FeWo Brak

We especially liked how cozy the place felt and how quiet the location was. Everything was clean and modern, with what we needed for a relaxing break. We had a wonderful stay in this vacation rental!

The apartment was clean and nicely furnished, and being right in the center was really handy. We had a wonderful holiday and felt at home. We’ll definitely come back!

We spent 10 days in the silver fish apartment, though these comments generally apply to both the blue and silver fish apartments. It’s central, bright, welcoming, and looks like the photos. We didn’t cook, but the microwave, coffee maker, and kettle all worked fine. The kitchen is modern and well equipped, the layout is good, there’s room for the kids to play, and every room has roller shutters. The shower is large and lovely, with pleasant pressure and easy temperature control. Everything was clean and tidy, and the design is appealing. There were a few things that made the stay less comfortable. One bed seems put together wrong, so the mattresses slide around. On the other large bed there’s just a board under the mattress instead of a slatted frame, and both mattresses squeak whenever you move. One roller blind is broken, so it doesn’t block the light properly. The living and dining room is too dark in the evenings, with no light by the sofa, which makes reading and playing games at the table difficult. Sound carries badly, too. We could hear the washing machine spinning in the restaurant downstairs from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. We would come back because the apartment is lovely and so central, but we took off two stars mainly because of the beds, the ongoing machine noise late into the evening, and the poor lighting in the main room. A slatted frame would have been much kinder to my back.

We stayed with our family in apartment 2, Roter Fisch (Red Fish), at Fewo Brak. Although the apartment is generally nicely furnished, so many things were defective that it became a safety concern for us, especially with children. Our daughter nearly fell when the highchair tipped forward because its table wasn’t screwed in. There were broken lamps, blinds, cabinets, and doors that wouldn’t shut, plus a moldy pleated blind in the bathroom. The hot and cold taps at the bathroom sink were reversed. When we left, we found the bed’s center support beam was broken and its support leg missing. It felt as if the bed might collapse at any moment. I first called a staff member on Monday after we arrived to mention the problems. That quickly turned into a full A4 page of issues sent by email. Someone was supposed to take care of things Tuesday, but when we got back, only one of four broken lamps had been replaced, and the safe that was locked when we arrived had been opened. After we asked again on Thursday, we did at least get a new highchair. After we left, Mr. Brak told us in response to a follow-up that some problems had already been dealt with during our stay, while the “major deficiencies” would have to wait until after the season. That seems optimistic, particularly for the bed. Cleanliness also left a lot to be desired, and some details seem poorly thought through. The plates don’t fit upright in the dishwasher because they block the spray arm. There are no deep plates, only three cake forks for four people, and no information folder about the apartment. Wi-Fi reception is good throughout, but the internet only works in the bedrooms. The apartment is above a fish restaurant with an attached smokehouse, which is known and generally not an issue. After closing at 9 p.m., though, the staff kept cleaning noisily for quite a while. The bedrooms face the street, and motorcycles roared past loudly in the evenings during our stay. Mr. Brak isn’t responsible for that, but all the negative impressions add up. We can’t recommend Fewo Brak, especially to families, because some of the partly hidden defects seemed dangerous for our children. At the end, Mr. Brak offered a very constructive solution: we should find a different apartment next time we visit Norddeich. Thanks for that, we wouldn’t have thought of it ourselves!