Germans are known for their precision and superior engineering. I wish I could say the same about…read moretheir customer service. My friend has gotten married at this hotel and I had reserved a room in advance. Originally I was told I could have a king size room for the same price as the standard double bedroom. When I confirmed with the hotel I was told that there must be a mistake and I can get a queen size bed instead. Ok, maybe there was a mistake on their side; I was content with a queen size bed too. I just didn't want two separate double beds.
When we checked in the room there were, of course, two double beds separated by a table mounted to the wall - no way to even push the beds together. When I told the receptionist she said she can push the beds together. Ok, I'd like to see you try. Since the table was a permanent addition to the headboard between two beds it was impossible to push the beds together. The girl said to wait and couple of minutes later a man comes over, who I believe was either the manager or the owner of the hotel, telling us that two double beds are standard in Germany. That's fine I say but that's exactly why I requested a queen size bed months in advance I have email confirmations that I'm supposed to have a queen size bed. First your staff tells me I can have a king size bed which turned into a queen size bed which turned into two double beds. What's next? A closet?
I wasn't going to give up so the manager said to wait there, he was going to double check our reservation. There must have been some notes on file because a couple of minutes later a girl comes by and takes us to another room still two double beds but at least they are together. The arrogant manager/owner needs to take an example from his staff on good customer service. He basically argued with us for five minutes which was not such a pleasant experience, I just wanted to check in and go back to the wedding celebration downstairs.
Staff was overall very helpful, friendly and exceptional in terms of dining service (except for the owner/manager). During dinner, servers were always by your side to refill your drinks and clear the plates. One thing I was a little surprised by was the sign outside which showed a 2009 and 2010 Michelin award but I would have never guessed by the dinner. The tomato infused broth with some basil dumplings was my favorite, very light and flavorful. The duo of beef and turkey was disappointing. It came with ratatouille, mixed veggies, plain boiled potatoes and linguine noodles with an option to poor a beef stock gravy on top of it all. The meat cuts were very inconsistent from plate to plate and the beef was cooked between med-well to well. Most of the food did not have enough seasoning and there was not a single salt or pepper shaker on the table! The deserts, however, were incredibly delicious and beautiful consisting of champagne, mango, hazelnut, and raspberry cakes!
Overall, this is a nice place to have a wedding: located in the woods, about 10 minutes away by taxi from Iserlohn, the hotel has a spa on premises and even two bowling lanes downstairs. The courtyard has nice vegetation and seating areas outside. WiFi is available but you have to pay a couple of €/hour.
