Apparthotel Birkenhof

The shower is accessible and the bathroom has plenty of room, so this would also suit someone with walking difficulties. We booked online without any problems and got a very pleasant, friendly welcome. A first-class holiday apartment, tastefully furnished.

There are two roomy double bedrooms, plus a large living room with a kitchenette and a big balcony. The kitchenette has an oven, microwave, dishwasher, coffee maker, and kettle. We booked for two, and it’s AMAZING!!

We had plenty of room, and the apartment was clean and close to the town center. For what we paid, it was excellent. But we won’t stay at Apparthotel Birkenhof again. We only learned when we arrived that it had recently been taken over by Göbel's Hotels. I’d already left a negative review after staying at Göbel's Landhotel the previous year, and the reception experience brought back the same problems. We searched several floors for a reception desk before Dutch guests told us to go across the street to Göbel's. The reception staff were displeased when I pointed out that there had been no information about this. We’d said we were business travelers when booking, but they demanded a negative COVID test, even though we understood that business trips didn’t require one. I showed my full vaccination record; my wife didn’t have her certificate with her, since we thought business travelers didn’t need it. One staff member still insisted that both of us needed tests first, including me, despite my having had two doses, the second a month earlier. They said we could leave if we didn’t like it, because they could refuse service. Göbel's had a COVID testing site across the street, apparently their own, as the person doing the tests was waiting inside Göbel's for patients. I assumed it might be another source of income. I was close to leaving for a competitor, but somehow the business trip and test issue got resolved and we were given the keys. We were first refused the included Willingen Plus Card, and only got it after a long discussion and showing them the offer. The cards came without the required code, which caused problems whenever we tried to insert them. We also weren’t given the Wi-Fi password. It’s a lovely apartment in the wrong hands, and a definite no-go for us.

The apartment was much bigger than we expected during our midweek stay. We did a lot of walking, and there was plenty to do and see nearby. We’ll definitely come back, and I’m already looking at a winter weekend.