Hotel Welcome Bad Arolsen Germany
Report on our wellness weekend at the Welcome Hotel in Bad Arolsen in northern Hesse.
Sprache wechseln zu: Deutsch
Nice room with drawbacks
11/2014 Our room in the Welcome Hotel was in one of the old parts of the building. The room exuded a historic charm. The red carpet and the dark, exposed beams of the half-timbering provided a nice ambience. The bathroom, on the other hand, looked a bit old and dusty. The plastic sink had a big crack, you had to shower in a bathtub that you practically had to climb into, and there was no window or air vent. The water smelled a bit stale (probably because of the old pipes) - you probably shouldn't drink it. What was really sorely missing were hooks for towels or bathrobes. So you had to hang wet towels over the door or hang wet bathrobes back in the closet. Actually unnecessary, there would have been enough space for hooks. I didn't see a kettle in the room. There was a safe, but it was tiny and you had to leave a ten euro deposit for a key at reception to use it. There was WiFi in the lobby. One positive thing was that there was a free tariff that at least promised a little more than 3G speed. Faster data tariffs cost a small extra charge.
Simple breakfast and expensive dinner
We were a little disappointed with breakfast at the Welcome Hotel. The rooms are nice, but the buffet is very well laid out. There was only one type of bread roll: the cheapest water rolls. The selection of fruit was also rather limited. You could order some things from the staff for free, like gluten-free bread or soya products, but overall that was too little for a four-star hotel. We didn't go to the restaurant in the main building for dinner because we thought the prices were much too high. So we went to the rustic bar called Plöckers, which belongs to the Welcome Hotel, and had tarte flambée and burgers for 7-9 euros. Unfortunately, my burger was served to another guest who had ordered the same thing long after me. I then had to wait twice as long for the next burger. Apart from a brief apology, there was nothing for the inconvenience.
Top location near the Residenzschloss
The location of the hotel is perfect. The hotel is right next to the residential palace. Parts of the hotel are part of the palace complex and have a historical character. Our hotel room and the restaurant were in the building in the picture with the little gray tower.
The baroque old town is also not far away. You basically just walk past the palace and to the old church. Halfway to the church you can turn right again and get to the old brewery. There are a few places to eat. A tip: There is a restaurant on Schlossstrasse called Der Hollnder . The owner is actually Dutch. The ambience and food were nice and good. The brewery is also recommended for local beer, rustic ambience and small snacks.
Wellness with annoyances
The real reason we booked the Welcome Hotel in Bad Arolsen was the wellness area. The wellness area is brand new and beautifully designed. There is a lagoon-like pool with a pleasant water temperature. A whirlpool with a wooden surround is the visual hit in the room. The small fireplace is only suitable for ethanol fires, as there is no real smoke extractor. It was not in use.
The saunas in the Welcome Hotel are also beautifully designed. Unfortunately, there are no temperature labels directly on the saunas. So if you don't pay attention at the entrance to the sauna, you don't know where it is hot. Overall, the layout of the rooms is a bit confusing. Several guests (like us) needed instructions to find their way around.
The biggest annoyance in the hotel's wellness area, however, is the number of available loungers. This is far too low for the number of guests. As a result, there were constant arguments about the few loungers. As soon as you were in the sauna or on the toilet, someone else would make themselves comfortable on your lounger. There were some heated debates. In this respect, the wellness area does not really deserve its name. We did not even go to the wellness area of the Welcome Hotel on Sunday because we did not want to deal with all the stress. We preferred to take a tour of the castle, which was really worth it (despite the seven euro entrance fee per person). The receptionist at the Welcome Hotel told us at checkout that the problem with the loungers was known and that they were working on an improvement. An extension was planned in one to two years.
Recommendation only with restrictions
The Welcome Hotel in Bad Arolsen leaves a mixed impression. Although the hotel offers a very nice ambience and a great location, it fails in the important areas, such as breakfast and relaxation in the wellness area. I therefore cannot give it a real recommendation.
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