THE GRAND Ahrenshoop

The rooftop dinner at „Weitblick“ was our favorite part. We had a berry cocktail aperitif and a surf and turf starter, then halibut and steak, all delicious. We’d love to come back for another meal up there. The hotel has lovely Baltic Sea views, and the breakfast buffet offers plenty of homemade things. The big pool has room to swim, and the sauna was great too. Reception and the rest of the staff were kind and helpful.

The spa is beautiful, all 3,000 square meters of it, and the rooms and suites have gorgeous Baltic Sea views. Local artists’ work is featured around the hotel, and the food is fantastic, especially the gourmet dishes and the best breakfast buffet I’ve ever seen or tasted. There’s a fun, cool feel to the place, with the polish of a world-class hotel. The service is outstanding, and the management somehow feels both very hip and genuinely friendly. This hotel feels magical. It’s quickly become one of my favorites anywhere. I’d give it 10 stars if I could! More, please! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The breakfast was good, which is why I’ve given two stars. The rest was a huge letdown. The rooms look dated and more like a three-star place, despite the hotel rating itself five stars. At €400 a night, you’d think the quality would match the price, but it didn’t. Parking also costs extra. There didn’t seem to be a competent staff member around. The people working there were all 16 to 20 year old interns who often didn’t know what was going on. There’s no room phone, just an iPad for contacting reception, and it didn’t work. When I called from my own phone, nobody answered. At nine months pregnant, I had to go downstairs just to ask a simple question. The Wi-Fi in our room was nonexistent. When I raised it, they said it was a free service, as if that meant I shouldn’t complain. No apology and no hospitality. The TV had 400 channels, but every one was in German, with nothing for international guests. I’d never come back.

We had a really good dinner. The staff were welcoming and helpful, and the food and drinks were freshly made and came out quickly. They take AMEX, too. We’ll definitely come back. We stayed over Christmas. At dinner, the staff seemed pretty overwhelmed by how many guests there were.