We did not actually, in a sense, choose to book this hotel. It just happened to be the venue for a friend's wedding reception. He was marrying a girl from Lubeck in the north of Germany. The invitation arrived at Easter time for the wedding on 5th October. We booked our three night stay immediately upon our receipt, and acceptance, of the invitation, having discovered that it was not exorbitantly expensive, had an en-suite room available for the three nights that we wanted to be there and actually looked rather pleasant on the website.
Not knowing Lubek, or indeed northern Germany at all, we did not even make the effort to look at other hotels in the area. The fact that the reception was being held at the Friederikenhof on the Friday meant that if we were staying there I did not need to worry about drinking and driving.
HOTEL DESCRIPTION / OUR PERCEPTION FROM HOTEL PUBLICITY
The hotel website is very sketchy in its description - in English - of the hotel and the facilities on offer. As with all German hotels that we have stayed in, conference facilities are promoted, which tends to lead one to expect a rather "businessy" character to the place.
We really were not too sure what to expect upon our arrival. I rather misinterpreted their term of "a silent countrified area" to mean the suburbs of Lubek, indeed looking it up on Multimap that is exactly where this hotel appeared to be - suburbia.
As it turned out we were in for a surprise - the hotel's website is modestly and delightfully understated!
Ringhotel are a German chain of hotels - a little like Best Western but on a smaller, national rather than international scale. In other words a chain of independently owned and run hotels, I was informed by the groom that he had stayed in a couple of others and that they are of a uniformly high standard.
HAVE WE STAYED THERE PREVIOUSLY?
I think that question has already been answered, no we had not, but as it transpired several of the wedding guests had, in the case of the groom's mother, this was her fourth visit.
BOOKING PROCESS 10 / 10
We booked our three night stay through Speedhotels.com, an American site which we have used previously for booking hotels in Germany. The booking process was completely painless; booking through this site reduced the already reasonable room rate by 15 Euros per night too.
LOCATION 8 / 10
A curiously difficult one to rate here. Had we not arrived in our own car, with the aid of a (German!) GPS system we may have felt less enamoured with the location of the Friederikenhof. However, follow the hotel directions and you will find it about four minutes drive off of A1 Germany's main north / south motorway. It is located slightly to the south of Lubeck and is around 45 minutes driving time from Hamburg airport.
It turned out not to be in the Lubek suburbs at all, but in a tiny dormitory village separated from the city by flat, open fields, and an impressively wide and picturesque canal. In actual fact, when we drove into Lubek on Saturday morning we discovered that the hotel's claim to be ten minutes from the city was absolutely spot on.
The longer we stayed at the Friederikenhof the more idyllic we found the location to actually be. Close to the city and yet very much in the countryside, the place was as described on its website "silent" at night. I had three very good night's sleep here, rare when away from home and certainly not the case during our next three nights in a hotel in Cologne.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS 9 / 10
This is an unusual a hotel. Having found it, there are three entrances to the car park which runs along the front of the site and has space for 45 cars. With the wedding reception and a conference there on the Friday afternoon, the car park proved to be far too small to accommodate all the cars, which were left littering the lane outside.
Why unusual? Well, there are four seperate buildings for a start, from the car park you walk down a short driveway to find a sign post pointing towards the reception on your right, the restaurant in front of you and the room block to your left. There is a further detached restaurant, in a converted pig sty, behind the main one.
The gardens running between the two main buildings and in front of the restaurant are beautifully manicured; in the centre of the "roundabout" forming the end of the driveway is an attractive fountain. Beyond the restaurant is a large sloping lawned area, at the bottom of which is a large (fenced off - no danger of children falling in) pond.
Entering the building marked "Reception" you are enveloped in a warm ambiance, created partly by the candles burning there - seemingly day and night. The décor is in soft colours, further enhancing the sense of welcome and comfort.
CHECKING IN 9 / 10
The Friederikenhof is run by a male / female partnership, from what we understood of the relationship, she ran the hotel and accommodation side of the business, whilst he concentrated on the restaurant and food. The lady who checked us in, and was on the reception nearly all of the time during our stay was the co-owner and as such took great pains in ensuring that we felt welcomed and valued as guests in what was, I suspect, her home.
She spoke very good English and the check in was swift, but as friendly as any that I have encountered - especially abroad. We were the first of the wedding party to arrive and found ourselves explaining to her the pronunciation of the other English guests surnames!
We were handed the key to room 107, a downstairs room in the annexe block opposite the building in which we were checking in. On visiting the reception half an hour later we were asked what we thought of the room and if everything was to our satisfaction - a nice touch that.
ON THE WAY TO THE ROOM i.e. how easy is it to find your way around? How accessible is if for less able persons? What condition are the public rooms and passageways in? 7 / 10
Finding your way around this hotel is very easy, unlike some of the large, multi-level, multi-corridor ones that we have stayed in, the Friedererikenhof felt more like a country house - with an atmosphere to match.
