Bartmanns Haus

The bathroom was easily the best part of room 112. The walk-in shower was powerful and refreshing, and I got to enjoy the bath, though there’s some rust in it that needs attention. I wasn’t sure about the see-through loo door. We’d paid for one of the pricier rooms because it had both a bath and shower, hoping for a bit of luxury. The two single beds pushed together weren’t as comfortable as a large double would have been. We’d driven four hours in 38-degree heat and were very thirsty, so being able to get bottled pils from the fridge at reception was welcome. The lift now works, and there was also an honesty fridge with cold drinks on the landing. Someone kept taking the alcoholic beer. There was a fridge in the room too, but it didn’t work, so we couldn’t keep drinks cold. The separate lounge had a wardrobe, tea-making facilities, and a small flat-screen TV. The large TV in the bedroom was a cheap generic model, and it would be better to have a Samsung, especially since it works with Samsung phones. A printed channel list would help as well. The drinks on the top shelf at reception, like gin, were visibly locked away. On arrival, we found a hotel parking space, which was useful, and a friendly receptionist greeted us. I wasn’t sure how much English she spoke, if any, but we managed in the end. We first stayed here before the original hotel had its major refurbishment, so this was our first visit back. The room looked lovely at first glance. There’s free Wi-Fi. Breakfast was a buffet with hot drinks, and what we ate was nice. We hadn’t realized we could ask for a cooked egg of our choice instead of the boiled one on the buffet, so that could have been explained more clearly. We also didn’t know that the restaurant and hotel opposite, Hotel Schwan, is now owned by the same people as Bartmanns. We would have eaten there if we’d known, since Bartsmann has no restaurant on site. The last time we ate at Hotel Schwan it was too smoky and a rude woman was running it. I wish we’d been told about the ownership when we arrived. I’d said on Tripadvisor that I wouldn’t come back, but the bill turned out to be less expensive than we expected, so I’d stay again if I had the chance. A few changes would help, especially an information book in the bedrooms. I’m not used to staying somewhere where reception is unattended at night.

That hallway fridge full of cold drinks, which runs on trust, makes a real difference. Breakfast service was fantastic too. I had a great stay at this hotel and recommend it 10/10.

The room was small and had no air conditioning, but it was very clean, and breakfast was good. It’s a small hotel in the old center of Dillenburg.

My lack of German wasn’t an issue since most of the staff spoke English. The management and team were wonderful, the accommodations were meticulous, and the location was great. They’d taken care over even the smallest details.