Colombi Hotel - Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany     

Staff were waiting for me at the railway station on the arrival platform, I was then whisked away in a beautiful limo for the 5 minute drive to the hotel. Visually not impressive, but once inside it felt, smelled and looked like a true 5-star hotel. Check-in was done in the suite; a newly-renovated one overlooking the old town with beautiful views to the cathedral and hills behind. Suite had a separate living area with chair, sofa and table, plus a huge bathroom with separate power shower, double washbasin, bidet for the feet and underfloor heating which was gorgeous. Nice touch of fresh flowers, fruit and mineral water arrived 5 minutes later. Although on the edge of the city, it is so wonderfully quiet it never feels you are so close to all of the action. Food choices are superb: Michelin 1-star where you can have 3-course lunch for around 27 euros, with a fabulous winelist with a good range of the excellent local burgundy-style wines so sought after in this area, the cafe next door does lighter lunches plus there is a wonderfully atmospheric bar where there is a log fire and a pianist to serenade you in the evening---had a superb cheeseboard here of mainly french farmhouse cheeses for 9 euros. Breakfast was the best I'd ever seen; it included champagne, 6/7 cheeses, huge platter of cold cuts, smoked salmon plus large selection of crispy pastries and a dozen or so breads, 3 of which you sliced yourself. Lots of things to do in the area; museums, theatres, jazz clubs, walks in the mountains, heated outdoor pools in the spa towns, winemakers trips, plus excellent shopping in the pedestrian-only precinct. The area around the cathedral is a great place at any time of day to sip coffee and people watch, especially in the evening. The service in the hotel is exceptional. Whilst I stayed they were celebrating the hotel's 50th anniversary, and it is interesting to note that it started out family-owned and is still family-owned to this day, and you will see the owner in the lobby every morning and every lunchtime in the restaurant talking to the guests, many of whom have been coming for years. Many of the staff, including the chef have been in the hotel for over 25 years; perhaps that is the secret of great service. The hotel has a beautiful spa, with indoor heated pool, sauna, steam room and massage suite--a nice touch was at 7am each morning they brought tea, coffee and fruit to the pool area. I can highly recommend this hotel for anyone looking for good service, good food and wine, peace and quiet yet close to the action and a real "personal-touch" experience rarely found these days in the other corporate 5-star hotels. Exceptional!

We had very well maintained rooms and the hotel's food was excellent. There was a nice piano bar too. Staff are generally outstanding and the hotel ownership/management went out of their way, without being at all obtrusive, to make everyone welcome.