Landhotel Zur Krone

We were able to add another night on the spur of the moment, which was no trouble. The rooms had been recently renovated and were spotless, and the mattresses were really comfortable and easy on our backs. Breakfast was a lovely start, with fresh eggs and lots of sides. Dinner was freshly cooked, tasty home-style food, and they were happy to handle special requests. Our host was attentive, very nice, and had a great sense of humor. There were four of us travelling on four motorcycles, and we could leave them safely in the private courtyard.

We paid €99 for a double room and €75 for a single. One room had a fold-out bed as its second bed, so we got €5 off. We weren't expecting much, and I felt some sympathy for the owner, but I'm still giving this a weak three stars, with reservations. The building dates from 1533 and has been partly renovated. Our rooms were clean, though some areas looked old. The sinks in the bathroom were new, but the shower stalls were ancient, there was mold in spots, and the toilet seat was loose. There were nine of us and only two other guests in the restaurant. We ordered dinner for about 6:30 pm before heading out to a concert. When we came back at 6 pm, the owner greeted us glumly: “You're already here! We agreed on 6:30 pm. Now I'm going to have dinner first.” We told him there was no rush and tried to settle things down. The food came out at different times, but that didn't bother our relaxed group. The menu had five mains and three soups, all simple home-style cooking. Drinks were brought over one by one instead of on a tray, and the shot glasses were held by the rim. That's not acceptable. We'd asked for breakfast at 8:00. The women came down at 7:50 and got a very rude response for being ten minutes early. There wasn't much to choose from: two kinds of rolls that seemed reheated and, to me, overdone, butter, boiled eggs, pre-packaged cold cuts, one kind of sliced cheese, two jams said to be homemade, coffee, and tea. The innkeeper came across as grumpy and lacking empathy. I think he can't help it, and he seemed surprised there weren't more guests.

The owner kept us smiling with a witty remark and was friendly throughout. We enjoyed his freshly prepared meals in the restaurant, then lingered over a beer in the cozy pub. Breakfast was good and plentiful, and our beds were very comfortable. The room was clean and tidy when we were shown in after a very warm welcome. We spent the weekend here while visiting the Merkers Adventure Mine, and would gladly return.

We'd happily stay again. The food tasted great, came in just-right portions, and was excellent value for the price. Our room was clean and had a spacious balcony, plus a TV, shower, and Wi-Fi. The owner was very friendly.