Strandhotel Weissenhäuser Strand

We were staying at Weissenhauser strand hotel with our two little kids, ages three and four. At dinner, we paid for two buffets and one à la carte meal for a child. The kids barely ate, so I put some pancakes and fruit on my plate for them. A waitress then told us we couldn't take any food back to our room, even though the children were so young. Apparently throwing away food from my plate was preferable to giving it to a child staying at the hotel. It was a really unpleasant and disappointing way for a four-star hotel to treat us.

The apartment was extremely bare bones: just one roll of toilet paper, a tiny soap bar, and no cleaning or fresh towels during our two-week stay. Remote work was also impossible because there was no internet in the apartments, despite the listing, and the Wi-Fi in shared areas was unreliable. The place was full of school groups, mostly teenagers. To clarify, we didn't actually stay at the Strandhotel. The confusing websites led me to think I'd booked a family apartment connected to it, but through that booking site we actually rented an apartment run by Weissenhäuser Strand Freizeitpark. Think Great Wolf Lodge meets the Ostsee. That may suit some people, but it's good to know what you're booking.

We hadn't planned to stay here, but I'm glad we did. Our car broke down on the way back to the UK from Copenhagen, and from booking online to getting into our room took less than 30 minutes, with hardly any hassle. It's a huge resort with impressive facilities. If you're from the UK, it's like a German version of Butlins, but done properly. Everyone on staff was friendly and happy to help. They even helped translate with our hire car driver, whose English wasn't great, while my German was worse.

The Badeparadies is clean, new, and really nice, and the location is great for children. We had a lovely time. I do wish there were soap available in the baths. Nearly everyone I saw just rinsed with water in their swimsuits before getting into the pools. Where I'm from in Denmark, you're expected to wash with soap around the groin and armpits, and wash your hair before going in. Weissenhäuser strand could introduce the same rule at the Badeparadies.