Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten am Schluchsee

We have stayed in the Vier Jahreszeiten in Schluchsee for probably the last seven or eight years. It’s only about a 90-minute drive from our home in Switzerland and it feels like a home away from home in many ways. Years ago on the dinner menu they had an amazing dessert. It was a warm chocolate cake with ice cream. I loved it. Over the years I’ve always hoped they would have it on the menu again. This year, I thought what the heck, why not ask if it’s possible to make one for me. So I asked Herr Strassburg, the head of the dining room. He said he would see what he can do. I really appreciated his willingness to try to make it happen. And what do you know, the next day at dinner I had it. It was as great as I remembered it. Most importantly, it was a real sign of how Herr Strassburg, but also the whole team here, really try to fulfill their customers’ desires.

“Vier Jahreszeiten”or four seasons - we visited this house in late February, which can be described as late winter. We don’t regret it. A quick summery to get started: - It’s a family hotel, there are kids everywhere and kids are rarely silent. You just have to consider that fact. - The hardware of house delivers what is promised. Swimming, wellness, beautiful views. - The stuff is very friendly and always present. - Breakfast and dinner is enjoyable. Now to some details: The house is huge and stretches itself on the hillside like a mace. The location is just breathtaking overlooking the beautiful black forest and “Schluchsee”. The whole ground with its many stairways and floors can be a little confusing, but you will find your destination eventually. In this huge area the house offers what one can expect from a four-star hotel. The facilities are good in general though a little worn. The age of the hotel can´t be hidden. But don´t get me wrong; everything is clean and well maintained. There is a lot of very friendly stuff always willing to guide you through the labyrinth 😉 or help you in any other way. The stuff is not always fluent in German, but English is fine. I value good service in general and I am totally satisfied with my experience in the four seasons. The kitchen is on the level that can be expected. Not overwhelming but definitely no real complains either. What you need to consider is the fact, that the four seasons is a family hotel. Consequently, there are kids scurrying around everywhere. If you are looking for a tranquil retreat, you might better look somewhere else. If you travel with your little ones, you hardly can do any better. So I have given the “Vier Jahreszeiten” a solid four out of five points. Thanks to the lovely stuff, we gladly will return in the future.

Arrived on Friday early afternoon for a 2 night stay and upon checkin in to our family apartment we went out to explore the town after which we treated ourselves on a relaxing swim in the good size swimming pool (which can become busy at times, especially in the weekend). The room was clean, breakfast buffet had everything that one generally would expect and overal service was good and friendly. The 6-course dinner on Saturday evening took quite a while (and is in fact a starter, soup, main and desert while you can try out the diverse salad bar (5th course) and if you like a cheese platter (6th course). Was not overly impressed so next time we will probably order a-la-carte or go out to for example the 100m away located Italian restaurant. Overal impressions of the hotel are good, it has a great ambiance, welcoming staff so overal very positive about our stay for a relaxing weekend.