Hotel Blankenburg, Karlsruhe, Germany - Reviews and Hotel Information

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.

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 :)

Hotel Blankenburg, Karlsruhe

Hotel Blankenburg

Karlsruhe Hotels