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7 nights
Family-run stays with stories to tell
Staying somewhere family-run is more than just a place to sleep – it’s generations of local knowledge, personal touches and real stories that bring a place to life in ways a guidebook never could.
From a Lake Garda hotel filled with travel mementoes to an Austrian inn with a history stretching back more than 500 years, these stays bring bags of character to your holiday. If you're looking for a base that's every bit as memorable as the destination, start here.
Hotel Luise, Riva, Italy
A stylish Lake Garda stay with creativity at its heart.
The Bertolini family has run this Riva stay since 1959, but it’s far from a traditional lake hotel. Step into the lobby and you’ll spot hundreds of vintage luggage labels collected by owner Stella Bertolini from destinations around the world – a colourful nod to her lifetime of travel.
That playful personality is matched by a handy Riva setting. Colourful piazzas, lakeside promenades and café terraces are all easy to reach, so days can swing from watersports and wandering to chilled-out spritz stops by the water. Back at base, modern interiors and peaceful gardens keep things calm and stylish. It’s a family-run stay with a flair for design – ideal if you want Lake Garda views, town life and a hotel that feels like it has its own travel scrapbook.
That playful personality is matched by a handy Riva setting. Colourful piazzas, lakeside promenades and café terraces are all easy to reach, so days can swing from watersports and wandering to chilled-out spritz stops by the water. Back at base, modern interiors and peaceful gardens keep things calm and stylish. It’s a family-run stay with a flair for design – ideal if you want Lake Garda views, town life and a hotel that feels like it has its own travel scrapbook.
Hotel Lebzelter, Zell am See, Austria
A hotel where centuries of history come as standard.
If walls could talk, Hotel Lebzelter would have plenty to say. Guests have been passing through its doors since 1482. Fast forward to now and the Schandlbauer family are the latest in a long line of hosts waiting to welcome you.
Set in the heart of Zell am See’s old town, this historic stay feels woven into the town itself, with colourful streets, mountain backdrops and the lake all part of the package. Even the name adds another layer of local flavour – it comes from the gingerbread and honey cake makers who once worked here. Inside, authentic features and cosy alpine touches keep the heritage front and centre, while modern rooms make settling in easy after a day out. Speaking of exploring, you can stroll to Lake Zell for waterside views or hop on the nearby CityXpress gondola when the mountains call. Yep, this one brings the full Zell am See experience with extra storybook charm.
Set in the heart of Zell am See’s old town, this historic stay feels woven into the town itself, with colourful streets, mountain backdrops and the lake all part of the package. Even the name adds another layer of local flavour – it comes from the gingerbread and honey cake makers who once worked here. Inside, authentic features and cosy alpine touches keep the heritage front and centre, while modern rooms make settling in easy after a day out. Speaking of exploring, you can stroll to Lake Zell for waterside views or hop on the nearby CityXpress gondola when the mountains call. Yep, this one brings the full Zell am See experience with extra storybook charm.
Hotel Sporting, Morzine, France
A chalet shaped by four generations of mountain know-how.
Hotel Sporting’s story starts with the Passaquin family farm, which became a hotel and is now run by the fourth generation of the family – husband-and-wife team Nadège and Fred. It won’t take you long to realise that the mountain know-how which started it all is still a huge part of the stay today.
It’s the little details that give this place its personality. We’re talking Nadège’s homemade jams and Fred’s local tips that point you towards walking routes, hidden viewpoints and unmissable corners of the valley. Add in a pool, wellness area and a handy spot close to Morzine’s lifts and trails, and you’ve got the best mix of practicality and personality. This is the one for active days in the French Alps, followed by the kind of hospitality that only comes from people who know the mountains inside out.
It’s the little details that give this place its personality. We’re talking Nadège’s homemade jams and Fred’s local tips that point you towards walking routes, hidden viewpoints and unmissable corners of the valley. Add in a pool, wellness area and a handy spot close to Morzine’s lifts and trails, and you’ve got the best mix of practicality and personality. This is the one for active days in the French Alps, followed by the kind of hospitality that only comes from people who know the mountains inside out.
Villa & Apartments Antigona, Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia
A place where the welcome becomes part of the holiday.
Villa & Apartments Antigona is all about the people behind the place. Guests often call out Antigona and her family for their warm welcome and helpful local tips. They’ll set you up for holiday success too – whether that’s pointing you towards a boat trip across Lake Ohrid, the old town’s hilltop churches or the lakeside boardwalk for a sunset stroll. In short, the kind of personal touches that can turn a simple lakeside base into a holiday highlight.
Days here can be as relaxed or as out-and-about as you like – with the bar and pool ready and waiting after days spent exploring. Add in the apartment-style set-up, and you’ve got the freedom to do your own thing, plus that family-run feel that keeps everything personal.
Days here can be as relaxed or as out-and-about as you like – with the bar and pool ready and waiting after days spent exploring. Add in the apartment-style set-up, and you’ve got the freedom to do your own thing, plus that family-run feel that keeps everything personal.
Hotel Falken, Wengen, Switzerland
A Swiss classic with more than a century of family history.
Wengen already has that step-back-in-time feeling – no cars, mountain air and views that do most of the talking. The Hotel Falken fits right in. Owned by the Von Allmen-Cova family since 1895, it’s one of the village’s oldest stays, with heritage, character and Jungfrau mountain views wrapped up in one.
Inside, original wood floors and vintage furniture give the place a proper old-world feel. Big windows frame the surrounding peaks, and the village puts walking trails, mountain railways and cable cars within easy reach. After a day exploring, settling into one of the wingback chairs in the historic lounge just feels part of the experience. Choose this one if you like your mountain stays with classic style, panoramic views and heaps of family history behind them.
Inside, original wood floors and vintage furniture give the place a proper old-world feel. Big windows frame the surrounding peaks, and the village puts walking trails, mountain railways and cable cars within easy reach. After a day exploring, settling into one of the wingback chairs in the historic lounge just feels part of the experience. Choose this one if you like your mountain stays with classic style, panoramic views and heaps of family history behind them.
Penzion Mayer, Bled, Slovenia
An inter-generational welcome beside one of Europe’s most beautiful lakes.
Lake Bled has no shortage of headline sights – the island church, sparkling lake water and castle-topped cliffs take care of that. Penzion Mayer brings something more homely to the mix. Built in 1888 and run by three generations of women from the Mayer family, this guesthouse has the personal touch that makes a stay feel properly authentic.
Mornings start with classic Slovenian flavours – think freshly baked bread with local honey, homemade jams and sweet treats like potica, Slovenia’s traditional rolled cake. Once coffee’s been sipped and breakfast devoured, the day is yours for cycling along the shore, heading onto nearby trails or slowing right down in the garden. All in all, there’s history in the building, warmth in the welcome and plenty of space to enjoy Bled at your own pace. A great fit if you want the classic Bled experience with a homestay feel.
Mornings start with classic Slovenian flavours – think freshly baked bread with local honey, homemade jams and sweet treats like potica, Slovenia’s traditional rolled cake. Once coffee’s been sipped and breakfast devoured, the day is yours for cycling along the shore, heading onto nearby trails or slowing right down in the garden. All in all, there’s history in the building, warmth in the welcome and plenty of space to enjoy Bled at your own pace. A great fit if you want the classic Bled experience with a homestay feel.
Ready to make your holiday base part of the adventure? Explore our Lakes & Mountains getaways.
Head to our Lakes & Mountains homepage for even more holiday inspo.
Author: Matt Robinson
Last updated: 09.09.2026
Head to our Lakes & Mountains homepage for even more holiday inspo.
Author: Matt Robinson
Last updated: 09.09.2026