Hasseröder Ferienpark

Two years later, we spent a week in the village and were disappointed by what we got for the price. The units are nice, but it felt like an overpriced hostel. We paid extra for linen, yet the only supplies were two dishwasher tablets and three rolls of toilet paper, with no hand soap. The old sleeper couch smelled bad, as my 11-year-old put it, like an old man's armpits. We were also expected to do most of the cleaning ourselves before checkout. The place still seems understaffed, though the staff remain friendly and accommodating. Even on my earlier visit, it seemed short-staffed, but the staff were friendly and helpful.

Our house was very clean when we arrived, and we got a pleasant welcome. It was close to the pool, bar, bowling and other facilities, although some houses are quite a long way from them. The pool is a nice, average-sized one with a fun slide, and it's open until 10 pm.

We stayed near the woods, which was the prettiest part of this wonderful park. The other section looked nice too, but it's a longer walk from everything. Our house was spacious and handy, though a little dated. The park layout was just like the pictures, and it felt like great value for money. There's a great indoor pool, an indoor playground with crafts around 10 every day, and a fun bowling area with blacklight and music. The little shop mostly sells souvenirs and swimwear, with fresh bread in the morning and sled rental in winter. An electric train leaves reception every day for Wenigerode Castle, €8 per person return. Several trails start in the park, including a children's walk, maybe called märchenweg or something like that. The town centre is about a 30-minute walk away. The ATM takes around 20 minutes to reach and the supermarkt about 25. The bus stop is about a five-minute walk from reception, with buses into town every 15 minutes. The park gave us free bus tickets. The main downside was that there was nothing in English, and I missed getting recommendations for sights and other highlights.

We had plenty of space in the well-heated, clean house, even with four adults and two children sharing. We only tried the hotel's swimming pool, and found it very good.