Jagdschlösschen-Harz

The area around the “Four Seasons” apartment was beautiful, with lots of forest, but our stay there was awful. We only stayed one night. The mattresses sagged so much it felt like sleeping on the slatted base. My mom had already been feeling unwell when we arrived and got a stomach bug the next day, so we decided to go home. The landlady yelled that her illness wasn’t her fault and that she could have booked other guests, then kept the rest of our money. That was especially strange since the day before she’d said she was surprised anyone else had booked at all. When we said the place was dirty, she accused us of lying. We’ve never been treated with such disrespect or met with so little empathy, especially at Easter. While we packed, the landlady and another woman watched us. The room itself was okay and the furnishings were fine, but the apartment was filthy. Dog hair and grime were everywhere, including the floors and furniture, and the kitchen, tables, and other surfaces were full of crumbs. There was dust and cobwebs all over. We had to vacuum and sweep before we could let our little dog inside.

We came as a couple for a week of hiking, but wouldn’t book here again. The complex has around 70 apartments, and the buildings clearly haven’t been renovated in a long time. Our apartment had a south-facing balcony, but it smelled musty and the furniture felt like junk.

Apartment 8 was small but well put together, nicely furnished, and had everything we needed. The one snag, which seems common in holiday rentals, was having to wash the dishes ourselves. We ended up cleaning off leftover Bolognese from the previous guest. Still, we’d gladly come back and recommend it! :)

We found the playroom especially disappointing. There were spiders on the ceiling, cobwebs under the radiators and behind the little tent, and the carpet badly needed vacuuming around the edges and corners. The toys, mats, and ping-pong table needed cleaning too, probably disinfecting. After playing there once, our hands were so dirty and sticky. The apartment looked tidy at first, but dust, hair, and dead flies and spiders were under the couch and bed. The high chair wasn’t clean either, and the wipe came away dirty after we used it on the frame. It certainly hadn’t been disinfected. The residence itself is well maintained, quiet, and has a lovely view. Our apartment was pleasant and nicely furnished, but it was advertised for up to three people and felt far too cramped for us, especially with our one-year-old. It might have been okay for two people on a short break. There wasn’t enough room for clothes, either. Kitchen equipment was plentiful, with crockery, cutlery, a microwave, two hotplates, a coffee machine, kettle, and toaster, but no oven, which really bothered us. We also missed having a small bathroom bin, so we bought garbage bags and made do with the mop bucket. If you pay for bed linen, check it for holes and similar problems. We don’t think almost €500 for seven days was justified and wouldn’t book again. Such a shame.