June 17/2023: This was an absolutely delightful experience…read more It was for a birthday party. I'll only comment on the food, the service & the facilities. Let's start with the food. Absolutely fantastic! The buffet was superb, the main (beef & fish) we so delicious! The dessert buffet afterwards was equally as delicious. All in all the food was outstanding. The food was only matched by the service. Our table servers were delightful. They were smiley, interactive & engaged. They anticipated our needs & delivered quickly. Finally, this is a classic old style throwback to days of elegance. Nice decor with a sense of quality. An exceptional experience.

This hotel is actually one of those quaint little European hotels that you'd only get a chance to…read morevisit when exploring the smaller German cities. The hotel itself is tastefully done with decor and an extremely functional layout. The rooms are decent sized, complete with wifi, sitting area, bed and walk in shower. Overall, not quite a 5 star establishment but it absolutely lives up to a 4+ star hotel and a good option to stay in a town with extremely fine dining options. Pros- Nicely done Restaurants Nicely sized room Large bathroom Old school keyed entry Decor Friendly staff Location Cons- Can be pricey Limited parking Tiny beds Lots of stairs and can be slippery

Really wonderful location right outside the Schloß walls. Lots of restaurant options nearby, and…read moreconvenient shopping as well. The hotel's breakfast restaurant is okay (but they used to serve Russische Mischung tea from Ettli Kaffe, which was much better than the bagged tea now offered). Rooms are very clean, and the new owners have corrected many of the maintenance issues the old management sadly allowed to accumulate, returning the hotel to its previous charm. The staff remains friendly and helpful. Only a few rooms offer air conditioning; WiFi generally works well. There is (tight) parking under the main building that sometimes fills up; the front desk will provide a parking pass and directions to park down the street if needed.

Lovely boutique hotel in Karlsruhe-Durlach, with nice bedrooms and very friendly and attentive…read morestaff. We stayed in a double room that featured an August Macke painting on the wall behind our bed, and was kept mostly in red. Although on the smaller side, the room felt comfortable and spacious, with the bed being a tad too soft for my liking and the window shutters/jalousie not blacking out sufficient light in the mornings (which is a personal preference). We stayed one night only and had breakfast with my parents in law the next day, which was an extensive buffet breakfast with full English (no beans however), a spread of cold cuts and cheese, pancakes and crepes, and many other delectable choices available. Although not on the cheap side with EUR 140 for the standard double incl breakfast (early online booking rate) I would happily return.

From the owner: Das mehrfach ausgezeichnete 4-Sterne-Superior Hotel Der Blaue Reiter wurde zum dritten Mal in Folge…read moreals bestes Tagungshotel in Deutschland in der Kategorie A (weniger als 100 Zimmer) gewählt. Das Hotel wurde nach der Künstlergruppe "Der Blaue Reiter" benannt und bietet 88 Designzimmer und -suiten mit farbenfrohen Kunstwerken in ruhiger Lage. Alle Zimmer sind mit regulierbarer Klimaanlage, Fußbodenheizung im Badezimmer, W-Lan, einen Schreibtisch, Zimmersafe, Minibar, Telefon, Radio und Kabel-TV ausgestattet. Das Tagungs- und Designhotel in Karlsruhe-Durlach bietet insgesamt 10 Tagungsräume,750 m² Eventfläche, sowie Platz für bis zu 200 Personen. Erfahrene Mitarbeiter und die mobile Tagungstechnik garantieren eine perfekte Organisation und maximale Flexibilität.

The hotel itself is actually pretty nice and fairly substantial in size especially considering it…read moreisn't really near anything. The front desk and staff working the restaurants are all English speaking and very friendly from the beginning to the end of my stay here. The hotel rooms seem to be updated and are very modern throughout the room. The colors and paintings are tastefully done and the lighting really makes the room aesthetically pleasing from the moment you arrive. Then comes the bathroom, lol... They literally updated everything except for the bathroom which is circa 1985 and has a bit of a foul smell to it. Not quite sure what they were thinking about making the room modern but leaving the bathroom the way it was, not a good thing. Nevertheless, the accommodations were actually quite pleasing and this isn't a terrible place to stay. Pros- Modern updates Friendly staff Great breakfast Reasonable priced Spacious rooms Great beds Lighting Plentiful parking Cons- Bathrooms desperately need updating Smell from bathroom

This is a modern and well run hotel with a decent restaurant of its own-- a good thing, as it is…read moreout of the way in a generally industrial neighborhood. The nearby Autobahn brings some noise if you open the windows, but that lets in biting insects so you'd better hope the air conditioning is working... they only activate it for a short period of the year. The rooms are clean, and they are spacious by local standards. Beds are comfortable, and the rooms have decent chairs, WiFi and workspaces. The staff is really nice. Really, the only possible general complaint (besides the a/c being unavailable when it shouldn't be) is that the hotel is somewhat commercial and lacking in local charm. But it is competent, the rooms are roomy, the bathrooms are functional, the meeting facilities are professional, and the restaurant and bar are of good quality with excellent service.

Ettlingen is a small city with a charming old town and this modern hotel is just a few blocks away…read moreby foot. My stay was brief, only two nights, but I was impressed with both the staff and the breakfast buffet. The hotel room was functional, but not plush, with white walls and decor. A painting on one of the walls provided a welcome splash of color. There were also a few whimsical items to break up the utilitarian-style of the room, like a tree-branch style coat rack on one side of the closet and gummi bears in the shape of sheep on my pillow. The lobby also operates as a small bar, although the space is open to the upper floors so it has a bit of an echo. On one side there is a piano and an old-fashioned typewriter, that was a fun touch. Just next door there is a casual restaurant, Watt's Brasserie, and beer garden next to a nicer Italian restaurant. Plenty of options if you want to grab a quick beer or bite to eat without strolling into town. Wi-fi was included with the room and worked reasonably well. The TV stations are all German, except for CNN and CNBC. The nearest train station was in Karlsruhe that was about a 15 minute trip (~ €20) by taxi. There is a very small workout facility on the third floor and parking is available below the hotel. Important during those winter visits in the snow. There is a small park where you can take your dogs next door and playgrounds for kids within easy walking distance. While there isn't a ton to see and do in Ettlingen, if you are in the area, this was a fine and reasonably priced place to stay.

From the owner: Das Watthalden-Areal vereint die denkmalgeschützte Villa aus dem Jahr 1816 mit dem modernen Hotel…read moreWatthalden. Die Villa beherbergt das Restaurant Hartmaier's im herrschaftlichen Vordergebäude und die Watt's Brasserie mit urigem Biergarten im Hintergebäude. Ein perfektes Trio für jeden Geschmack und Anlass. Das Hotel Watthalden liegt im Herzen eines alten Parks nur 5 Gehminuten vom Ettlinger Zentrum entfernt - 83 klimatisierte Zimmer, Sky-Fitnessraum, Dachterrasse, ansprechende Atrium-Lobby. Auch für Tagungen ist der geeignete Rahmen in den historischen Räumen der Villa Watthalden gegeben. Unter dem Dach des Watt's sind Brasserie, Kneipe, Cocktailbar und Café vereint. Im Sommer wird auch gern draußen im Biergarten gegrillt. In der Villa wird Ihnen eine weithin anerkannte Feinschmeckerküche geboten. Sie haben die Wahl zwischen dem eleganten Restaurant, dem Bistro sowie prächtigen Nebenräumen für Ihre Feste. Hinzu kommen eine einladende Terrasse und eine gut sortierte Vinothek.