Good points: Friendly english speaking staff, clean rooms if small, right in the centre of Freiburg, very old traditional Germanic hotel
Criticisms : Very hard to find in heavy traffic, very small garage which was almost impossible to get into and reverse out of, very formal and not very relaxing, too pretentious,the fixed evening meal has very little choice and our first course of salmon was raw and inedible.

The "Zum Roten Baren" is centrally located for leisurely wandering through this terrific old city. The cathedral, museums, shopping and restaurants are within easy walking distance. The hotel staff is friendly, professional and a font of local information. This is our second stay at the "Red Bear", but will not be our last.

This was the second time I stayed here (the first was in 2002, and I was also very pleased).
What particularly impressed me this time was how very much everyone working in the hotel endeavoured to make my stay as pleasant as it could be: from making sure I had the newspaper(s) I wanted at breakfast to serving me a complimentary espresso while I was waiting for my car to the EuroAirport.
And, talking about breakfast: the buffet is the best I have seen in the half-dozen or so hotels I have visited in Freiburg.
Do not expect anything extravagant. Everything is clean and works perfectly; there are personal touches everywhere.

I add, however, that I have never been disappointed in ANY of the hotels I have stayed in when I visited Freiburg. This is a corner of Germany where hospitality seems to come naturally.

We loved this hotel which is actually considered the oldest inn in Germany, in operation since the 12th century. The rooms were huge, some done in a rustic country inn style, others a modern style. All the rooms look over a courtyard in the center of the hotel. A wonderful breakfast was included with a large selection of food. The staff were extremely helpful and pleasant. The restaurant in the hotel was excellent. All modern conveniences. Wonderful location. About a 5-10 min. walk to the cathedral. Recommend.