Velotel Bad Saarow

It’s a nice, modern hotel, and the staff were helpful. One day there was an odd smell, like bad pipes or something. I hope it was a one-off and gets fixed. I emailed about it but never got a reply.

The room was clean and modern once we finally got in, and breakfast was good. They’d even set out dog bowls. Still, the whole stay left us tense and disappointed. For the price, the lack of service and basic professionalism was unacceptable. It was hot and stuffy without air-conditioning, and the staff need serious training. The hotel is part of a new-build complex recommended by our wedding venue. On paper it sounded great, with modern design, dog-friendly rooms, bicycle storage, and a Kino in the building. But check-in was at 16:00, later than most hotels, and our reception started at 15:30. My husband asked ahead whether the room could be ready by 14:45. They said they’d try because rooms are usually ready from 14:00, but couldn’t promise, which was fair enough. We got there at 14:30 and were handed a key, but the room hadn’t been cleaned. When we returned, four staff were behind the desk and none seemed attentive. We explained what happened and agreed to wait another 20 minutes. At 15:00 it still wasn’t ready. I had to do my make-up in the downstairs bathroom while the staff avoided eye contact. They didn’t apologize and acted dismissive until I confronted them directly.

The location was great, within walking distance of Bad Saarow Therme and the lake. There’s a restaurant and bar, but they’re closed on Sundays and Mondays, so plan around that. There are plenty of other places to eat nearby. Our room came with breakfast, which was very good, and the bed was really comfortable. The room was well appointed and pretty clean. I left the housekeeper a note about the broken shower door seal and dripping shower head in Room 213. The Cinema is a pretty cool idea. Sorry about spilling the orange juice and making a mess.

The rooms are spacious, clean, and nicely designed. I skipped breakfast since there are a couple of decent bakeries, supermarkets, and a very good coffee place nearby. It’s a nice hotel, but calling it a Velotel feels a bit misleading. It may be bike-friendly, but it didn’t seem especially bike-minded. I arrived after a long, hot 200k ride with a full bikepacking setup, and the staff didn’t show much interest. They just said, “You can store your bike on the third floor.” The same thing happened the next morning. That’s fine, but I’d expected a little more genuine interest from a ‘Velotel.’