Krün, Bavaria, Germany · 1 hr from Innsbruck · Country house spa hotel
Das Kranzbach
An English Arts and Crafts castle alone in a thirteen-hectare meadow, with a 40°C onsen, nine saunas and no events of any kind.
An English Arts and Crafts castle standing alone in thirteen hectares of protected Bavarian meadow, built in 1913 for the Hon. Mary Isabel Portman and interiors reworked by Ilse Crawford. No children under twelve, no groups, no weddings, no events of any kind, and the restaurant serves residents only.
The onsen is outdoors, fifty square metres, held at a constant forty degrees. There are nine saunas including a women-only Ladies Spa, a twenty-one-metre sport pool heated year-round with the Zugspitze in front of it, a saltwater brine pool, and a nudist deck on the roof of the bathhouse. Day guests are not admitted anywhere in it.
Board is what they call superior half board and most places would call full: breakfast with an in-house bakery and a juice room, a light lunch, cake in the afternoon, six courses at night with your table held for you. Solo travellers can ask to sit at the communication table. If you arrive by train they will collect you from Klais until ten at night.
The Alps — the region, not the property. Photograph Claudio Biesele
I
The facilities
Nature Spa with 25 treatment rooms, in a 130,000 m² protected alpine meadow, exclusively for hotel guests
Outdoor Onsen — a Japanese hot pool, 50 m², at a constant 40°C
Nine saunas and steam rooms, including a women-only Ladies Spa
21 m outdoor sport pool, 210 m², heated year-round, with Zugspitze views
Saltwater brine pool, 45 m², 35–37°C year-round
Nudist roof terrace on the Badehaus; indoor relaxation rooms with log fires
II
The rooms
CategorySizeSleeps
Single roomMary Portman House; oak floors, 160 cm bed24 m²1
Double roomMary Portman House; some with a chaise longue32–40 m²2
Junior SuiteMary Portman House; some with a freestanding bathtub45–65 m²2
TreehouseA separate treehouse in the forest, 100 m from the hotel50 m²2
Gatehouse southOpen fire, two bedrooms, a 30 m² terrace100 m²4
6 categories from the hotel's own pages, smallest first — see their own page ↗. Categories are spread across the Mary Portman House, the Garden Wing, two gatehouses and a treehouse; the Garden Wing categories fall outside these six.
III
What the rate covers
What you will not have to think about
Breakfast
time not published
Gourmet buffet with in-house bakery and a juice room where you make your own
Light lunch
time not published
Soup and salad buffet, fresh bread, sliced meats, mountain cheeses, spreads, and a daily dish at the front cooking station
Afternoon
time not published
Freshly baked homemade cakes in the pool bistro and the Kräutergarten
Dinner
time not published
Six courses including salad and cheese buffet; your table is reserved each evening
Drinks, and the small printPure water from the hotel's own mountain spring, still or sparkling; house blend herbal tea on leaving the restaurant; tea and coffee in the rooms; tea and juice bar in the sauna area.
Yours, at no extra cost
Daily activity programme
Nordic walking, Pilates, aqua fit, body workout, stretching and more
Guided themed hikes
Gentle paths through forest and mountain meadows, or challenging routes up the mountain
Rucksack and pole loan
For Nordic walking
Snowshoes
Free loan, limited numbers
Fitness centre
Ten Cybex machines
Games room
With an in-house Games Curator; darts room and table tennis
Rail pick-up
Free from Klais station until 22:00
Also in the rate
Basket with soft dressing gowns and bathing towels for the stay; flip-flops to take home
Sauna and pool complex closed to day guests entirely
Hotel garage free
Solo travellers can be seated at the communication table at dinner
IV
Before you book
Before you go3 things worth knowing first
Minimum stay of 2 nights. Shorter stays are usually possible off-season, but ask.
Dogs — €35 per night without food (third-party figure).
Language. English is spoken throughout, but the hotel's own pages are often fuller in German — which is where several of the details above came from.
What is not included9 charges on top of the rate
Yoga
€20 pp per 90-minute session, morning and evening
Meditation
€20 per session in the Meditation House, 90 min including a forest walk
Private Meditation House
€90 for two hours, one to two people
Personal training
€90 per 50 min
E-mountain bikes
€35 per day including helmet and water bottle
Room service
€15 per food order, €10 per drink order
Single occupancy
€100 per night for single use of a double room
Dog
€35 per night without food (third-party figure)
All wellness treatments
Charged
The facts, as published11 lines, plus a link to their own site
Classification5-star
CategoryCountry house spa hotel
RoomsNot published
SpaNot published
Saunas9
Pools5
Minimum stay2 nights
Spa on arrival dayNot published
Spa on departure dayNot published
ChildrenNo kids club, children's programme or children's facilities are published. Third-party guides list a minimum guest age of 12 — this is not stated by the hotel; treat as unverified.
Adults-only areasEffectively adults-oriented; a separate Ladies Spa and a nudist roof terrace
Two Michelin Keys, 2025RELAX Guide 2026 — four lilies, 20/20Falstaff Spa Guide 2026 — 98/100
Falstaff and the RELAX Guide are the two authorities on spa hotels in the German-speaking world — widely trusted there, and almost unknown elsewhere. Falstaff scores out of 100; the RELAX Guide awards up to four lilies, which very few hotels hold. Gault&Millau rates kitchens in toques, four being exceptional.
VI
Getting there
By air
Innsbruck 1 hr · Munich 1 hr 45
By rail
Klais, 3 km
Transfers
Free shuttle from Klais, 08:00 to 22:00, booked a day ahead
Worth knowing
Final approach is via the private Klais–Elmau toll road
VII
Why it qualifies
Every one of these was verified against what the hotel itself publishes. Any of them will take you to the others that share it.
Compiled from the hotel's own published pages where available, otherwise from trade and press sources, correct as at September 2026. Anything marked "not published" is something the hotel does not state — we would rather tell you that than guess. The image above is a generated illustration, not a photograph of the property.
