Hotel Schwarzwälder Hof, Freiburg, Germany

Located on the edge of the old town, this hotel was perfect for exploring (on foot) the centre of Freiburg and the Schlossberg area. It is just a minute's walk from a tram stop (Line 1, Oberlinden) and fifteen minutes on foot to the Hauptbahnhof where one can catch buses and trains to the surrounding area and to major cities throughout Germany.
From the hotel you can walk to anywhere in the old town within twenty minutes or so, and Münsterplatz, with its restaurants, cafes, museums and of course the cathedral itself, is just five minutes away.

The service is efficient and the staff helpful, but possibly more so with fluent German speakers. Having said that, I was greeted on every arrival and departure at the hotel and every question I asked was answered helpfully. The staff are knowledgeable about the city and how to get around, as well as places of interest outside Freiburg itself.

One excellent benefit of using this hotel is that every guest receives a free travel card, valid for the length of their stay, allowing free travel on buses, trains and trams in the whole Baden-Württemburg area.
There is free wi-fi access for guests and for those without their own computer one is available in the reception area for short periods.

The rooms are clean and functional, all with a television and shower. Some rooms have full ensuite facilities, and for those with a shower only the toilets are close by and clean. Beware if you want to sleep late, though - at 5.50am the bells of the Münster start ringing and the street-cleaners are noisily working in the street outside! It is fairly quiet late at night, though, being far enough from noisy, late-opening bars that it is not much of a nuisance.

Breakfast is one of the many good points of the Schwarzwälder Hof. There is a wide selection of cereals, meat, cheese, bread and juices along with spreads for toast, hard-boiled egg, berries and fruit, yoghurts, a wonderful fruit salad, coffee and a choice of teas. The service is good, the waitresses pleasant and efficient, and the restaurant an attractive, wood-panelled room with decently-spaced tables.

The restaurant menu consists mostly of local dishes, and is somewhat restricted for choice and not cheap, however the food is excellent. Try the potato soup with bacon and garlic croutons - wonderful!

Overall I would definitely recommend this hotel. To summarize, the best points are (in my opinion of course): location, breakfast and travel card.

Overall

4

Location

5

Cleanliness

5

Value

4

Facilities

4

Service

4

lisaparkin stayed here in Jul '09