Mountains Magazine
Peak pleasures year round
Hotel Profile:
Turna, Malbun
Malbun is one of Liechtenstein's key ski areas. It sits at 1,600m and its ski slopes begin at 2,000m. In summer, spring and autumn the Alpine village welcomes hikers, with one the Sareis chairlift remaining in operation to carry people to/from the Sareisjoch mountain ridge.
Conveniently located at the base of the charlift, Hotel Turna is also next to where the bus from capital city Valduz stops. But then this is a small village and so everything is close.
Turna is a 3-star hotel, currently rated 4.7 out of 5 on Google (although all of Malbun's hotels are rated only a few points above or below 4.5). It's a good hotel for families, with a pool, and a room filled with toys, games, etc. When I visited in shoulder season there were few guests, only a few of which were children.
That pool is inside and, while not particularly long (I'd guess about 18m), it's in a tastefully-decorated and well-maintained space. Adjacent to this is a steam room and medium-sized sauna with a window overlooking the village and mountains beyond.
Hotel Turna was originally built in 1965 by an ancestor of the current owners. Today the staff were traditional costume; dirndls or smart waistcoats/tunics. Their English is impeccable, and they all seem genuinely polite and happy to see you.
I was disappointed that, despite the hotel being quiet, I accommodated in a room that looked directly onto a grassy embankment. It wasn't possible to see the mountains, but then that may be a reflection of the price I'd paid. It was a huge room, with more than enough space to store the large amounts of luggage that people need during ski season. There's a ski storage area with heated boot racks.
Despite being in a mountainous area there aren't many opportunities to see the peaks in this hotel. One of the best views is from the small rooftop terrace which, pleasingly, has a hot tub (open until 9pm), plus some deckchairs. Down below there's a playground and petting zoo with small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.
I was impressed with the breakfast buffet, which had a large choice of good quality hot and cold food. I didn't eat here in the evening, although the dining room does have an OK view.
Overall the hotel feels fairly basic, with fairly thin (but tough) carpet, and simple furniture in the rooms. But it's one of the better value-for-money options in Liechtenstein's mountains and the location beside the cable car can't be beat. That, combined with the wellness area, breakfast and staff friendliness make this a good option.
