Even from before Oscar was born Mr S couldn’t wait to take him skiing. Growing up and going on ski holidays from aged 4 himself, Mr S absolutely loves being on the slopes and was keen to get his son into it. Personally I never went skiing until I was 35 and never took to it from the beginning. Though I loved the actual holiday I was rubbish at the skiing part! So I was keen for Oscar to try early too and be able to feel the thrill of skiing that Mr S and his family feel.
Despite being 28 weeks pregnant, we didn’t want Oscar to miss the ski season so we decided to book a trip before we missed the opportunity. It was hard to find a hotel that ticked all the boxes as we wanted a family-sized room (many are insanely expensive), a hotel and resort that was very child friendly and somewhere that wasn’t a long drive from the airport. Usually I take recommendations from trusted websites, publications, blogs and social media but it was a random Google that led me to discover Moargut located in Grossarl near Salzburg, Austria. The place seemed so perfect that I booked it immediately for a four night stay and here’s why:
What is Moargut Familien Natur Resort?
Nestled high in the hills, an hour’s drive from Salzburg airport lies Moargut Familien Natur Resort, part luxury hotel, part farm and entirely perfect for children and parents alike. Dubbed a ‘Kinderhotel’ every detail of this hotel is geared towards family. The idea of which might conjure up something a bit grim in your mind but Moargut is the absolute perfect mix of stylish interiors and luxury for adults alongside excellent facilities for children. The place felt intimate and personal as there is only room for 45 families and every single one of them had children with them and because we were there during school holidays they were all small children Oscar’s age. Having said the hotel feels intimate, the grounds feel vast and you and your children will not feel short of things to do!
Our Room and the Interiors at Moargut
We booked a three room Family suite Königskerze which is one of the hotel’s mid-level suites and can accommodate 2 – 5 people with a master bedroom, a children’s bunk room, living space, bathroom and terrace. I much prefer a larger living space and two bedrooms when travelling with Oscar but at many of the well-known resorts even the smallest rooms were extremely expensive whereas Moargut was great value for money fo the size of the room. 
The living area was a really good size with a mini fridge and coffee making facilities. There was absolutely loads of storage too which is ideal with plenty of bulky ski stuff. 
I loved the natural materials used through out the room such as pine oak and loden and the simple room still felt sophisticated. Cots can be provided too.
The bunk room was really cute and could sleep three kids. The cushions included the hotel’s mascot, giant chicken, Gusti! More on him later.
The bathroom was great for families with a a bath and a fold down nappy changing station. Children’s toiletries are also included plus should you need pretty much anything else for babies or children, it can be provided. 
We ended up not having much time to enjoy our sun-kissed terrace but it was good know it was there!
The rest of the hotel is minimalistic and modern whilst remaining in keeping with classic alpine elements. Whilst the interiors are beautiful and classy, it is the exteriors and surrounding views that outshine everything. One of the key philosophies of Moargut is keeping in harmony with nature and a dedication to sustainability. Despite the stylish interiors there’s never any doubt you’re in a Kinder hotel – there’s contempoary Stokke high chairs at the tables…
And even the little rocking chairs dotted about the place look elegant.
Child Care at Moargut
Now I’m about to tell you something that my be the biggest selling point of this hotel. Drumroll… Moargut offers childcare from 9am – 9pm all entirely included within the cost of the stay! And the kids club at Moargut was literally the best I’d ever seen. 
Just look at this gorgeous 1,000 m² Natur-Kinderhof, all made sustainably with natural materials. It’s absolutely stunning as well as functional and these photos don’t even scratch the surface of how much was there. You can come here and play with your children yourself or leave them in the safe hands of the staff. There’s a baby and toddler area too as well as an outdoor sensory path.
There’s something for every child from the active child who likes to climb and swing to those who prefer books, or the imaginative play as well as arts and crafts area and all important spaces to rest. 
The staff can even look after babies from 30 days old and provide sensory toys and separate care and sleeping areas.
While holiday child care might not be for everyone, what we’ve always found works for us is spending the morning and lunch with Oscar then putting him in creche from 3 – 5pm to give me a rest and on this holiday allow Mr S to have some ski time. This way we get some down time and Oscar experiences a diverse mixture of activities. Everyday at breakfast the hotel gives you a programme of what to expect for the day including activities at the Kinderhof, every day a family activity was included so I joined Oscar in the arts and craft room to make wooden frames and paper flowers. It really gave me the ideal mix of time with my son and down time.
The kids club also includes a mini cinema where there are shows and films for the kids.
There’s a separate room for teens with table tennis, table football and pool plus there’s football, a climbing wall and over night excursions.
Experiences and Activities
Experiences and activities are another area where this hotel really comes into its own. Let’s start with the ski school as that was one of our main reasons for choosing the hotel. 
The hotel offers the Zwergerl Kid’s ski school which is right on the site of the hotel including a magic carpet, a rope lift and ski carousel.
You can book mini ski trials from 2 years old, fun lessons for three year olds and longer lessons for four year olds. We booked Oscar a course of lessons but we also ended booking a private instructor for Mr S who helped out with Oscar’s lessons too…
And loved taking him sledging! Also on the hotel site.
Oscar took to skiing so well and loved it so much that the instructor also took him to a children’s slope off site which was more challenging! But Oscar took it all in his stride!
I had worried about having Oscar fully equipped for skiing and made sure I had all of his gear in advance but I needn’t have worried as there’s a very comprehensive shop on the hotel grounds which sells everything and where we hired Oscar’s skis, boots and helmet. Also as it was very warm while we were there some of the stuff I bought wasn’t even needed.