The whole place, although having been operating as a hotel for ten years, was immaculately clean and very well decorated. Throughout the corridors and in the hallway of our room block candles burned from late afternoon, the lighting was sufficient but subdued.
Our room was at the end of the corridor and formed one corner of the building. The annexe was approached via a flight of gentle steps, which were a touch slippery in the damp evening and early morning air during our stay. With the breakfast room in the Reception building, this is not unfortunately the most accommodating hotel for disabled persons.
Both the restaurant and breakfast room matched the rest of the hotel in terms of smart, warm but relaxed ambiance. Throughout the hotel were many homely touches that we have not seen elsewhere, especially in Germany where hotels tend to be efficient but more impersonal in character.
THE ROOM 10 / 10
It is not possible to award the room less than a straight 10. My wife and I both agreed that this was the nicest hotel room that we have stayed in anywhere.
Opening the solid and sound proofed door from the corridor, you enter a hallway which can be closed off from the main room. In the hallway was located a large mini-bar, adjacent to the largest hotel wardrobe that I have ever seen. They must have known that we were coming! Mrs R never travels light - and we were here to attend a wedding!
Entering the main room from the hallway, which having no window was fairly dark, you instinctively utter 'wow'. You step into a room flooded with natural daylight, streaming in through no less than three large windows, a double aspect room which makes the very best of the views of the lovely garden and open countryside beyond. Not only is it light, but it is a large bed / sitting room. A full king sized double bed, with a large mirror on the wall behind it, further enhances the impression of space and light. The bed is flanked by twin bedside tables, the one on the right having a telephone, the left one a radio/alarm clock.
At the other end of the room is a spacious sitting area, with a three seater settee, an arm chair and a coffee table grouped around a large flat screen television. A further thoughtful touch was the placement of a local TV guide on the table below the television, this was updated with a new one during our three day stay there.
Between the sitting area and the bedroom proper was a wonderful old writing desk which as well as being the location of the usual hotel information pack also contained a small stock of (German) paperback books. Particularly appropriate that, as here, on a rainy day, or in the garden on a sunny one, would be a wonderful place just to sit and read. The air was particularly clean, indoors and out here - we and a couple of the other wedding party guests actually commented on that during our stay.
As in the public rooms, the décor was very warm and homely; the owners had obviously spent a lot of time and a not inconsiderable amount of money on various ornaments, including some of the most tasteful artificial flower arrangements that we have ever seen. The theme is decidedly "rural" in flavour, but then apparently this is a converted pig farm!
Another very thoughtful touch - especially if like Mrs R you sleep with the windows open, is that one of the windows has a hinged fly screen over it. Even in the first week of October, there were a fair number of midges here, thanks to the wire mesh screen we left the window open day and night and none entered our room.
I would have to mention here, that unlike the restaurant and breakfast rooms, the bedrooms are not air conditioned, the temperature during our three day stay was pleasantly cool - although one or two fellow guests were moaning that it was a bit chilly in their bathrooms - obviously they had not worked out how to activate the under-floor heating!
THE EN-SUITE 9 / 10
This is the first time anywhere that we have enjoyed the luxury of an under-floor heating system in an en-suite hotel bathroom. Both that and the décor, again, made this another room in which one wanted to spend time.
I have deducted one point here for the lack of a bath in this case. The room was amply big enough to contain a bath as well as the very efficient shower. I shower every day at home, but when on holiday often enjoy a good soak in the bath, especially after a full days sight-seeing on foot.
Oddly, the bathroom window, which had a view straight out to the garden, contained clear, rather than opaque, glass, it was odd having to draw the curtains in broad daylight before taking a shower - or using the toilet which was immediately next to the window.
As with the bedroom, the towels, curtains and even the floor tiles were very well colour coordinated. All in all this was one hotel room that really did feel like a home away from home.
DID WE GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP? 10 / 10
Oh yes indeed, the best three night's sleep I have ever had away from home. Not only was this probably the most comfortable bed - a foam filled mattress - that I have experienced, but the whole environment of the place was conducive to restful sleep.
There were no unwanted noises from outside, or indeed from within the hotel itself, although as with any other that we have stayed in anywhere, the plumbing in adjacent rooms could be heard if the TV or radio were not switched on.
FACILITIES ON OFFER - No score here, different grades / prices of hotel understandably have different facilities.
This classifies, under the mysterious German star system, as a four star hotel. This time I would agree with that whole heartedly.
I was surprised to be told by the owner that "we have no bar", but that did explain the exceptionally well stocked mini-bar! For many of you, the absence of a bar may be a downer - indeed it was for us on the first evening of our stay, as there was no natural meeting place for us to join and be introduced to our fellow wedding guests.
There is no swimming pool, gymnasium or sauna here, but for us the sheer quality of the environment made up for that. The garden was well furnished with tables (with parasols) and chairs, many of them the very distinctive Baltic beach chairs, a covered wicker chair with a little cupboard under the seat for the cushions.
