Martin's Château du Lac

The hallways feel creepily stuck in the 80s, and the hotel overall feels old and worn. It badly needs a full refurbishment to meet modern standards. The room was okay, but nothing special: the minibar had only water, the TV was small, and the bathroom wasn’t fully clean. The general rooms were okay too, though not great. Service didn’t feel five-star either. The staff lacked that service-minded attitude, and asking for something almost seemed like a burden. I didn’t use the wellness area, but apparently you have to call to check availability. It only holds 10 people, and visits are limited to 1h. That doesn’t feel very five-star. Technically it’s a five-star hotel, but my stay felt like three stars at most, nowhere near a five-star experience.

It was actually nice walking through the snow to the supermarket to get some booze, since the receptionist wouldn’t help with either of our requests. First, a note in the room said to ask reception to refill the minibar, but he said it wasn’t his job and sent me to the restaurant. That was 3 metres away, but it was closed and empty. He acted as if he hadn’t seen me try and did nothing to help. Later, we tried booking the spa and were told that couldn’t be done at reception either. He gave us a number to call, but nobody ever answered.

The spa service needs work too, since none of the showers were working. Breakfast was also a letdown: only half of it was available, the gluten-free bread I asked for never arrived, and the milk had soured. Better service would make this a lovely getaway place.

The lake view is impressive, and I enjoyed my stay. It’s a lovely hotel in a perfect setting, with a comfortable room. I was with a larger group, so we had a function room and buffet meal, which were great.