Appartementhaus Rottalblick

We ended up here after another booking was canceled a week before our trip. We hadn't realized this was a spa town with 30 guesthouses and hotels, and our apartment had a walkway to the thermal baths. The village is entirely car-free, and we parked in an underground garage. The apartment was on the small side, and the kitchen was very basic, with only two burners. A combination microwave would've helped. We took the train to Passau; otherwise the area felt boring, with cornfields everywhere. The villages are very quiet. We bought an evening meal for 8 euros, then spent a pleasant couple of hours at the spas, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Almost all the pools were over 32 degrees Celsius.

The covered walkway is great for getting to the thermal baths, which I'd definitely recommend. The underground garage gives good access, though it's very narrow, so larger cars need to take care, and some spaces are small. Service and reception were friendly, as was the breakfast area. Breakfast was quite alright for a 3-star hotel. We had a good-sized "dog room" on the lower level, with a terrace that was ideal for our dog. The location is fantastic, and the room was only accessible by elevator. It had a 70s or 80s look, which is a matter of taste, but fine for a few days. The main drawback was the cleaning: there were cobwebs in the corners, above the bed around the indirect lighting, and on the bathroom door frame. The bathroom pool also felt like it hadn't been cleaned in a while. The hallway to the room often smelled strongly of cigarette smoke, though the room itself didn't. Three stars, plus one for the lovely service staff.

For the price, it's a great, spacious apartment, and we feel very comfortable here. The receptionist is nice and helpful, and the balcony is a lovely little bonus. We're here over the holidays and checked in yesterday. I'd give it 4.5 stars: the only things keeping it from five are a slight dog smell in the apartment and somewhat dirty sheets. We'll definitely return.

Bad Griesbach is a quiet spa town made up entirely of hotels, and a good place to unwind. For traditional German food, I'd recommend the Johannesklause, a hidden gem in the neighboring town centre about 4 km away. This aparthotel has an 80s feel. Rooms come with a kitchenette and fridge, and there's a basement passage straight to the thermal baths. Breakfast was okay, nothing special, while the staff were always helpful and friendly. Parking is in the underground garage only, at €5 a day. It's very narrow and not suited to larger vehicles by today's standards. I found the mattress very hard, and the Wi-Fi signal and speed were poor.