Amrai Suites

A fun-spirited luxe den, with playfulness woven alongside Heimat Montafon customs threads the modernist aesthetic at design hotel Amrai Suites, located in the village of Schruns, found in the western Austrian region of Vorarlberg. Overlooking a dramatic diorama of mountains and valleys, Amrai is in the company of the jagged peaks of Verwall Rätikon, Mittagspitz, the Three Towers, and at 2,645-metre-high, the majestic Zimba, known affectionately as the 'Matterhorn of Montafon'.

Constructed in 2021 by Alpstein, architects Lukas Schädler and Florian Häusler creatively pushed the boundaries of the design concept to naturally gravitate towards being thoroughly contemporary and yet nostalgic in style. In tribute to the once commonly used girl's name, Amrai, the hotel harnesses the region's essence digging deep into Montafon's cultural heritage.

Use of glass, wood and gleaming copper roots the hotel into the region but simultaneously creates a modern template that speaks to the now – hello vast ground floor wellness area, three upscale restaurants and lavish suites that come with log burners, saunas and private pools. Contrasting idioms that function in synergy, here the old and the new work in luxe harmony.

Amrai Suites is narrated by local crafts using time-old used materials sourced from the region, which have been creatively fused with tradition, history and nature. A meadow floral motif embellishes the timber frame with a signature flower carve-out and wraps around the building.

Taking inspiration from the centuries-old art of embroidery that adorns the village-worn mountain 'Tracht', soft furnishings are decorated with delicate blooms and foliage.

Glass and copper are used extensively throughout the hotel in a nod to the Montafon mining industry, most notably in the spa-wellness zone, which uses copper to arch across the pool, allowing the surrounding landscape to flood in. And sustainably sourced from the surrounding silver fir and larch forests, blond timbers are used in abundance, setting an alpinist canvas. 

Further interior design touchpoints come from a threatened rare breed of Steinschaf, 'stone' sheep, which you'll find unexpectantly everywhere with sheep’s wool carpets, fabrics and whimsical references to the fluffy creatures. Creating a neat conduit between the culture of old with a whole new style of modernity- gives au courant Amrai Suites the markers of a luxe bolthole yet sourced from the Montafon forests, rooted and at ease.

Now you really can fall asleep counting sheep.

Have you ever slept in a sheep chamber? This is one of Amrai’s many in-jokes that you’ll quickly become part of - joining the obsession with the local Steinschaf sheep is all part of the fun and brings a whole new meaning to ‘counting sheep’. Needless to say, the rooms are masterfully bright, airy, laced with natural woods, wool and rattan, and full of uber-luxe minimalism.

Choose your room based on your needs. Travelling as a family? You’ll find the Sheep Chamber Family Suite to be sizeable with the lovely addition of a bathtub, sauna, steam shower, kitchenette and balcony complete with mountain views. Similarly, the Sheep Chamber Spa Suite is a wellness-lovers dream. Sleeping up to six, it’s equipped with an outdoor sauna, whirlpool, steam shower, bathtub and two bathrooms. Like a private pool? Opt for one of AMRAI's Spa Suite with an outdoor pool, perfect for sunny days.

You might have guessed it but the kitchens at Amrai are a cultural showcase of the region’s wonderful foodie customs. Knowing most of their suppliers on a first name basis and a connection to the organic mountain farms, dairy farmers, meadows and vegetable markets means fresher-than-fresh produce. From there, the chefs create dishes from traditional recipes with a refined twist that whizz out to the three ‘stube’ restaurants of the hotel.  Cosseted by local spruce, glinting copper and moss-green velvets, enjoy the bounty of this fruitful region.

If it’s drinky o’ clock, head to the bar for an alpine cocktail, glass of local wine or a beer from the traditional Mohren brewery in Dornbirn, Vorarlberg. To start the day, enjoy a smorgasbord of mountain loveliness including the house muesli, coffee from the roastery in Schwarzenberg, pressed juices, freshly laid eggs, honey and homemade jam. You can even make your own nut butter with the nut press.

Amrai is full of surprises. Alongside lavish spa suites coming with their own sauna and steam, the hotel’s own wellness area called the Stólla is equally sizeable and luxurious. Continuing the theme of local materials, the indoor pool is capped by an arched roof in copper, in homage to the mining industry. But in addition, the spa stretches along the whole of the hotel’s ground floor and within its dimly lit space, you feel like you’re entering another world, to emerge totally renewed. Take your time to enjoy its treats: the glacier grotto, floating loungers, copper bath, swim-through pool, ice fog, steam bath and herbal fire….and succumb to total relaxation. Massages are also on-hand using traditional techniques including pine oil and alpine herbs. There’s also a rather impressive looking gym and a small yoga studio.

Clasped in Vorarlberg, west Austria, Amrai Suites sits in the heart of Schruns, near the very walkable Litz Promenade. The village of Schruns in the Montafon Valley is in classic alpine territory – visit the local history museum and parish church before popping into a cosy café for coffee and cake. All around are the imposing peaks of the the Verwall and Rätikon ranges, even better you’re ten minutes from the Silvretta Montafon valley station to whizz you up for ski pursuits in winter.  In summer hike, bike or e-bike around the valleys including routes that take you around chapel Rellseck, Montafon springs, historic haybarns or even the Silvretta High Alpine Road. The nearest airports are Innsbruck aand Zurich.