Château d'Isenbourg

Dinner was enjoyable, and we really liked the wine. The rest of our stay was awful. There was mold and staining across the walls in both the room and bathroom, and insects kept appearing every day despite our keeping the window closed and not having food in the room. We saw flies, spiders, and beetles. The hallways and ceilings had flies and spiders too. Reception just rolled their eyes when we reported it, offered no help, and asked, “What do you expect? You’re in the countryside.” We expect an expensive five-star room to be free of an infestation. We’ve stayed in the countryside before, including hotels with gardens right outside the door, and never experienced anything like this. It was horrific, and we didn’t get one peaceful night of sleep. The sign we saw on the desk when we arrived should have been a clue. This was nowhere near a five-star standard, ruined our trip, and wasn’t worth the price. Go for dinner, but don’t stay here.

The castle and its surroundings are romantic, and the older rooms fit the feeling of stepping into another century, even though they haven’t been renovated. The wellness area was a letdown for us: loud, noisy kids were there, so we couldn’t relax, even though that was the main reason we came. A wellness space should prevent that kind of situation. On the plus side, it’s an affordable option if you’re looking for a wellness stay, and dinner at the restaurant and breakfast were lovely, with lots of choice and fresh ingredients. Definitely try them.

The views over the mountains and wineries are lovely, and the location is excellent for a hotel outside Colmar but near interesting towns in Alsace. We paid 155 euros for the room, which felt like good value. There’s a small, well-kept spa that’s especially relaxing on sunny spring and summer days, and breakfast had a good selection with excellent staff. Our room had a nice castle style, but it needs some practical improvements: there were few power outlets, nowhere to hang towels, and no bathroom space for bags. For a hotel rated five stars, I expected more attention to guests’ daily needs, such as evening turndown service or a small chocolate in the room. To me it felt more like a four-star hotel.

We had a nice stay, and the upgraded room we chose was big, quiet, warm, and nicely decorated. The views were great, and it wasn’t far from a small town. The shower was awkward for me as a tall person, since I had to sit in the tub to use it. The room was pretty expensive.