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A family hotel in Austria with a pool is, for us, the most reliable formula for a genuinely relaxed holiday. Hike, swim or wander through a pretty little town in the morning, then in the afternoon the kids jump straight into the warm water while we parents lean back with a good book. That’s exactly why we’ve combed through our favourite spots and picked out the properties where the pool is just as much a part of the holiday for kids as it is for parents.
We know all ten of these addresses personally, or have handpicked them according to our own criteria: families are explicitly welcome, the design genuinely appeals to parents, and the food makes both big and small guests happy.
How we chose these family hotels in Austria with a pool
Not all pools are created equal. Some families want a slide and a baby pool, others a calm indoor pool with mountain views, and some want an entire thermal spa right outside the room. That’s why this list deliberately includes different types of properties: from the sustainable eco-pool in Tyrol, to the design boutique hotel with Splash Time, all the way to a thermal spa resort in Burgenland. We start in western Austria and work our way through to Pannonian Southern Burgenland, so there’s something here whichever direction you’re travelling from, and whatever your family looks like.
1. Hotel Stern, Obsteig in Tyrol: the eco indoor pool with a slide
The Stern has been writing history in Tyrol since 1509, and today it’s Austria’s first climate-neutral hotel. What especially impresses us here: sustainability and water-based fun aren’t mutually exclusive. The Sternentaucher eco indoor pool was cleverly built underground to keep the property’s footprint small, and yet it still has everything guaranteed to make kids’ hearts race. A Trioslide, a baby pool, a waterfall, and a bubble bench. All the energy used comes from sustainable sources. After a day in the pool, a panoramic sauna awaits the parents, and in the evening the alpenglow lights up from the rooftop terrace. You sleep in natural rooms built from regional larch wood, and meals follow the Butz-und-Stingl principle using regional ingredients.
Good to know
If you want to show your kids that environmental responsibility and pool fun genuinely go hand in hand, this is the best proof of that anywhere in the Alps.
Read more here: Favourite spot: Hotel Stern
2. TAUERN SPA Zell am See – Kaprun: the Skyline Pool with glacier views
Right at the foot of the Kitzsteinhorn lies the TAUERN SPA, and even from outside, the glass Skyline Pool catches your eye, seeming to float on the rooftop. Over 20,000 square metres of spa water and sauna world, a 127-metre tube slide, and the dedicated children’s area Kidstein keep the kids happily occupied for hours. And the parents? They retreat to one of ten saunas, or take a swim of their own in the Skyline Pool, with views over the glacier world of the Hohe Tauern. On the food side, everything from the family buffet to the gourmet restaurant FinESSEN is on offer, so an evening for two is well within reach too.
Good to know
The spa water and sauna world is currently being revitalised, running until mid-October 2026. If you want to experience the fully redesigned property, it’s best to plan your visit from autumn onwards.
You’ll find all the details on Favourite spot: TAUERN SPA Zell am See – Kaprun
3. Tillga Glück, Obertilliach in East Tyrol: a pool area with nature as the view
Tillga Glück lives up to its name in every sense. Modern, clean-lined and yet incredibly cosy, this hotel sits in Obertilliach, surrounded by the quiet mountain world of East Tyrol. The highlight for families is the spacious pool area with mountain views. While the kids splash about, your gaze drifts out through the large windows to the natural scenery beyond. Breakfast is a lovely start to the day, and hiking trails begin practically right at the door. A retreat for families who appreciate good design but also value staying grounded, and who want to discover East Tyrol as one of Austria’s quietest corners.
Good to know
Obertilliach is one of those places where slowing down isn’t just a marketing phrase, it’s genuinely how everyday life works here. If you want to escape the bustle of the bigger holiday regions, this is exactly the right spot.
You can read more in our article: Favourite spot: Tillga Glück
4. Sendlhofer’s, Bad Hofgastein: a nature spa with indoor and outdoor pools
Just a few kilometres further down the valley, Sendlhofer’s, right in the centre of Bad Hofgastein, shows just how well modern and traditional can come together. This family-run property is full of thoughtful little details: cosy rooms with mountain views, a beautifully laid-out garden, and a nature spa with both indoor and outdoor pools. For sauna sessions, there’s a family sauna as well as a separate adults-only area, so nobody has to miss out on anything. The heart of the house is Luke’s Wohnzimmer, where a lovely breakfast awaits in the morning, and in the evening, a menu full of regional, seasonal delights.
