Hotel Landhaus Höpen

The food was okay to good, with a great dinner and a good breakfast, especially the rolls and eggs. Service during both meals was great. The setting is beautiful for a weekend away, but the rooms felt only okay and not at a four-star level. There were spots on the walls, a bathroom that looked like it was from the 70s, no air conditioning, and bedding that was far too soft. Even with a “please do not disturb” sign, the room was cleaned. The corridor in the main building was unbearably hot because of pools beneath it. At reception, our voucher caused a problem. The receptionist seemed overwhelmed and said, “are u serious to come now with another voucher, this is going to take a lot of time for checkout”. We hadn't been told to mention the voucher on arrival. Overall, the staff were okay to good, but I wouldn't book again, and I don't think the place merits 4****.

The breakfast buffet was incredible, and the rooms were spacious and very clean. Staff were discreet and helpful. We had a reservation for several rooms, though, and the changes we'd explained carefully by email got muddled. The email confirmation wasn't in their system. I think there was just a communication breakdown, maybe because of language. They did manage to accommodate us in the end, so everything worked out fine.

The beautiful setting is the one good thing I can say. The hotel is far too expensive for what it is, and it looked as if it hadn't been decorated since the '70s. My room was cramped, with a broken shower door and a bathroom in a disgusting piss yellow colour. The bed was the most uncomfortable I've ever slept in. By the third night, the mattress was hurting my back so badly that I slept on the floor, and the lack of sleep made everything else more irritating. Hot water stopped working on the third morning. The shared terrace offered no privacy from the room. Without air conditioning or mosquito nets, I had to choose each might between being too hot and being eaten to death. Breakfast itself was good, but the service wasn't what I expect from a 4 star hotel. The hotel was from so.

Although this began as a difficult trip for us, it became unforgettable. My father in law fell and was taken to hospital the night before we were due to come with my husband's parents. Understandably, my mother in law no longer wanted to travel, and after what happened my husband and I didn't feel like going either. In the end, we came on our own rather than lose the chance to visit. We had originally booked two rooms for four people, but the hotel and Kurzurlaub.de were very gracious and charged us for just one room. We appreciated that kindness a lot during an already hard time, especially knowing my husband's parents would have loved to join us if they could. The food was amazing, made from scratch with fresh ingredients at both breakfast and dinner. We came during “Spargelzeit” and had the best cream of asparagus soup we've ever tasted. The Rote Grütze was just as fabulous. The location is gorgeous, and the staff were understanding and helpful. The wellness area has wet and dry saunas, a pool with a gorgeous view, and lots of places to relax inside and out. It's beautifully designed and impeccably kept. We'd happily return and recommend this place to friends or family visiting the Lüneburger Heide.