Hotel Barleben am See

Lovely decor and location - impersonal service I assume that this place operates in a different way in Winter and Summer because the restaurant and reception were closed during our stay and it was very unclear whether they were operating a breakfast service or not. I did not realise when I booked that the reception is (apparently) only staffed until 6pm. I emailed the hotel to say we would be later than that, but received no reply. We arrived to find the front door bolted and no sign of anyone around. Eventually I thought to look in my emails and discovered a message from them with instructions for how to get in via the lockbox. The room was lovely and had a great view. Only coffee was provided in the room, tea would have been very welcome. The room was very, very hot. We turned the heating off. We stayed for a weekend and saw no staff apart from a cleaner and a server at breakfast. We ordered Sunday breakfast in advance by email as requested, but papers in the room suggested there was no breakfast service. Then on Sunday they were doing breakfast. It was all a bit confusing. The parking is on-street unless you manage to bag one of their three spaces and the street is very popular. All in all it felt like a very hands-off operation - more like an AirBnB than a hotel.

The property is down a quiet street in a lovely part of Konstanz and just metres from the lake shore. It is an old house and has great potential, in fact the photos on the ******* site look great but they must be old and do not reflect the current state. It has 9 rooms and the staff are incredibly welcoming and helpful. However...... the hotel is very shabby throughout, not only inside but also in the garden. There are stuffed animals in the main entrance/hallway (not everyone's ideal). Our room was a good size but the bathroom (shower and toilet) very tiny and the sink in the main bedroom. It was a good shower but tight for space. The garden has enough seating and tables (all look second hand) for 100 people but the hotel cannot accommodate more than 20 (work that one out). It is very untidy and could be any unkempt back garden with hose pipes here and there. The breakfast and outside seating area is under a horrible plastic carbonated corrugated roof and grubby plastic side sheets that do not close properly. Basically everything looks half finished and done by a DIY enthusiast. It is shabby and quirky but the price is comparable to the upmarket hotels and the breakfast (okay but not great) is extra and also expensive for what you get. All in all terrible value for money and a real disappointment - we paid roughly 300 euros a night and it was worth half at best. The photos need updating and prices reducing.

5 Übernachtungen, 2 Personen, Zimmer Nr. 7 Exotisch codierte Einrichtung mit einem zusammenhanglos, verquerem Krempel. Deren Menge mehr als überflüssig ist; der stört, im Weg steht und nutzlos ist. Vergilbte, stumpfe Raufasertapete. Der Raum wirkt abgetakelt und ruiniert weitgehend den idyllischen Charme des Äußeren und der aufregenden Umgebung. Das Bad sehr eng, Verschmutzungen an den Wänden. Der stets ungewöhnliche Akribie abverlangte. Selbst unter Zurückstellung ästhetischer Gesichtspunkte allein für die Bedingungen seiner beabsichtigten Verwendung ist dieses im bestmöglichen Fall(e) 2 Personen Zimmer, sehr klein und eng. Sogar für Personen mit sportlichem Habitus konnte das Bett ungehindert nur von einer Seite erreicht werden. Wohl aus Platzgründen fehlte in der Reichweite eine Ablagefläche für kleinen Dinge des täglichen Bedarfs, usw. . Das Personal ausnehmend aufmerksam und freundlich. Das war es dann auch fast schon. Frühstück passabel, pro Person 24 EUR, 200 pro Nacht. Tagespresse Gratis ! 2 Parkplätze unter geschickter Benutzung. Im Ganzen gesehen, um ein Mehrfaches ungenügender, beispielloser Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis. Wer nichts gegen entbehrungsreichen wilden Komfort hat und das Auge den schrägen Charme schätzt, wird verblüffend Überrascht. Wir bleiben gerne fern.