The garden was really beautiful - as with the rooms and public area much time and money had been spent on creating an attractive and welcoming ambiance. Small (plastic) animals dotted about the garden may sound tacky, but here it was not and delighted the children amongst the wedding guests.
I am not a great one for lounging around doing nothing on holiday, but here was a place that I would have been quite happy to just sit and read all day long, enjoying the peace and tranquillity of this superb setting.
BREAKFAST / OTHER MEALS, FOOD & DRINKS 10 / 10
Well if you are looking for a downside to this hotel, you certainly are not going to find it in the culinary department! OK, so the local beer (Konig Pilsener) was rather like coloured water, but the food more than made up for that.
In most places that we eat, both in Poland and Germany, upon request an English menu is produced. Having studied, and guessed at, the contents of the German menu displayed on the wall outside the restaurant, we entered to a warm greeting from the male owner, his beautiful black cat, and two waiters - even the cat appeared to understand English. However, unfortunately no English menu!
We were ushered to a window table in the cosy restaurant, at just after 6.00pm it was still early and empty, an hour later the place was nearly full with locals, it obviously had a fine reputation, and with some good reason as we were to discover.
Having been driving all day, without stopping for a proper meal, we were both hungry and thirsty. Mrs R requested still water, I tried the aforementioned local brew - the two drinks could almost have been interchangeable. The waiter was extremely patient and went to great pains to do his best in translating and explaining the menu to us. Shoot us now if you wish, but we both chose veal medallions on creamy rice risotto on a bed of spinach.
We went straight in for the main course and were delighted to be served a complimentary "taster" to start with along with superb crusty bread rolls. The taster was rare roast beef, both succulent and full of flavour. Our meal when, it arrived, was not only imaginatively presented on a slightly off square plat,e but of the ultimate quality. The meat was superbly cooked and simply melted in the mouth. The creamy, buttery risotto was the best that I have tasted anywhere. We both agreed that this was turning into one of the best, if not THE best meal that we had enjoyed anywhere at any price.
The sweet was no anti-climax either! Described as chocolate "cake", it was a small but powerful chocolate hit, balanced by sharp seasonal berries and a large spoonful of vanilla ice cream - more the consistency of a sorbet actually.
The cost of this superb meal? Including the drinks, 49.00 Euros. Yes, that's right, we had just eaten the most sublime gourmet meal for the equivalent of £34.30! That was for both of us, not per head as I would have expected to pay in this country for food and service of this quality.
On the third night that we dined, there was a birthday celebration in the main restaurant and we were shown to the secondary (pig sty) restaurant in the building beyond. The young waitress was less confident in English - even with the help of our German-English dictionary, she gave up the struggle of trying to translate the menu. What appeared ten minutes later, in the hand of the restaurant manager was a very good English translated menu! He apologised for it being a photo-copied A4 sheet, they had yet to complete the job of translating it, this being the start of a new autumn menu here.
The quality of the food served both at the wedding reception and the meal that we equally enjoyed on the Saturday evening was consistently good. Breakfast may have been taken in another room, indeed in another building, but again there was nothing on the buffet table but the finest of food.
Breakfast is a typical continental spread. Find a table, the waitress will offer you tea or coffee, you are then left to help yourself. Hot food is limited to a choice of boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, whilst the cold platter is wide and varied. A good choice of cereals, fresh fruit salads, breads and jams are complimented by various meats, cheeses, salads and fish under plastic domes laid out on a large table. I was particularly delighted to see - and enjoy - steak tartare at breakfast on the last morning that we were there.
We found that both the food and the environment in which it was served tempted us into lingering far longer over meals in this hotel than in any other in which we have previously stayed.
OVERALL VALUE FOR MONEY 10 / 10
You have read this review, possibly in the back of your mind forming the opinion that this is going to be a far from affordable place to stay. Nothing could be further from the truth. We paid 95 Euro (approximately £66.50) per night.
Our total bill for the three nights - including two superb dinners came to 387.00 Euros - the equivalent of £270.00, that incidentally including service and VAT, which in Germany is at the rate of 19%.
HOW LIKELY AM I / ARE WE, TO USE THIS HOTEL AGAIN?
We will return to the Ringhotel Friederikenhof, of that we have no doubt.
I may have waxed lyrical about this hotel in this review, but even then have hardly done it full justice. It really is an experience to be savoured, in our travels the Friederikenhof stands out, not only for its excellence, but also for the superb value for money that it offers.
Justifiably the Ringhotel Friederikenhof shoots straight to the top of my hotel rating list. This is one hotel that I would unreservedly recommend to any of you wishing to stay in this very interesting area of Germany.
In order to put that score into some kind of perspective, here are my current hotel rankings - all reviewed and scored using identical criteria:
Ringhotel Friederikenhof - Lubeck - Germany - 92%
Innkeeper's Lodge, Chester Northeast - 83%
Innkeeper's Lodge, Stockport - 83 %
Innkeeper's Lodge, Hull - 81%
Hotel Drei Schwanen - Hohenstein-Ernstthal - Germany - 72%
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