Alpenhotel Denninglehen - Berchtesgaden, Germany     

We had a great time at the Alpenhotel Denninglehen. My wife, my two children (4 and 6) and I stayed here for 3 nights the last weekend in September. It was a great place at a great price. The positives: 1. Easy reservations. Mr. Konig was very friendly and made the reservation process easy. At first he was not sure he had a room for Saturday night, but as the date got closer he contacted me and made sure we were taken care of. Good customer service. 2. Friendly with my young children. My kids are generally well-behaved, but kids are kids, and this place was nice to them and treated them well even when they were loud. 3. The pool. The pool was warm (unlike other reviews - must have fixed that) and great views of the Alps while swimming. In fact, my kids liked the pool better than other things we did in the area. They would have stayed in there all day if we let them. The pool was clean, warm, and big enough for fun. 4. Location. You can't beat the views from this hotel as it looks over to the Alps and you can see the "Eagles Nest" from the hotel. It has been in the Konig family for 700 years and I can see why - the views are unsurpassed. And while the directions to the place can be a little tricky at night, the place rewards you for the effort. Finally, it is close to Berchtesgaden, Salzberg, the Salt mines, the Eagles Nest, and other points of interest. 5. Food. Good breakfast selection to start your day. Traditional German breakfast with meat, yougart, cereal and bread. 6. Value - good price. We paid 114 E for a night - much cheaper than other hotels. Negatives: 1. Breadkfast did not always include hot eggs or the like on the buffet but we did not care. In fact, the staff gladly made my wife a hard boiled egg upon request and coffee and hot chocolate was always there! 2. We ate dinner there one night and while it was good, I'd recommend other places. The cappuccino appeared to be instant. Other than that, it was good. 3. We did not have enough time! It was an awesome place! I'd highly recommend this place and this area for a visit. Both are real gems!

The website for this charming hotel gave driving directions that read in part; "Always Moving Up The Hill." Well, they aren't kidding!! My daughter and I chose to stay at the Denninglehen, based on a small blurb in Frommers and it's location close to Salzberg. The narrow, steep road leading to the hotel is a bit hard to find, and my rental car engine complained, but the reward, when you finally find it, is great. We enjoyed the breathtaking views and colorful sunsets from our small balcony. I thought my daughter would be bored staying so far from town, but she appreciated the friendly staff and thought the food was quite good. We didn't swim in the pool because it closed too early in the evenings. The pool seemed adequate, but I wish they would allow more hours to use it. Berchtesgaden was a short drive (in low gear) back down the hill and into town. We appreciated the one gentlemen on staff who gave helpful advice (in English) and maps for touring locations. The rooms and bathrooms were on the small side, but adequate. The restaurant had fine food and my daughter and I enjoyed just sitting in the lounge, sipping a glass of wine and enjoying the view of the valley. We would most definately go back again.