House with modern designer furniture and a large bathroom with a freestanding tub; for two guests.
Gatehouse South
A historic gatehouse with a living room, open fire and small kitchen downstairs and two bedrooms with their own bathrooms upstairs, linked to the hotel and spa by an underground passage, with a south-facing terrace. For 2–4 guests.
Treehouse
A timber hideaway among the treetops 100 m from the hotel, reached on foot over a wooden bridge, with a large double bed, lounge area, walk-in wardrobe, a bathtub for two facing the forest and a south-facing terrace. For two guests only; no room service.
Single Room Garden Wing
A single room in the modern wing with a picture window and balcony overlooking the herb garden and the Mary Portman House, and a shower room.
Double Room Garden Wing
Panelled in local larch, with a spacious open bathroom, floor-to-ceiling windows onto the mountains and a south-facing balcony or terrace.
Deluxe Double
A room with a reading nook built into the bay window overlooking the meadow, a 210 cm-long bed, a bathroom with tub and shower, and a south-facing balcony or terrace.
Panorama Double
A top-floor room in the Garden Wing with a generous roof terrace, sweeping mountain views and a glass-fronted bathroom looking out to nature.
Suite Garden Wing
A south-facing suite with a large living room and kitchen, two bedrooms each with its own bathroom, a storeroom for outdoor gear and a terrace; for 2–4 guests.
Gatehouse North
A historic standalone house, not connected to the hotel, with a living room and kitchen, a small single room beside it, a top-floor bedroom with double bed and shower, and a roof terrace facing the forest. Steep stairs between floors and no lift.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.