USP As well as thermal water pools and extensive "wellness" facilities there are morning yoga, Qigong and tai chi workouts led by a monk from the Shaolin monastery in China. It is the Lipizzaner horses, however, that bring this resort to the next level - professionally trained, dressage horses that can be taken for hacks or carriage rides around the extensive estate.

AMBIENCE The metronome beats a lot slower in the Supreme Hotel - the rooms are comfortable, if not overly luxurious, with views across the stunning Austrian countryside. The owner of the resort prides his staff on being “ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen”, and puts a lot of his success down to hiring the right staff - from reception staff to therapists - to create the ideal experience.

It is their behind the scenes work and quiet organisation that allows the overworked, worn-out guests to align themselves to this steady beat. The hotel caters exclusively for adults, with the neighbouring Avance Hotel in the Burgenland Resort serving families.

The hotel is one of two spa hotels in Austria which has been awarded the maximum marks for its wellness facilities. The sports facilities do not let the side down either - state-of-the-art tennis facilities are run by Gery Riedl, former coach of Venus and Serena Williams.

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QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE One drawback in horse-riding is if you haven’t been in a few months (or years) you tend to suffer stiffness in your legs for days after dismounting.

That is where the spa element of this trip really comes into its own, with sports massages tailored to your needs; you couldn’t be in better hands for shifting lactic and stiffness out of your muscles.

Though I suffered a bit of stiffness the next morning, I was in better shape than I expected!The thermal mineral spa, yin and yang pools and steam rooms complement this process and top-off the experience.

IN CROWD The resort is popular with Austrian and German actors, sportspersons and families, who are looking to kick back. There isn’t a large British contingent in this hotel, great if you really want to fully emerge yourself in the Austrian-spa experience.

FOOD Let’s face it, Austrian food is not known for its finesse or delicacy. Don’t be put off by this, however, as the hotel hosts three restaurants with dishes to suit all palates. Breakfast was a highlight for me, eating delicious, fresh, seasonal fruit with muesli and a pastry while looking out across the snow covered hills. Fresh locally sourced fruit graces most counters and, beside the pool and sauna areas, there is a self-service dock where you can pick up fruit and nuts to sate any niggling hunger before it takes hold.

WALLET WATCH Bargain: rates start at £489 per person for a 4-night stay and includes a romantic carriage ride with Lipizzaners through woods and fields, a champagne breakfast in your room, a candlelit dinner and a spa treatment to be enjoyed together.

NEED TO KNOW The Supreme Hotel is located in Bad Tatzmanndorf, a famous wine area just south of Vienna, Austria and accessible from the UK by flights to Vienna-Schwechat Airport (130km from the resort) and Graz-Thalerhof Airport (90km away).

For more information on this trip and for bookings: http://www.theridingcompany.com/uk/riders-resort-wine-region; email: info@theridingcompany.com; Call Austria: +43 42842044311, UK 020 7870 7834

For more than 240 independent spa reviews log on to timesonline.co.uk/goodspaguide

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