Hotel Der Blaue Reiter GmbH & Co. KG

Too old facilities, and the reception cannot even speak English frequently…

The hotel is in the city, yet at the same time relatively fast to drive up to from the highway on our way to north Italy. The hotel has its own garage for which you can reserve a spot (reserve, then go into the reception to ask which spot has been allocated to you), which makes it ideal when traveling. Note however that it is not big or spacious, so when parking with a big car, you need balls of steel. We stayed here on our way to and coming back. On our way to, we were surprised with an upgrade to the penthouse apartment, which is amazing! It's at the end of the corridor, with a small private terrace, and nice view over the city. It's decorated in an Asian style, with a lovely round couch to hang on, a big bathroom with a large rain shower, plenty of cupboard space, and coffee corner. The bed was huge and had a handy cushioned bench at its foot end, which we used to put our suitcase on . It was a shame we were only stayed one night and that it was pouring down, otherwise we would have sat outside and just enjoyed the atmosphere. Having said that, we enjoyed hanging in the room after dinner. We noticed that next to the penthouse, there is also a terrace and room for meetings (sign me up for those!), which companies I guess can rent. On the way back, we had a regular room on the first floor, which is still sizeable and as comfortable as we have gotten accustomed from the hotel. One of the other reasons we stay here on our way to Italy and back, is the breakfast. In fact, my husband talks about it while we're driving. Because it is so elaborate and welcoming, it just gives you the holiday feeling. You can make pots of tea with really nice tea, you can also order proper coffee (espresso machine) with oatmilk (Hafermilch), they have a wide range of warm breakfast food (scrambled or boiled eggs, bacon, sausages, and my favourite: pancakes), as well as a wide array of cheeses, meats, smoked salmon, and a home-made chia diary glass. The only thing I'm missing is brezels (though they do have little buns made of the same type of dough. And a nice touch: on the mirror at the end of the breakfast room, they list the team for breakfast, which I feel is such a nice, personal touch. The hotel bar is quite a hot spot, we have noticed. Unfortunately we always have to drive the next day so never make it there, however, because of the hotel, we are considering a longer stay in Karlsruhe on one of our trips.

The most fantastic hotel ever, mostly due to it’s staff. A welcoming receptionist, an unbelievably fantastic bartender with drinks you could only dream of, a breakfast without comparison and yet another fabulous receptionist on our way out. We were just passing through but have now decided to visit Karlsruhe and this wonderful hotel again!