Hotel Belle Epoque Baden-Baden

I really wanted to give this place a good review. A hotel that from the outside seems wonderful is actually broken and poorly led. Let me say up front. The hotel has a real historic feel and one of the most incredible gardens for guests. It’s close to paradise. It’s the only highlight I can mention. The arrival is also a true step back in history. This though is where it ends. The rooms are hot. Super hot. The AC does not work. It was a particularly hot couple of days but on entering the room it was unbearable. The rooms are small but fit the overall house. It’s cool in a sense (not temperature wise) and traditional which is why most come. On this front the hotel meets its mark. Let’s get to breakfast. What a disaster. The buffet is small and despite only a handful of guests the hot area was just empty or cold. No real control over food hygiene. Total melt down. Nothing worse for me. Breakfast is such an opportunity. It is often the last experience the guest gets of a hotel and should leave an impression. The setting outside for breakfast is wonderful but service is terrible. What a missed oppurtunity. My daughter was served a gluten free bread roll that was still frozen in the middle. It’s that bad. Serving frozen bread rolls. Germany is the king of bread making and the offer here at belle époque are just poor and cheap and do not fit the environment. Another pet pieve for me is paying close to 300 euro for a room and then getting whacked with another 26 for parking. I understand this in city settings but this hotel has a huge private parking space that is empty. It’s nickel and dime stuff you see at 2 star properties or in big cities. The funny thing is non hotel guests can also pay the fee so there is not even a discount for in house guests. A real shame. I was looking for a stylish hotel for future stays as my daughter will be moving here soon. I guess the search continues. In summary. Baden Baden is a beautiful town. Belle époque could be so much more. It feels similar to a relais chateaux property. It just fails on service and attention to detail. They have all the ingredients but fails to deliver in critical areas like serving frozen bread rolls. A great shame.

All of the staff that we encountered were very welcoming and helpful, especially the front desk. Our room was a family room and it was located on the third floor. This set up was two rooms across from each other. We had a private hallway that could be locked so that the two rooms were connected. When we went out, we left our room doors unlocked, locked the hallway door and then only took one key. The hotel is located near the main square and the weekend that we were there Baden Baden was having a music festival that we could walk to. The hotel breakfast was good and they also offer cake and tea in the afternoon. We had both breakfast and cake in the private, hotel gardens.

I booked this hotel for three days over Christmas for my daughter, who had been backpacking since June. She was sad about spending Christmas on her own for the first time. She loved every minute of her stay. She was upgraded to a junior suite, which she loved. The room was immaculate, and the bathtub with its jets was amazing. She was especially impressed by the staff and the level of service she received. She was impressed how they greeted her by name when she came and went. They opened doors for her. And when she ordered pizza from outside the hotel, they had it sent up with a plate, silverware, and a cloth serviette. She spent time in their sitting area, which was very cosy with a lit fire in the fireplace. I am very happy I booked the 3 days at this hotel. She thoroughly enjoyed her stay.