The Weisses Kreuz is located in the heart of old town Innsbruck and has quite a long and colourful history. There has been a hotel at the location since 1465 and the current hotel played host to Mozart and his father in December 1769.

This traditional Tyrolean hotel has 30 guest rooms spread among four bright and cheery sunlit floors reached via spotlessly clean but creaky old wooden stairs that are a bit uneven due to their age. For those who don’t want to carry luggage up the stairs, there is a small but efficient elevator at street level. Reception is one floor up and all floors are decorated with carved wooden furniture and Tyrolean folk art.

We arrived about two hours too early to check in and the woman at reception suggested we relax in the large lounge. When she spotted some roses we had been given in Salzburg she rushed to get a vase for them and then spent lots of time giving us dining suggestions, sightseeing tips and brochures on attractions in the area. We were very pleasantly surprised when just 20 minutes later, our room was ready far ahead of schedule.

I don’t know what the regular rooms were like but our superior triple was huge with chunky light coloured wooden furniture, beautiful wood paneled floors that were polished to a sheen and large picture windows that flooded the room with light and opened to gorgeous views of the nearby Alps. At one end of the room was a double bed and at the other end was a sofa that converted to another double. Comfy pale yellow duvets and pillow cases were printed with the hotel’s picture. There was also plenty of room for a table and four chairs, night tables on either side of the bed, a wardrobe and large TV. The bathroom was split into two rooms with toilet in one and tub, separate shower stall and a long vanity with two sinks in the other.

A buffet breakfast was included in the room rate and was served in the first floor breakfast room. Multiple tables seemed to groan under the weight of assorted breads, crackers, cheeses, cold sliced meats, dry cereals, fruit, juices and hard boiled eggs.

The hotel is about a 10 minute walk or €5 cab ride from the train station. Double rooms, including breakfast, are approximately €100 and our triple was €117. This hotel is only rated three stars, possibly because their restaurant is no longer in operation but its location, old world charm, and pleasant hospitality make Weisses Kreuz a top choice for a stay in Innsbruck.