Hotel Ibis is or was located on the outskirts of Innsbruck and is a short cab or bus ride to historical Innsbruck. It is located across the street from the former Olympic Village, which is now low-income housing.

Hotel Ibis is a large hotel, about six floors of rooms with both doubles and singles. I was on a tour and had a roommate from California. My room was small and cozy, with two twin beds and a bathroom. It wasn't fancy, but why bother staying in a fancy hotel when you are going to be out skiing or sightseeing all day?

I was very lucky to get a room with a balcony and great view of the former Olympic Village and the Austrian Alps. When I first arrived in my hotel room, I ran out to the balcony and took pictures of the village and the mountains. It was breathtaking and helped shoo away the homesickness. I then thought of Dorothy Hamill skating to gold and Franz Klammer speeding downhill on skis to his gold medal and Olympic history.

The staff at Hotel Ibis was very kind, courteous, and professional. As I waited for my bus to take me to the airport to go home, the concierge and I had a nice talk over tea and coffee, which helped pass the time. The Austrians are a kind bunch of people. There is a dining room in the hotel where dinner is available nightly. They serve native Austrian dishes, which were very good and filling. January 6 is the Epiphany in Austria, ending the Christmas holidays, and we were entertained with songs by Austrian children in costumes. It made the stay in Innsbruck more enjoyable.