Krabbe Norden in Norden

We stayed in the ground-floor apartment for two, which has a terrace, bathroom, small kitchen, and a combined living and sleeping area. It’s in a quiet spot close to central Norddeich, around 200 metres on foot from the seal sanctuary and Ocean Wave. The beds are a little worn, and the kitchen is missing some things, like egg cups, though it does have a dishwasher. Cleanliness was disappointing: there were long black hairs on and under the bed that weren’t ours, and the floor was quite dirty. The Wi-Fi was unstable. On the plus side, there are handcarts for the many families staying in the apartments, and bikes can be kept in the garage.

We’ve stayed here twice now, and it won’t be our last. These small apartments are nice, with a ground-floor terrace and access to the garden. We were there to sleep and spent the day out in town or at the beach, so we weren’t expecting a five-star resort. The kitchen was small but had everything we needed to make breakfast for four: a fridge, coffee maker, microwave, kettle, oven, stove and cookware, plus a little dishwasher. The beds were fine, and the bathroom had room enough for two.

The apartment was lovely, and the people there were really nice. The bathroom felt a bit small for six, though, and the landlady wasn’t available when we needed her. We waited an hour for the key code. The towels folded like a little boat were a cute touch. There were ants on the terrace, and the sandbox had hardly any sand. The plastic slide was also getting old, and I’d say it’s only fun for kids up to about six.

We enjoyed our stay at Haus Ostfriesland and would put it near the top of our list if we came back to Norddeich. The location and cleanliness are hard to beat for the price, and at first glance it feels cozy and charming. With everyday use, though, small issues show up: the coffee machine lid was broken, and so was a handle on the fridge. They weren’t major problems, but you notice them, and the place is starting to show its age. The Wi-Fi was only intermittent, especially in the evenings when more people were online, when connecting was difficult or impossible. I enjoyed the stay, but those issues keep me from giving it a higher rating.