I have stayed at many 5-star-hotels in the world, but the Jagdhof, which belongs to the prestigious Relais&Chateaux reservation chain, surpasses everything. Location, ambiance, food, service, staff - staying here is like being in heaven.
The Jagdhof ("hunting inn") is a half-timbered structure, opulently decorated with hunting trophys. Although this is a 5-star-luxury place, the atmosphere is warm, cozy and relaxed, mainly due to the large central hall with its comfortable chairs and the burning fireplace.
Location: The location is about 90 min from Frankfurt and accessible by car only. The hotel is nestled in a romantic valley in the mountain range Rothaargebirge. There is a wonderful walk up the valley to the spring of the river Lahn where you find two inns providing you with fresh beer and food for the way back. The hotel provides you with mountain bikes and organizes tours.
Rooms: The rooms are lavishly decorated and offer every luxury you want. We stayed with our family in a suite with two bedrooms, a living room with balcony, two full bathrooms (one with double jacuzzi tub) and a separate WC. Of course you find bathrobes and slippers, luxury toiletries etc. The mini-bar is stocked with complimentary mineral water, sodas and beer and is refilled daily. You are also provided with chocolate truffles and frest fruit daily.
Pool/spa: The hotel has a nice pool, a finnish sauna and an infrared cabin. A gym was being constructed but not ready when we stayed here.
Dining: The hotel has three restaurants (with different price levels). The 28-year-old chef has managed to receive his first Michelin-star within three months. That should say enough about the quality of the cuisine: finest ingredients, prepared in a modern, very sophisticated way. We had a menu that started with a tiny crab charlotte on tomato coulis as amuse bouche, then had rabbit fillet wrapped in bric dough with garnishes, lobster with artichoke, a cappuchino-style mushroom soup with truffles, duck breast and confit with black salsifies, basilic icecream with forest berries (as pre-dessert), and a dessert variation from granny smith apples.
The other evening we dined in the middle restaurant which has an Italian twist. The menu was also very good, with a coco parfait and mango chutney, mixed vegetable antipasti, pan-seared seabass on mussle risotto, and a variation of desserts.
And if you crave for rustic fare, there is a third restaurant where you can get German favourites like baked fish with potato salad and remoulade for 6.50 Euros.
But I have to mention breakfast. For breakfast, you find a huge buffet with eggs benedict, salmon, smoked trout, marinated herring, beef consommée, white sausages, pancakes, a huge selection of specialty sausages, breads, cakes, fresh-squeezed juices and and and. And in addition to that, there is a menu offering more specialties which are cooked to order. Eggs any style is the least - we also got lobster soup and fresh oysters - everything of course free of charge.
Free of charge is also the afternoon coffee. In the afternoon there is a buffet with frest bread and sausages, the finest cakes and pies, coffees, teas and sherry - everything complimentary.
There is also a fine cocktail bar with live music.
Service: I can not mention every detail. But just what happens when you return from the restaurant or the bar at night: Inside your room and the bathroom, some candles are lit, the beds are prepared, the beds are warmed with a hot-water bottle, you find a sweetie on your pillow, all your clothes which you might have left are neatly folded, the bathroom is stocked with fresh towels, the mini-bar is full, in front of the tv set there is a dish with peanuts and crackers - the last time I experienced a service level like this was on a 5-star-plus cruise ship.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