Good to know
From Sendlhofer’s, you can head straight out on our favourite half-day hike to the Annencafé, complete with a playground and a dreamy view. The afternoon by the pool tastes twice as good afterwards.
5. Haus Hirt, Bad Gastein: Splash Time at a design boutique hotel
Haus Hirt was one of our very first favourite spots, and it’s a recommendation that comes straight from the heart. Small, refined, and perched with a magnificent mountain backdrop above Bad Gastein, this boutique hotel does things its own way. Here, the indoor pool belongs officially to the kids in the late afternoon: during daily Splash Time, the little ones get to make as much noise in the pool as they like, before heading on to a children’s dinner. From 6 p.m., the wellness area turns into an adults-only zone, and we parents get to enjoy the sauna, steam bath and Aveda treatments in peace. The radon-rich thermal water from the Gastein springs flows straight into the building. On top of that, there are workshops for kids and teens, a lovely programme for toddlers, and a babysitter on request. Bad Gastein’s loveliest hiking routes practically start at the hotel door, with a buggy and child carrier ready to borrow on site.
Good to know
Haus Hirt feels less like a hotel and more like the holiday home of good friends. Getting there is easy by train straight to Bad Gastein, with a shuttle bringing you to the hotel in five minutes.
6. Falkensteiner Family Hotel Montafon: the grand water world at the Golm adventure mountain
Right in the far west of Austria, directly at the Erlebnisberg Golm adventure mountain in Montafon, waits what’s probably the most generous water world on this whole list. The Acquapura Spa, spanning 1,400 square metres, has a heated indoor and outdoor pool, a baby water corner, and not one but two slides, each with a stopwatch to time your own descent. That’s more than enough to get everyone, big and small, competitive. The best part: the family area and the adults-only spa with its panoramic sauna are clearly separated, so parents genuinely get a chance to switch off. The property carries a CO2-neutral certification, and in Falkyland, the kids are lovingly looked after, learning about alpine nature in a playful way through the ranger programme. Right outside the door, the forest slide park, the Alpine Coaster, and the Golmerbahn cable car up into the mountains all get started.
Good to know
If you fancy swimming outdoors after an afternoon in the pool: you can glide straight from the warm indoor pool out into the open air, with views of the Montafon mountains.
7. Goldener Ochs, Bad Ischl: an indoor pool meets an imperial spa town
In the former imperial spa town of Bad Ischl, the Goldener Ochs brings together town and mountain in a wonderfully relaxed way. This property, rich in history, sits right on the Traun river, and since Verena took over the hotel from her parents, bold, harmonious colours have run like a thread all the way through to the spa area. There, an indoor pool awaits, along with a sauna landscape with steam bath, a salt inhalation tower, and a Kneipp pool. Children have their own firm place at the Goldener Ochs: a conservatory with a play corner, children’s portions in the restaurant and bar, and a cot set up right next to the parents’ bed at no extra cost. The path to the historic Katrin cable car starts right outside the door, whisking you up into fresh mountain air in just 15 minutes.
Good to know
The perfect holiday mix of strolling through town, café culture and mountains. For families who find a pure mountain hotel a bit one-dimensional, this is our hidden gem in the Salzkammergut.
To the favourite spot in the Salzkammergut: Hotel Goldener Ochs
8. Reiters Finest Family, Bad Tatzmannsdorf: separate pool worlds in Burgenland
In Burgenland, the Reiter family shows just how thoughtfully a large family resort can be designed. The pool area is split into a children’s zone and a parents’ zone. While the kids splash and romp about, the adults get to properly relax just a few metres away. The Yin-Yang Spa is reserved for the grown-ups, offering saunas, steam baths, and a lovely outdoor pool with both warm and cold water. On top of that, there’s a whole range of activities, genuinely great food, and a sustainability concept that takes economic, ecological and social goals seriously. With over 300 days of sunshine a year, Burgenland is an underrated summer destination anyway.
