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Mavida Balance Hotel & Spa

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<p>Amid the lakes, mountains, and glaciers of a small Austrian village, architect Niki Szilagyi provides a new image of holistic hospitality at the Mavida Balance Hotel & Spa. In the 47 rooms and suites, Italian and German design play yin and yang: egg-shaped lamps by Flos shed warm light on chairs and beds by Casamilano, while slate-sided bathrooms come with edgy Hansgrohe fixtures and angular Dornbracht sinks. Elsewhere, nature takes center stage—in custom furniture made from native woods like elm and larch, artwork by Jutta de Bock (which uses actual sand from Lake Zell), and giant driftwood sculptures. In the open kitchen, cooks prepare healthful dinners using local produce seasoned with tarragon, thyme, and sage, all picked from Mavida's rooftop garden. Guests can seek inner harmony in the basement spa through sessions in the Blue Box—an oval room outfitted with two vibrating fiberglass recliners—and the saltwater Floatarium, where sensory deprivation is the ultimate experience of decadence. </p>