Hotel Seehof Haltern am See

We’d been confused and a bit lost, since I’m a French tourist who doesn’t speak German. My wallet had gone missing in Haltern, and someone on LinkedIn messaged me saying it might be at this hotel. It turned out to be at the TownHall instead. Even though we weren’t staying there, the staff did everything they could to help us. They even offered free breakfast to us and the kids. I eventually got my wallet back from the town hall. Thank you for such a warm show of German hospitality. We’ll remember it!

The restaurant was disappointing, with small portions and food that wasn’t very good. The hotel itself was quiet during my March 2022 visit, though I imagine it gets busier in summer. It’s a large place and feels somewhat dated, but my room was clean and comfortable. Hotel guests can use the swimming pool and sauna facilities for free.

I was there for a business trip two weeks ago and brought my wife. At breakfast, a staff member in a black suit came up to her and asked, “YOU KNOW IT'SNOT FREE RIGHT?” She was taken aback but said she knew. He then told another waitress it would cost 13 euros and urged my wife to hurry and get food because they were closing soon. When she told me what happened, we checked out immediately. I’ve never had customer service like that, especially not in America, and we won’t return. It left a bad taste in our mouths. Some staff were very nice, but that man, who seemed to be in his mid-40s to 50s, should be retrained. I believe he was racist toward us because we’re Asian Americans. It was totally disgusting.

The lake turned out not to be a place where you could swim, which was disappointing, though a walk through the woods soon took my mind off it. The spa and wellness area was great and seemed nearly empty during my pandemic getaway, but I could see it getting crowded on a busy day. The hotel has plenty of potential, but should make more effort to welcome international and younger visitors. Would I return? Maybe in a few years.