Seehotel Grossraeschen

The rooms were clean and nice, and the conference room had good acoustics, so it works fine for events. The restaurant was only okay for both lunch and breakfast. The food didn’t have much flavor, lunch portions seemed too small to me, and there wasn’t much choice at breakfast.

The check-in experience fell well below what I expected. The front desk woman couldn’t speak English and had trouble processing my payment, so she wouldn’t let me into my room. It took two hours of effort to sort out. I was also told there’d be no front desk staff overnight, which made check-in difficult for my colleagues arriving after midnight. The hotel itself is pretty and cozy by the lake, with nice rooms, though they’re rather small. The bathrooms need renovating.

We did manage to have a peaceful, relaxing stay, but it didn’t feel like a four-star hotel. And if you’re afraid of spiders, this place is an absolute no-go. It’s a quiet area, with a few people around, so keeping your distance was easy. There are good spots for meditation and yoga on the pier, well-kept rental bikes, and a couple of playgrounds. Most staff were friendly. Masks were required in public areas, and the sanitary controls seemed good. Dinner from the buffet was quite good and worth the price. Breakfast was simple but filling, and the lobby coffee was great. There’s a huge Rewe and Rossman near the railway station. The big frustration was that services advertised on the website and Booking.com weren’t available when we asked at reception. We managed to book a massage after speaking with the owner, who was very professional and friendly, but it took a lot of effort and there wasn’t much flexibility with the time. The spa is just a sauna, and borrowing tennis equipment was difficult too. There were spiders all over the main building and villa, including steatods, and staff didn’t seem bothered by them. I think this may only be an issue in summer. A staff member came to remove one from our ceiling when we asked, but acted as though our discomfort was funny. It felt like we had to choose between sleeping in a hot, stuffy room or waking up to a bunch of spiders. There’s no air conditioning, though fans are available on request. Some things weren’t the hotel’s fault, but could have been explained better. The nearest lake is off limits for swimming, and almost half the places in town were closed because of Corona.

The region around the hotel is quiet and still being developed, though there’s at least one restaurant within walking distance. The rooms are tidy, as you’d expect from a four-star hotel, and the food is good with plenty of choice. Staff were friendly and helpful. I’ll probably visit again in the future.