Gasthof Lowen

The old building has some charm, and the downstairs room is a lovely place to sit and eat. Some of the second-floor rooms are really special, though ours had just one small window. The location worked well for day trips, with a Migros grocery store nearby. The bread there was good and not too expensive by Swiss standards, and parking in the garage beneath the store was really cheap. Writing this as an American, I found there was nobody on site to help with check-in or problems, so everything had to go through email. We stayed for 10 days from the end of May through June 8. There’s no air conditioning or fans, and we slept with the windows open each night. I would’ve been upset about that in summer. The pillows, only two per room, left a lot to be desired. Rooms are cleaned every other day, or once a week for a long stay. Most of those complaints are my husband’s opinion, though.

The rooms have no AC, and mine stayed at 25.5 C all night. The pillows were very flat, and I needed both even by myself. At other hotels I could ask the desk for more, but here it might take 2+ days to get an email reply, and they may have a policy against extra pillows anyway. There’s no on-site staff, so service is nonexistent. If something’s wrong with your room, they say it could take days to get back to you. Cancellation is allowed until something like 30 hours before your stay, but if plans change after that, they won’t let you cancel a night even with +72 hours’ notice. It feels very clearly predatory. There’s nothing special about this hotel, and there are much nicer places in the area for only slightly more. If you’re staying nearby, make this your last resort and do yourself a favor by booking elsewhere.

The room itself was quite big and nice, but the bathroom was so small, and the wood in there felt dangerous. Watch out for hitting your head. The hotel doesn’t offer breakfast, and the coffee machine still costs extra. There was also a fridge with random food items, which wasn’t ideal. It was loud, with street noise, the church bell, and sounds from nearby rooms. There’s no staff, which I don’t mind by itself, but when guests have to do all the work, the room prices don’t add up. We stayed before the Ironman in Thun at the weekend, and I wouldn’t recommend it before an event. I’d try to find another hotel in the vicinity at a similar price. It’s okay for one night if there are no other options, but it wasn’t worth what we paid. Thanks, but no thanks!

We got in after midnight, and check-in was a breeze since our information was already in their system. The hotel sent more than enough details beforehand, along with breakfast recommendations. The room was comfortable and cozy, and even the bathroom had amazing water. It’s close to the train station and grocery shopping, handy for picking up snacks and food for the train trip. Swiss hospitality at its best.