Hotel Bei Gretel, Wellness & Ayurveda

Staff was very friendly and helpful, nice breakfast room with terrace and amazing view, pick up from train station (albeit paid)

Outside of the more recently renovated breakfast room the hotel feels a bit dated. Rooms feel a bit cramped with small windows (which is too bad because the view is gorgeous). At the very high rating (9.4 at time of writing) and rather high price I would have expected an overall more premium experience

* The hotel is located in a peaceful area, perfect for a relaxing getaway. Close to hiking trails and gorgeous natural locations.* The room was comfortable and quiet at night. The room included a beautiful bathtub and the shower pressure was great. * Breakfast was tasty, although I missed having different egg preparations. * The sauna/spa facilities were beautiful, although we could not enjoy them (more on that below)* Staff were corteous and helpful. They assisted us in reserving 2 great e-bikes with a provider in Pirna. The bikes were there when we arrived, with locks and helmets. The bike lanes by the Elbe are a must for cycling aficionados.

* Limited Access to Spa and Sauna:
 One of the main reasons we chose this hotel was for its spa and sauna facilities, which were part of the room rate (400€/night). Unfortunately, we were unable to fully enjoy these amenities. The spa opening hours are 11-21. On the first three days of our stay, we had no opportunity to use the spa due to the timing of our arrivals and departures. We also found it difficult to access the facilities on our last day, as the spa opened at 11 AM, the same time as checkout. We inquired about late checkout (12 pm instead of 11 am), and we were told it was not possible. This is already unusual, as most hotels I have stayed at allow until 12 as a courtesy. When I inquired about booking a massage at 11 am and whether my husband could use the sauna while I got my massage, I was informed that we would incur an additional charge of 20€ per person for using the spa/sauna after checkout. This seemed rigid and unfair, as we were paying for full access to the facilities as part of our room rate. This poor customer service and lack of flexibility left a sour taste, given the high price of the stay.* Reserved but empty Breakfast Tables:
 We were also disappointed with the breakfast seating. Two tables by the window were reserved every day of our stay, but no one occupied them during our breakfast time (for about 45 minutes). It would have been much more efficient and considerate if these tables were reserved for specific time slots instead of the entire three-hour breakfast period. This would allow other guests to enjoy the view, as we found it quite frustrating to see empty tables while we were unable to sit by the window.* Bedding arrangement: the 2 small duvets on a super king bed is not a pleasant arrangement, especially in a hotel of this category.

Beautiful property. I had a single room so it was quite small, but very comfortable and well equipped. Bed was good and water pressure strong. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, breakfast was delicious and varied, and the views from everywhere in the hotel are spectacular. One caveat, we didn't have a car, so the climb from town was a bit challenging. We didn't mind the extra physical activity, but important to know when choosing this hotel if you don't drive.

Only beware of the climb from town as it is quite steep and challenging if you don't drive.

Very beautiful, contemporary, Ayurvedic hotel with good wellness.

A wonderful hotel with an amazing Spa and Sauna area !Cozy modern rooms, delicious breakfast. Around the hotel, the extraordinary nature, the view is simply amazing. I highly recommend this hotel. I will come back here for sure.

The hotel is located in a beautiful setting with greats views on nearby hills and a 15 minute walking distance from the river. The restaurant offers high quality dishes and sumptuous breakfasts. The rooms are comfortable with comfy beds and linens.

The major kickback was the lack of air conditioning in the rooms, whereas there was A/C in the common areas. It would be expected that for this class of hotel such amenity as A/C will be available. The fans during very hot days are not enough to make a comfortable temperature in the room.

The sauna and spa area is great and truly relaxing. The sauna area also has a great view on the mountains on the opposite side of the valley. Location is great for hikes too.

Unfortunately there is no pool.

Everything - room, dinner, breakfast, spa, people, views, environment

I enjoy having breakfast and dinner at the terrace with the beautiful view. Their breakfast is amazing with a lot of fancy options. Staff were super friendly and they serve very professionally.

The only downside is that it is on a small hill, and if you go on foot, you have to climb uphill for like 20 mins, but considering how nice the service and facilities are, i think it worths it.

Nice food, great staff in a beautiful location

Stunning location with fabulous view, great breakfast with Ayurveda options and friendly staff. The sauna and spa facility was amazing!

Most of the staff was friendly, service was okay but persons limited in German skills. The yoga class was not very good since no help or individual instructions were given and an uncomfortable feeling occurred due to a lack of communication and language skills.

Very friendly staff, suite fancy hôtel, everything was spotless, both the evening 4-course meal as the breakfast were very good.

Everything was just perfect- staff, location, FOOD, rooms. We had the best time and the people were super helpful.

Great hotel with a great view. The staff were always very friendly and helpful. An incredibly relaxing stay.Food was excellent, both at the dinner and in the included breakfast. They even offered a vegan option at both mealtimes, which were brilliant.The spa was great, and open to all guests throughout the majority of the day. The saunas make for an ideal rest after a hike through the surrounding landscape.If you're walking the Malerweg, it's well worth a stop here to recuperate for a night.

Passable

I asked for the late checkout and at the checkout I was charged €40 extra for using the sauna at the day of “checkout”these rules have to be clarified on booking and in general it’s a bad habit of doing business when you provide service and tell the person that you have to pay for that afterwards

Everything was great - it was our second stay within 4 months. The spa and the view are just amazing.

/

Quiet place in peaceful location. Welcoming staff. Room where you feel like at home. Tasty food with good presentation.

Location is idyllic. Services excellent and the character unique. Highly recommend for a wholesome experience.

The restaurant could have offered vegan options for all meals.

Great place with really beautuful view. The room was pretty spacious and it didn't fell like a "standard" hotel room. All the necessary stuff is here. Breakfast is rish and tasty. The view in the room is something really outstanding and for us it was a selling point, but it denends on the room location I guess, so double check it.It's better to get there by car, we travelled by train and it was a bit difficult for us to get there from the railway station, so keep it in mind (landscape specifity). Didn't have a chance to try spa, but all the the necessary stuff for this was ready in the room (bathrobes, towels, slippers).Nice place with great view and a bit complicated location. Can recommend.P.S Welcome dring at the check-in is another plesant bonus.

Everything - super friendly staff, amazing location, delicious food, lovely spa & wellness offers, stylish rooms. It was a great stay. We are definitely coming back :-)

-