Roompot Parkhotel Bad Arcen

The thermal baths need serious attention. There were loose tiles, water across the floor made the slippery areas potentially dangerous, and I found sand, leaves, and hair in some of the pools. The staff there seemed uninterested and didn't bother sweeping up the water. I like the idea of staying beside the baths, but the management should repair the tiles, keep the place clean, and replace those old, soft mattresses. We spent two nights at the hotel, which sits in a peaceful, green location. Our room was spacious, but much too warm because the radiator had been left on. The bed and mattress were poor, and the dark wallpaper made the room gloomy. I also hated having to enter a code to get in, especially with the hallway so dim that we needed a phone flashlight each time. Breakfast was satisfying, with enough bread and hot food.

The spa was the highlight, especially in winter. We loved the three outdoor pools, the indoor pool, the temperatures, jets and whirlpool, as well as the Kneipp area. The extra charge for the private sauna areas seemed fair. We had apple strudel, water, a small Weizen, fries and cake there, all tasty and reasonably priced at 26 EUR. Some reviews calling the place dirty and worn seemed unfair to me. Saltwater does cause corrosion in spots, and when it's busy there can be hair in showers or rubbish in changing areas, but the facilities are maintained. Still, more cleaning during the day would help. On Christmas Day it got busier and less clean, and I saw guards but no cleaners. Lunch for two, croquettes, fries and beer, came to 36 EUR. We booked a Deluxe room for 24.12 and 25.12.2024, with a course Christmas dinner on the first evening and à la carte on the second. Check-in was meant to be at 14:00, and getting into the spa earlier needed an extra ticket. I wrote in English but got Dutch replies, so I used Google Translate. I was surprised the Hotel was so reluctant to answer in English, since Dutch people speak it so well. We arrived at 13:30 and check-in itself was easy. The room code didn't work at first, but reception gave us a card. The room was large, clean, on the ground floor with direct outside access, and towels and spa supplies were ready. Oddly, the room key password still didn't work even though we had the key. The emergency exit and parking worked with the password but not the key, while the hotel room was the other way around. The beds were as some reviews described: small, with a very soft mattress. I struggled to stay in place and not roll onto my wife, and the beds kept sliding apart overnight. Breakfast was ordinary European fare, buns, eggs, ham, sausages, cheese and yogurt. Fine, but nothing special. The Christmas meal had salmon to start, white fish with vegetables, then a large dessert plate. It was satisfactory, and with drinks cost 120 EUR. Our final dinner started well with beef carpaccio and assorted bread, olive oil, crème, herb butter and olives. The mains were disappointing: the curry had no taste, and the chicken satay with fries and mayonnaise didn't appeal to us. Peanut sauce with fries just didn't work for me. The menu was only in Dutch, with no English version, so we missed that detail when ordering. The food overall was average, not fine dining. We paid around 430 EUR for two nights including breakfast, plus another 300 EUR for food. With the spa, spacious room and timing, the stay was still worthwhile.

We slept incredibly well after spending the afternoon in the thermal pools. We arrived in time for lunch at the on-site restaurant, which isn't part of the hotel, checked in at two, then headed straight to the baths. Dinner followed, and we were so relaxed that we fell asleep easily. After a good buffet breakfast and another hour in the pools, we drove home feeling rested. The hotel, restaurant and pool staff were friendly. There was lots of parking, plus charging points for cars and bikes.

Shame on you. This was my first visit and it will be my last. The point isn't the money, it's the principle. The place is nice, but the man at reception was disrespectful and stingy. He charged us more than € 7,50 because I was late past 11:00. The payment machine wasn't working, so I was delayed. I waited 17 minutes before he finally told me to use another machine. I explained that their problem had made me late, not anything I had done. Instead of apologizing, he raised his voice. I paid and left. Once again, shame on you.