Schlosshotel Rettershof

Beautiful, quiet hotel. We had excellent food and drank delicious wine. Beautiful rooms. Very friendly staff. We were there with our dog. He wasn't allowed to have breakfast, but there were lovely walking paths.

Everything was perfect. Nice Sunday lunch for eight with the family. Good service. Fair prices. Decent menu with a good but not too much choice. Nice rooms, especially when the weather is good. Plenty of parking. All in all, a success.

It almost goes without saying that you don't stay in the historic building in this hotel, but in the modern extension. The main building is rather small and houses the restaurant. It's not bad and worth a visit. We had half board at an amazingly reasonable price and made full use of it. Otherwise, the complex is quite isolated in a hilly landscape and is ideal for hiking and walking. Apart from a world-famous horse farm, there is nothing nearby. There isn't much to do in the immediate area. It was very quiet here in January.

At the reception via the winter garden, our CORONA status was meticulously checked, and we were then "handed over" to a waiter who led us to the reserved table in the hotel's restaurant in Rettershof Castle. (We were guests IN the hotel restaurant - not in the Rettershof Cafe-Restaurant "Zum Fröhlichen Landmann"!) The restaurant in the hotel consists of 2 medium-sized rooms with too many chairs and tables (for today's situation). "Thanks" to the situation, however, only 5 seats were occupied in our half of the approx. 7 tables, which was completely OK in terms of corona thanks to the high rooms. The really nice and attentive waitress recommended an aperitif to start with, unfortunately the Hessian national drink "Äppelwoi" had already been drunk. The amuse-bouche was then served, a deliciously prepared piece of pulpo (squid), a little lost in its huge plate. But unexpectedly delicious! You could also treat yourself to the in-house, home-baked bread, also worth mentioning delicious! For the main course we had a "Surf & Turf" (also known as "Steak & Tail" = Maine lobster on Agnus steak). Actually, the first name would always be the main thing on the plate, but here the "main lobster" consisted of a small quarter of a lobster tail, the steak on the other hand was exorbitantly good, cooked to perfection in a fraction of a second and super tender pink! I assume it was seared on both sides first and then cooked in the oven for another 45 minutes at 90°C, because we waited a good hour for the food. The steak was really amazing! It lay on a matchbox-sized patch of mashed potatoes and 3 small stalks of green asparagus, held by a glazed carrot. And on top of that "the touch" of the main lobster. It must be mentioned, however, that the steak was really "the burner", as some people call it when it was better than very good! On the other hand, "fried monkfish glazed" was also served, which tasted much better than the portion size, but OK! Because at our request, a "second helping" of the delicious mashed potatoes was served... The interior of the house itself does the castle proud, the armchairs are quite heavy but comfortable and the walls are covered in fabric. The table setting also matched the ambience, everything makes a harmonious impression.

What a pity: despite its beautiful location, the Schosshotel Rettershof is absolutely not recommended. My wife and I actually wanted to experience "unforgettable moments" as the advertising flyer promises and were bitterly disappointed. 1. Check-in To put it briefly: We were not really welcomed and had the feeling of being a nuisance. Nobody offered to help us with our luggage, even though I have a visible foot injury. 2. Food We arrived on a Saturday afternoon under blue skies and bright sunshine and had been looking forward to a coffee and a delicious piece of cake in the hotel garden. Unfortunately, this was not possible because the hotel does not offer cake at the weekend due to a lack of staff. This also applies to the self-service outdoor stall, which does not open until 4 p.m. The lady at reception kindly brought us a coffee and a sparkling wine. We noticed that she was uncomfortable with the lack of cake. Luckily we had reserved a table for dinner, which one of the two ladies at reception did not believe at first. Otherwise we would have had to go to bed hungry. The dinner menu consisted of three starters, two soups, four possible main courses, and two desserts. The menu was therefore quite clear. Perhaps it was also due to the party that was present in the room next to us. We were served during dinner by Mr. Schmidt, who was extremely friendly, attentive, and wonderful to deal with. Dinner was delicious. Breakfast would have been good for a youth hostel, but for a hotel that advertises its culinary offerings, it was a disaster: - no croissants, no pastries =＞ we asked for them: we were told they didn't exist - no salmon - nothing vegan - no real muesli (there was oat flakes, chocolate flakes, cornflakes) - O juice from a packet - scrambled eggs without chives or anything with a twist: just plain scrambled eggs without love - plates were not always available, the same goes for boiled breakfast eggs - sausage / cheese selection: modest, loveless, emptied We were appalled. Every Garni Pension makes more of an effort. Conclusion: - The staff really makes an effort, is friendly and seems sad and overworked. Our impression was that the staff knows exactly what is going wrong in the hotel and cannot get their requests for change through to the management. We felt sorry for the people. - The evening meal tasted very good. - There is no cake. Not even at the weekend. - The breakfast is a complete disgrace. - Our impression is that the hotel management is completely overwhelmed, does not focus on the guest and does not know its own hotel and its potential. - The hotel is trying to be something it is not. Example: The furniture in the lounge area on the lower floor (in room 126) is completely worn out. It is bulky waste. One armchair has a large hole in it.