Schloss Matzen

A memorable stay, and a great choice for anyone interested in castles, history, and culture. The room was gorgeous, comfortable, and very clean, and the staff were excellent. It was a unique experience that went beyond what I expected.

It felt more like being welcomed into someone's castle than checking into a regular hotel, which made the place feel special and peaceful. There isn't room service or a traditional reception desk. Our room was warm during our December visit, and breakfast was generous, though nothing was hot. A kettle and tea-making option in the room would've been handy.

The receptionist was wonderful. She was handling breakfast, room cleaning, and check-ins and check-outs on her own while we were there, and she was kind, helpful, and spoke great English. Breakfast had a fantastic spread with everything we could want. The castle is beautifully renovated, with two inner courtyards, a chapel, and a hall leading to a library where you can play chess. Our junior suite is the one pictured. We weren't sure how the heating and AC worked, but at that elevation we just opened a few windows at night and the room stayed comfortable. For us, the weekday price was absolutely worth it. Staying in a castle was on our bucket list.

We left the next morning after a miserable first night, and the way management handled it made the stay even worse. My wife had reserved the Junior suite weeks ahead because we wanted the indoor bathtub, but the room we were shown that evening was not that suite. We were never told about a change. Either the castle had overbooked it or someone moved us by mistake. The staff were closing for the night and barely showed us to the room, and the receptionist had already gone home, so we could only leave management a letter. We slept badly. At checkout, we asked the manager to refund at least the second night because of the mistake. The email response was curt and offered a future night's stay, which we didn't want. After we asked again for a refund, the manager stopped replying. We're still waiting and plan to contact the CEO. I found the management completely unprofessional and can't understand how guests can be brushed off after such a bad experience and an early departure. Since we'd prepaid, it feels like they're trying to keep every euro, and a voucher seems like a hedge when who would want to come back? Our room smelled of sour bleach, even after hours with the windows open. The pillows were paper thin and the linen had tears. The spa costs extra and needs to be reserved well in advance, a surprise for a place calling itself a luxury castle. The restaurant downstairs was nice and served good food, though it turns out to be a separate business from the castle. We stayed at Scloss Matzen in December, at the end of our European road trip, and I give the castle one star out of five.