Our base in Germany’s Eifel region is a hunting lodge with a history dating back to the 1700s within an estate that itself is two hundred years older. With that kind of pedigree it isn’t hard to imagine how they were able to get a four-star rating except, looking at the quality of the staff interaction and the aesthetics of the room and public spaces, imposing exterior aside, I’m a little hesitant to agree.

When I was researching accommodations in Rudesheim, for better or worse there weren’t any five-star properties at all – good in a way since it’s always great to save a bit. The one we finally chose had a nice balance of historic character, price, and seemingly, quality, and looked forward to our extended weekend especially after what we went through the last couple of months.

Check-in was easy enough though the appearance of the front desk staff was unusual. Either she was the owner who couldn’t be bothered to fix herself up or regular staff have been given free rein on how to show up for work. Another sore point was the direction where our offsite room was located. It’s the yellow building, she said peeved, after Teko asked a second time though it looks like she may also be colorblind as the buildings in the estate are all yellow. I already noticed the excessive knick-knacks, old and odd furniture pieces, cheap signage everywhere, and the general lack of thoughtful design. There were a lot of things going for it anyway – its calming location in a wooded area, cable car access to nearby towns, access to plenty of nature trails, and a million-dollar view from the dining hall. There was also a deer and nature preserve nearby as well as decent breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the restaurant. While I’m not completely sold on their star rating, despite their faults the Jagdschloss Niederwald is a decent place to stay so much so at one point Teko even blurted out the idea of coming back someday, an idea which I’m absolutely open and maybe even look forward to again. Maybe in 15-20 years though.