Of course there’s skiing for adults too, pregnant and unable to ski anyway I just enjoyed the hotel but Mr S took an easy two minute transfer to the cable car and was up on the slopes within minutes. A few people asked how the skiing was and Mr S said it didn’t compare to the big the resorts especially as the weather wasn’t favourable. Also he said there’s no ‘scene’ and fancy restaurants like in Courchevel and some of the other luxurious resorts but what we got at Moargut was better value for money and child-friendly, and Mr S hadn’t been skiing in so long he was very happy to be there.
Another key experience at Moargut for kids was the animals. There’s a small animal farm which acts as petting zoo for kids, cows and calves, Fourteen Icelandic horses and a donkey! The kids can feed the animals, gather eggs, go on tractor rides and bake farmer’s bread.
You never know when you’ll bump into a random goat!
There is pony leading from aged three and riding from four with individual and group lessons. The hotel has it’s own open air riding area as well as taking trail rides around the resort. One thing I really wish we’d had time to do was a horse and carriage ride but there just wasn’t time for everything!
Another key activity at Moargut is swimming and as Oscar absolutely loves swimming we made sure that we took him everyday.
There’s an indoor panoramic pool with a slide and a separate baby and toddler pool which includes a small slide and sensory toys.
One of Oscar’s favourite things of the whole holiday was the ‘big big slide’ he wanted to go down it again and again and didn’t stop talking about it!
There was also an outdoor pool and beautiful natural bathing lake.
Swimming courses are offered at the hotel right from four months old!
As well as all of this there are two playgrounds (yes two!), a trampoline park and a mini car and bike circuit.
And for grown ups? There’s stunning Nature Spa…
Like the rest of the hotel the spa is made up of natural materials and local wood. There is an outdoor hot tub, Finnish sauna and steam sauna, infrared cabins, relaxations rooms, ice fountain and family sauna (note the majority of the spa is adult only). There’s a whole wealth of treatments including facial, massage and reflexology. I had intended on enjoying a pregnancy massage but due to timing and availability I opted for a relaxing facial instead. As well as classic adult treatments there are also treatments for children such as chocolate massage and children’s manicures. You can even learn the art of baby massage!
One thing I was asked via Instagram during my stay was would this hotel be suitable in Summer too? And I would say a resounding yes! Though Mr S would be horrified about going to a ski hotel during Summer, I’m sure plenty of people would love to take in the beautiful views and enjoy the riding, cycling, archery, tennis and fitness offered at the hotel.
Entertainment
Oscar absolutely fell in love with the hotel mascot, a giant chicken called Gusti! Every night the staff from the kids club and Gusti come into the restaurant and lead the children in a merry dance around the kitchen with live music and / or take them down to the cinema for a short show and dancing!
From there parents can either leave their kids to enjoy a film or other activities in the kids club while they finish dinner or you can all head back up to the restaurant together! Either way, the dancing Gusti was another highlight of the holiday for Oscar.
The hotel puts on other shows aimed towards small children and one day there was a clown doing magic in the cinema. I expected a short twenty minute show but he kept the kids entertained for a whole hour! Oscar even participated and loved the whole thing despite the fact it was mostly in German.
Food
Another reason Moargut is great value for money is that all your food is included. Now the old me would still want to try lots of local restaurants plus have lunch in the mountains but as the pregnant mum of a three year old it’s all about convenience and ease and having every meal at the hotel AND having it included in the price is just perfect. Every family is allocated a table in one of the dining rooms and that is where you sit for breakfast and dinner, for lunch you can sit anywhere.
Breakfast is an extensive buffet plus the opportunity to order hot food from the menu.
At lunch parents are offered the choice of two dishes served to the table – usually a lighter option (sandwich wraps, risotto, etc) and a more hearty option (burgers, meat etc) but you could always order things like chicken schnitzel and fries. For kids lunch is served from the buffet and was different every day, there’s always soups and salads and then things like spaghetti bolognese, fresh fish, stews, chicken.
At dinner again children could choose a balanced meal similar to what was served at lunch – one highlight was homemade pizza! I will say there was one night when I thought there wasn’t really anything Oscar would eat from the buffet but plain pasta and cheese was always an option and again they were happy to prepare something alternative if needed. Rather than a buffet, adult’s were treated to a multi course tasting menu! There was meat, vegetarian and vegan options and you could mix and match them for six courses. If there was a course you didn’t fancy you could order something else for a supplement with options of fresh fish, steak, as well as luxury options like oysters and caviar. The food was always delicious and beautifully presented and the vegetarian options meant I could easily create my own menu that was pregnancy friendly. 
After the tasting menu you’re invited to choose from a selection of cheeses but I always always too full for that!
In addition to this there was an ice cream bar open daily which you could just take from, soft drink fountain, free hot drinks, a daily cake buffet and a bread selection available all day.
For babies there is Hipp organic baby buffet with jars, porridge, and formula as well as freshly prepared baby food. I would have found that invaluable in the baby stage with Oscar!
Final Thoughts
We loved, loved, loved, loved our stay at Moargut. The best bit being the absolute joy Oscar experienced from the skiing, the chicken show and the big big slide. I love seeing places like this through his eyes! For me it was so relaxing, lots of things for Oscar to do right outside our door, not having to cook and plenty of childcare and for Mr S skiing which is his favourite thing ever!! I will say though that as this blog has converted to a luxury family travel blog, most of the hotels I’ve reviewed are suitable to visit without children but Moargut is not. It is a Kinderhotel with a major focus on kids and you’d definitely feel out of place when the giant chicken comes to dinner if you’re not there with a child!
Great For Kids
Epic kids club (the best I’ve seen).
Loads of activities including skiing, swimming, animal experiences, active adventure and spa time.
Lots of food options at the buffet, all day cake and ice cream.
Great For Parents
Gourmet food, table service and tasting menu.
Nature spa with adults only areas.
Spacious rooms and stylish interiors.
