Review of Apartment Landhaus Bachwinkl 3*

FEW AMERICAN TRAVELERS seem to KNOW ABOUT THIS BAVARIAN GEM: Reit im Winkl the village appears to be a European "insiders'" summer get-away place … for Alpine biking, hiking and swimming in crystal clear lakes. Prices for lodging and at restaurants is very reasonable. And the place where we stayed was a quiet haven, spotlessly clean, with warm and friendly hosts (who spoke PERFECT ENGLISH) ; this vacation in the heart of nature's playground was EVERYTHING we needed and wanted! I am a former innkeeper and frequent traveler (my husband even more so! ), and we really value a QUALITY lodging experience. That's exactly what we got at this cozy Bavarian house! The pension is advantageously situated at the edge of the village, so you have the feeling of being IN the countryside. Fields stretch behind the house. TWO brooks flank the house so we were treated to the tranquil sound of running water while sitting on our balcony. It is a surprisingly peaceful place, with great views of the mountains, from our room. Weather was unusually warm while we were there, but we had a wonderful, cool cross-breeze, which must have in part, come from the large shade trees lining the brooks' edge. The apartment DID NOT overheat! The bed was large, with fresh and lovely linens; very comfortable! Kitchenette had absolutely EVERYTHING you could imagine wanting (including all the basic condiments). We cooked pasta with pesto sauce one evening — wanting a relaxing night "in, " watching a DVD (BTW, they had a nice collection of family-friendly DVD's). And the innkeepers, the Hildebrandts, outfitted the room with all the maps, guides and visitor information you could want to navigate a fun stay in Reit im Winkl. They also helped us find a good bike rental shop. Gave hints about nice places for getting to the river's edge and suggested various hikes we might like. A couple with a two year old toddler stayed in the apartment next to ours on the top floor and the innkeepers were concerned the noise from the child would disturb us. Our bedroom shared a wall with these other guests. But there was absolutely NO sound bleed from their quarters into ours. Interestingly, my husband noticed, though the town seemed busy with summer vacationers, most of the other pensions (and there were a LOT of them! ), had "Zimmer Frei" signs posted. But our place was filled! And we learned it was booked almost to capacity for months to come! We want to return in the Fall and may have trouble getting an apartment! Being a former innkeeper and curious about such things, we asked the hosts why they thought they were more fully booked and other pensions still had free rooms, they said maybe it was because they offer more flexibility for guests' arrival and departure days and times and they allow guests to bring young children and pets. But I think it had a lot to do with the fact we were being hosted by innkeepers who valued the chance to really SERVE guests. The kind of service we experienced during our stay is hard to find these days! There was attention to every detail! Communication setting up the reservation was prompt. They were flexible about our having to change arrival times … were visibly "present" during our stay, giving us a chance to let on if there was anything else we needed, but they also knew how to respect the privacy of guests. I could go on and on. I think Bachwinkl's success is the result of a winning combination of lovely home in a beautiful and serene setting, with dedicated innkeepers that make visitors feel like honored guests! I would highly recommend this place to anyone visiting the Reit im Winkl region. In fact, I would say staying at this pension is reason enough to choose this region for a holiday or get-away!