After a travel adventure that included planes, trains, and automobiles, we finally arrived in Badenweiler and our home for the weekend, the Park Hotel & Spa KATHARINA.
Booking
Badenweiler is known throughout Europe as a health resort and spa town which gives it no shortage of properties to choose from. We were in town for a wedding and, thankfully, they had this property listed on their website which made our choice easy.
We ended up booking our room directly with the hotel via their website. Since we booked late they were all out of standard rooms and we ended up with a one bedroom suite for €280 a night which included breakfast.
Location
The hotel is located on the north side of the main downtown area of Badenweiler and it is walking distance from most of the attractions in town while still being secluded. The entrance is located near the intersection of the Römerstrasse and Ernst-Eisenlohr-Strasse. Paid parking is available on-site and you’ll likely want a car if you’re here for more than a couple of days.
Check-In
We entered the front doors of the hotel and found the reception desk immediately to the right. Check in was relatively quick, with a check of our Passports and a swipe of my credit card to have on file. The reception clerk gave us our room keys and provided a bit of information about the hotel and the surrounding area as well.
Room keys in hand, we headed out into the lobby and took the elevator up to the first floor (second floor for those of us in the states).
Room
We were assigned room 111, a one bedroom king suite on the first floor, at the opposite end of the hall from the elevators. Upon entry, there was a short hallway leading to the living room with a large half bathroom to the right.
At the end of the hall was a spacious living room that featured a loveseat, two chairs with a table, and a small desk. The desk also had a mini-fridge located inside.
To the left of the living room was the bedroom which held a king sized bed flanked by two nightstands. Robes and towels for the pool and spa were waiting for us on the bed.
Across from the bed was a small desk as well as a wardrobe with space for our hanging clothes. There was also a large, flat screen TV mounted above the desk.
On the left side of the bedroom was the door leading to the large primary bathroom. It featured a decent sized shower, a large vanity with a sink, toilet, and bidet.
The toiletries in the room were Geneva Green branded and came in single use bottles.
Overall the room was quite spacious and the two bathrooms were wonderful for getting ready, since we were intown for a wedding. Since it was situated on a corner it had plenty of windows and a ton of natural light. The view wasn’t bad either.
Dining
The hotel featured a restaurant in the basement as well as a lobby bar located on the ground floor. While the lobby bar wasn’t in use during our stay as it was having some work done, it seemed like a pleasant place to have a drink.
The hotel’s main restaurant, Mr. Gmelin’s Kitchen, is also where the complimentary breakfast was served each morning. The restaurant features a large indoor seating area as well as an outdoor terrace that can be used, weather permitting.
The breakfast buffet featured a variety of juice, meats, cheeses, yogurt, granola, and hot dishes. It was located as soon as you entered the restaurant. Made to order coffee and some alcoholic beverages were available at the bar or could be ordered through your server.
As far as hotel breakfasts go, this one was definitely above average, especially compared to what we are used to in the United States. Though I have found that most European hotels do a similar setup as this one. We ended up eating breakfast here both days of our stay and we enjoyed it.
Pool
Behind the hotel is the outdoor pool and cabana area. It’s tucked away in some trees which gives it some privacy and can be reached via a path near the rear of the restaurant. While we walked down to check it out, the water was too cold for us to take a swim.
Spa
Given its location in the resort town of Badenweiler, and the name of the property itself, it’s no surprise that the Park Hotel & Spa KATHARINA has a substantial spa and wellness area, but even I was surprised at the size of it. The entrance to the spa can be found in the basement next to the entrance for Mr. Gmelin’s Kitchen and is clearly marked. The spa is currently open between 7:30a and 9:00p daily.
After entering the spa, you will see the main pool straight ahead down a short hallway. The temperature in the pool was perfect, nice and refreshing without being too cold.
There are two spaces around the pool that have lounge chairs available for use.
Near the second group of lounge chairs, or to the left as you enter the spa, is the sauna area. It features both a wet and dry sauna. There were also showers available in this space.
The dry sauna wasn’t yet in operation when we visited early Sunday morning so we made a call to the front desk. Someone came down a short time later and started it.
Down an additional level from the main spa, there was a salt sauna as well as a private sauna that could be booked for a fee. We didn’t spend any time in the salt sauna but I did grab a couple of photos.
Workout Facilities
In addition to the spa, the hotel also had various workout areas located on the second and third basement levels. On the second level there was a small gym as well as a lounge space. The lounge area had a small cosmetic studio which was not in use.
Finally, on the bottom level, there was a yoga room along with a pool table and lounge.
Summary
I went into this stay with no expectations other than what was on the website and I left pleasantly surprised. The hotel staff was friendly and the rooms were well appointed and spacious, though slightly dated. It has a great location in town and the massive spa area makes it easy to see why people enjoy coming here as it has something for everyone. If I find myself in Badenweiler again I would absolutely consider staying here again.
In This Trip Report
- Introduction: The Black Forest and a Trip Across Switzerland
- KLM B787-9 World Business Class (AUS-AMS)
- KLM Crown Lounge 25 Amsterdam (AMS)
- KLM Cityhopper E190 EuroBusiness (AMS-FRA)
- Frankfurt to Badenweiler via Deutsche Bahn
- Park Hotel and Spa KATHARINA Badenweiler
- Exploring Badenweiler
- Badenweiler to Montreux via Swiss Federal Railways
- Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic, Autograph Collection Montreux
- Exploring Montreux
- Montreux to Zermatt via Swiss Federal Railways
- Chalet Hotel Schönegg Zermatt
- Exploring Zermatt
- Zermatt to Zurich via Swiss Federal Railways
- Neues Schloss Privat Hotel Zurich, Autograph Collection
- Exploring Zurich
- A Day Trip to Liechtenstein
- Marhaba Lounge Zurich (ZRH)
- KLM B737-800 Business Class (ZRH-AMS)
- KLM Crown Lounge 52 Amsterdam (AMS)
- KLM B787-9 World Business Class (AMS-AUS)
