The philosopher Johannes Müller built Schloss Elmau between 1914 and 1916 as a cultural retreat. After a fire in 2005, his grandson Dietmar Mueller-Elmau rebuilt it, and in 2015 he added the Retreat, a separate, more private hotel. Between the Hideaway and the Retreat there are about 150 rooms and suites, six spas and nine pools. It hosted the G7 summits in 2015 and 2022.
The hotel hosts around 140–160 concerts a year in its 300-seat hall, plus book readings and debates. There is a good bookshop and a library. Outside you have hiking in summer, winter sports from December to April, and the Wetterstein mountains. Ikigai holds two Michelin stars. Munich is within easy driving distance, so the hotel pairs well with a few days there.
Schloss Elmau suits families, music lovers and anyone who wants to stay in one place and unwind. It is a large hotel with a lot going on, so it is less intimate than the small Italian houses on this list. It is remote, so you will need a car or transfers.
Schloss Elmau sits alone in a high valley in the Bavarian Alps near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, combining a large spa resort with a serious program of concerts and literature. It is our favorite Alpine hotel for families and for anyone who likes music and books.
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