Hotel Blankenburg

You never know for sure what kind of room you will end up with when you book a room on the internet. Pictures and web sites can be deceiving. Sometimes the rooms are much small than pictured. Sometimes the rooms are not as clean as you would like. If you book a room at the Hotel Blankenburg put your mind at ease. Its a perfect choice. Housed in an historic building and furnished with beautiful antiques the hotel is like a picture post card. The rooms are large and spotless. The bathroom are very spacious. Each room has wood accented features.

The hosts at the desk could not have been kinder or more helpful. We arrived a little early our first day and the lady at the desk was not sure if our room was ready yet. She apologized which was unnecessary as we were the ones who were early. She then told us I know you are tired from your trip. Let me check your room. If it has not been cleaned yet I will find you another if you would like to rest a while. We had arrived at 11:00. The normal check in time is 1:00.

A full breakfast is included with the price of the room. The breakfasts are served in a beautiful historical room. Fresh yogurts, eggs, cheeses, meats and fruit are available. They also have a wonderful selection of teas and coffee.

I give the Hotel Blankenburg my highest recommendations.

I chose this hotel for my Euromeet visit to Karlsruhe simply because Ingrid had already booked a room there and it seemed a great idea to stay in the same place. On the whole it proved to be a good choice, although like most places there were plusses and minuses.

On the plus side:
~ The staff are so friendly and helpful. Nothing seemed too much trouble, and even arriving quite late in the evening we were given a warm welcome, offered a choice of rooms (more on that later) and a taxi was willingly called for our friends who were heading for another hotel.
~ The breakfast is excellent – possibly the best I’ve had at a hotel in this class (3*). It’s buffet style, with a tempting array including very good fresh fruit salad, a selection of yoghurts, cereals, a large variety of rolls and breads, a cheese board with six or more choices, similarly with cold meats, smoked salmon and trout, eight varieties of jam (served in their jars, not those silly plastic capsules), Nutella and other spreads, cakes, boiled and scrambled eggs … And to drink, several juices, filter coffee or espresso and cappuccino from a machine, herbal teas, skimmed and full-fat milk.
~ The rooms, and the public areas, are spotlessly clean and well-decorated (though the painting of the Last Supper in my room seemed an odd choice!)
The location was good – immediately opposite the Stadt Teater, so convenient for the tram stops and shops at Ettlinger Tor and only a short walk from Markt Platz.
~ There were a number of extra facilities that again you might not expect in a modest hotel – a sauna (which we didn’t try), free internet access in the lobby and free bicycle loans.

On the minus side:
~ Again, location – it is convenient, but the hotel is on a very busy road and if like me you end up with one of the relatively few rooms at the front you’re likely to find it impossible to sleep with your window open.
~ Which brings me to the second minus, no air-conditioning. This was a serious disadvantage in the stifling heat we experienced on first arriving in Karlsruhe. Even when it moderated (after an amazing storm which I enjoyed watching from my window), the room was still too warm, and the electric fan provided made little difference. With a room at the back, and an open window, I wouldn’t have minded the lack of AC however, so arrive early enough to claim one of these and you should be all right.

Unique Quality: The breakfast buffet was set out in the bar, with rooms to the front and rear in which to eat it. Most people seemed to chose the lighter front room, but we ate each morning in the strikingly decorated back room. This has a ceiling painted with images of the city in the past (Hauptbahnhof and Schloß) and of the hotel, and a stunning mirror, which would probably not look out of place in a stately home (photo 4). The website explains (in German only) that this is a genuine original ordered by King Ludwig II of Bavaria for his castle Herrenchiemsee, but never used there.

One of my happy memories of the Euromeet will be the leisurely (and far too large!) breakfasts eaten here with Ingrid, Lori, Hansi and Jane :)

Directions: Opposite the Stadt Teater

After signing up for the VT Euromeet2008 in Karlsruhe, Germany, Hans and I started researching which hotel to stay at. We chose the BLANKENBURG HOTEL after reading many good reviews about it and the location was great too. Close to trams (Ettlinger Tor Tram Station) and close to many of the VT meeting points.
We went through BOOKING.COM and paid Euro78 per night and we stayed for four nights,

Unique Quality: The Blankenburg with 36 rooms (Zimmer) had many qualities like free internet, free bike rental, a lift so you don't have to lug your luggage up the stairs, Parking at the rear ( Euro 4 per day), good size rooms with a mini-fridge, TV, full bathroom and above all, the absolute best breakfast in town.

The service at this hotel was simply unparalleled. The staff was kind and informative as wells as extremely accomodating. They actually provided us with a room ahead of time knowing that we were quite travel weary. It is located 2 blocks from the Ettlinger Tur Tram Station which will connect you to many local places, the main train station, and other nearby cities.

I cannot believe how elegant the hotel was, especially considering how inexpensive it was. The room was a good sized and the bathroom shower was perfect. The hotel and room was immaculately clean. It was also very quiet, but we did not have a room on the front street. Breakfast was excellent. The teas were the finest that I have ever drank and they make home made vanilla-quark yogurt that is sugar free. They even sell jewelry and other miscellaneous items in a curior cabinet at the front desk.

I would definetly stay here again. I highly recommend this hotel.

Unique Quality: The most unique thing about the Hotel Blankenburg is that they have a mirror from King Ludwig in the dining room of the Hotel.

Directions: 10 minute walk from the Marktplatz and a 5 minute walk from the Ettlinger Tur Tram and S-Bahn station

I really enjoyed this hotel. The breakfast was amazing: so many breads, cake, yoghurt, Quark, juices, teas (loads), cereal, jams, freah fruit salad, cheeses, fish, meats......and mugs (mugs!!!) for the coffee! By far the best breakfast options Ive had anywhere.

And there's free internet access and bikes to borrow as well!

The people who run it are very friendly and helpful, and the room I had was pristine. The hotel faces a busy road, so you might like to ask for a room at the back (though I believe the rooms at the front are bigger).

There is a lift.

The Blankenburg is about 5 minutes walk from Marktplatz, so it's really easy to get into the town centre. There's a tram stop a couple of minutes walk away, with trams to the railway station (a bit too far to comfortably walk with luggage) and into the town.

It's a business hotel as well as for tourists (plenty of single business people at breakfast when I got up early), so its standards are bound to be good I think.

Unique Quality: The breakfast.

And the ambience; it's a very, very friendly place.

Directions: From the railway station take tram S1, S11 to Ettlinger Tor (stops are announced and/or displayed on Karlsruhe trams). Cross the main road towards the fountain in my second photo, then walk along Kriegstrasse. Hotel is on the left.