This is an excellent hotel for hikers and those that want a quiet vacation far from tourist crowds. The general impression is similar to an American hotel at a national or state park. I consider this a positive comparison, plus the Tannenhof has the bonus of better food and outdoor activities. You enter the hotel from the back, so the beautiful view seen on their webpage is not immediately visible. The halls and rooms are decorated in a simple fashion. The rooms are large but the bathrooms are small. There is plenty of closet space. The flat screen TV was very small. Our room had balcony with a view across a quiet field into the forest. A few rooms have a view down into the valley below the hotel. Though the weather was often very hot, our room on the lower level stayed at a tolerable temperature. The dining area is large with high ceilings and a terrace with a nice view. We booked half-board (there are not many restaurant options in the immediate area). The meals were very good with plentiful portions. Our package included a five-course “Surprise Dinner” which was indeed excellent. The breakfast was typical for Germany, in other words a large variety of rolls, cheeses, meats, etc. Eggs were likely to run out later in the morning, but the waitress quickly provided a custom made portion for us. Our package included a massage which was also...This is an excellent hotel for hikers and those that want a quiet vacation far from tourist crowds. The general impression is similar to an American hotel at a national or state park. I consider this a positive comparison, plus the Tannenhof has the bonus of better food and outdoor activities. You enter the hotel from the back, so the beautiful view seen on their webpage is not immediately visible. The halls and rooms are decorated in a simple fashion. The rooms are large but the bathrooms are small. There is plenty of closet space. The flat screen TV was very small. Our room had balcony with a view across a quiet field into the forest. A few rooms have a view down into the valley below the hotel. Though the weather was often very hot, our room on the lower level stayed at a tolerable temperature. The dining area is large with high ceilings and a terrace with a nice view. We booked half-board (there are not many restaurant options in the immediate area). The meals were very good with plentiful portions. Our package included a five-course “Surprise Dinner” which was indeed excellent. The breakfast was typical for Germany, in other words a large variety of rolls, cheeses, meats, etc. Eggs were likely to run out later in the morning, but the waitress quickly provided a custom made portion for us. Our package included a massage which was also excellent. We did not use the pool or sauna facilities but they looked OK. The three-star superior rating for the hotel seemed well justified.
There are extensive, well-marked and well-maintained hiking trails that you can easily reach from the hotel. There are many Park & Ride centers with extensive and frequent bus and train connections, or you can park at the parking spots at the numerous trailheads. The trails are mostly level though there may be challenging climbs deeper inside the park.
The hotel seems to be a favorite for German families and groups. In four days I heard only German at the hotel (or in fact in the region, except for some Czech), but communication in English is not a problem, at least at the front desk. Spiegelau is a small town with only a few stores, but there are interesting glass and ceramic outlets with good prices. In addition to hiking and biking, we spent pleasant days driving in the forest, riding on the free trains and buses, visiting the open-air and town museums, and attending the many local fairs and events.More