Royal Appartements Sölden

Booked via Booking dot com and it exceeded all my expectations, and I've stayed quite a bit around Solden & Obergurgl. The standard of the apartment was very good and it was spotless & clean when we arrived. The kitchen & lounge area was very good, with clear thought to make sure you could have mostly everything you needed for a short self-catering stay. The TV even had BBC, ITV and Channel 4 (although not premium channels like Sky… but of course you could always find a bar, if you needed that). Good location, less than 100 yards walk to the main central ski cross point in Solden (near Bar Philip), which then takes you down to the main Gaislachkogel lift. When we were there, it was easy to ski back to this same spot (for 100 yards walk back to apartment) via the easy blue 8 or blue 10, or also the more challenging red 7b. Also, relatively easy for HochSolden to get into town at night (& back) via the Zentrum Shuttle (fernicular railway) just behind Bar Philip, which was approximately a 5 minute walk down from the apartment (and probably 6 minute walk back up). The shuttle runs until 10.00 at night. Good facilities (free underground car parking and heated ski & boot room) and it was quiet. There is also a sauna, which you have to reserve, which removes the embarrassment for us more sensitive (English) types who prefer swim costumes/shorts to the standard Austrian practice of no clothing. The only questionable thing to note (particularly for English families, with maybe children in tow) was the artwork adorning the apartment walls, which was rather on the, how shall we say, "exotic" side. You could even substitute an 'r' for an 'x' in exotic there as well. Certainly unusual in such a setting. Overall, I would say it was like a self-catering apartment with the facilities of a boutique (not mega large) 4 star hotel (reception, ski room, car park, bar. etc). Breakfast is available as an added optional extra and had within the bar area. I would willingly stay again. Finally a massive shout out (for the benefit of management) must go to Jennifer, who does reception, the bar, breakfast and a myriad of other things — she was friendly, helpful and super efficient. She is the Jewel in The Royal's Crown.