Good to know
If you’re in the mood for more of the region after all that pool fun: our favourite spots in Burgenland with kids come with matching day trips built right in.
You’ll find all the details on Favourite spot: Reiters Finest Family
9. Allegria Resort Stegersbach: the thermal spa right outside your room door
If one pool isn’t quite enough, why not an entire thermal spa. The Allegria Resort in Southern Burgenland connects directly to the Allegria Therme Stegersbach. Well over a dozen pools with water between 26 and 35 degrees, slides, several baby and children’s pools, and a 6,700-square-metre active and outdoor area leave no water-based wish unfulfilled. The mascot Badolin keeps the little ones’ eyes lighting up throughout. And the parents? They retreat to the Flüstertherme and the Yin Yang Spa, the hotel’s quiet retreats reserved for guests aged 15 and up. There’s also a dedicated family sauna time each morning. All around, the mild Pannonian climate, gentle hills, and Southern Burgenland’s cycle network are waiting.
Good to know
The thermal spa is also open to the public, but as a hotel guest, you get the unbeatable bathrobe walk straight from your room into the water. With small children especially, that’s pure gold.
To the favourite spot: Allegria Therme Stegersbach
10. Thierseerhof, Thiersee in Tyrol: pool, spa and all of it just an hour from Munich
Just past the German border lies the Thierseerhof, which makes it the perfect candidate for a long weekend. From Munich, you’re there in around an hour. This family-run property has been completely renovated in recent years, blending modern and traditional elements. The spacious rooms, with Swiss pine wood, a tea bar and, depending on the room category, even a tiled stove, make settling in easy. In the new spa area, several saunas, a large relaxation room, and the pool all wait for the kids to swim their laps after a hike up the local mountain. At dinner, the kitchen is happy to conjure up a kid-friendly version of whatever the parents are having. The high chair is already waiting at the family table before you even have to ask.
Good to know
The short journey makes the Thierseerhof our tip for a spontaneous short break with a pool, whenever the craving for mountains is big but the time window is small.
You’ll find all the details here: Favourite spot: Thierseerhof
Frequently asked questions about family hotels in Austria with a pool
Which family hotel in Austria has the most unusual pool?
For us, it’s the Sternentaucher eco indoor pool at Hotel Stern in Tyrol. A slide, a baby pool, a waterfall and a bubble bench all come together here with a genuinely thoughtful sustainability concept powered entirely by renewable energy. We haven’t found that particular combination anywhere else in the Alps.
Indoor pool or outdoor pool: which is better for families?
For Austria, we’d recommend properties with an indoor pool, since that makes you weather-independent and turns even a rainy day into a highlight. If you want both, Sendlhofer’s in Bad Hofgastein or the Allegria Resort Stegersbach, with their indoor and outdoor pools, will make you happy.
Are there family hotels with a pool where parents still get some peace and quiet?
Yes, and that’s exactly what we looked out for when making our selection. At Haus Hirt, the pool belongs to the kids during afternoon Splash Time and to the adults from 6 p.m. onward. At Reiters Finest Family, the children’s and parents’ areas are physically separate; at the Falkensteiner Montafon there’s a separate adults-only spa; and at the Allegria Resort, the Flüstertherme is reserved for guests aged 15 and up.
Which family hotel with a pool works well for a weekend from Munich?
The Thierseerhof in Tyrol is only around an hour from Munich, making it our favourite for a spontaneous short trip with a pool, spa, and a local mountain right outside the door.
A family hotel in Austria with a pool means, above all, one thing to us: holiday days that genuinely work for everyone. Whether it’s sustainable slide fun in Tyrol, Splash Time at a design hotel in Bad Gastein, or thermal spa water in sunny Burgenland, we’ve chosen every one of these ten properties by the same standards we’ve used to curate our favourite spots for years. Personally checked, with style, and with a genuine soft spot for families. Know a property that belongs on this list? Drop us a line at hello(@)theurbankids.com, we’re always happy to hear a good tip.
