Hotel review - April 11, 2017

Hotel review: Das König Ludwig – Schwangau, Germany

Today’s hotel review is about a luxury hotel in Schwangau where I’ve stayed in late March: the König Ludwig hotel. From the name you may think of a kitsch hotel with a lot of fake antique, but do not be fooled. As the hotel manager explained me during a very interesting guided visit to the structure, the first image that comes to mind when thinking of King Ludwig it’s very close to kitsch. This hotel, instead ,paid tribute to the visionary and eclectic figure of King Ludwig but integrating it into a modern world. The interior it’s all designed to recall the figure of the king, but in a very respectful and non-trivial way. I really loved that there was so much attention to detail, so much respect for the past but with an eye to the modern. For the uninitiated, King Ludwig is one of the most important kings of Bavaria. A controversial and visionary figure, the man who built the famous Neuschwanstein Castle (in addition to other wonderful fairytale castles in Bavaria). If you plan to visit this castle, I would recommend to stay in this hotel because it will allow you to completely immerse yourself in the history of this king also thanks to the concept of the hotel. I’m going to make a post with some tips to visit the Neuschwanstein Castle, I hope that the topic might interest you. But now let’s talk about the hotel in all its aspects.

Room

The room where we stayed was the Träumerei Suite which means Daydream Suite. I literally fell in love with this suite only from the name which is also in the name of my blog and my philosophy of life. But each name of the rooms is obviously inspired by Ludwig. King Ludwig was a dreamer, and throughout his life he tried to make them reality. He was always immersed in his fantasy world. The room makes you live in a dream world and I loved that. Inside there is a beautiful fireplace that work with vapor and a LED light. It is very scenic and the effect was really romantic. I also loved the private sauna inside the room, I had never seen anything like that inside a hotel room. Even the huge balcony was something wonderful, the second night we were able to watch a magnificent sunset, when the clouds have thinned out a bit and the view of the mountains was more clear. But my favorite part was the bathroom with a black bathtub with lion’s paws in antique style, and as you can see even from the room you can grasp the theme of the old mixed with the modern as a recurring theme and a tribute to King Ludwig.

Interior

As I told you before the interior it’s designed to pay homage to the King without falling into kitsch or mundane. I loved the fact that walking in the corridors you could admire the unique reproductions of original clothes of King Ludwig and his cousin Princess Sissi. I loved the attention to detail in every corner and in every room. What makes this hotel unique is the space, and is built like a real resort with several buildings connected to each other. It was wonderful to just walk around the hotel to see every room and corridor.

Wellness area

The wellness area of the hotel König Ludwig is one of the biggest I’ve ever seen. In fact it extends in an area of 3000 square meters between interior and exterior. I love outdoor heated pools and the one of this hotel is really huge and it was inside the Schwansee (Swan Lake), an artificial lake created specifically to make the view from the pool even more magical. Unfortunately when I visited the spa, the weather was not the best and the scenery was obscured by clouds, but during the sunny days you should even spot the Neuschwanstein Castle up in the beautiful mountains of Allgäu. Of course, the wellness area includes a magnificent indoor swimming pool with relaxing loungers at the edges, the chance to sample teas and healthy snacks and the sauna and turkish bath area. In addition there is a possibility to get beauty treatments and massages from professionals and a rich sports program in the fitness center. Every hour and every day you could make a different course with professionals of all kinds. I wanted to try yoga and Tibetan meditation classes but they were not scheduled in the days when I stayed, but of course you can ask for the program in advance by sending an e-mail to decide what to try or if you want to book your beauty treatments in advance.

Food

Finally a mention of honor goes to food. The breakfast was really rich with great choice both for the lover of sweet and salty. The dinner, included in the half board, was really extraordinary and high-level. There is an incredible care for ingredients that come as much as possible from the surrounding area. Almost all suppliers are in the area and the kitchen is predominantly German but with really interesting culinary experiments. The four-course menu consisted of a choice of dishes being careful to everyone’s preferences. There are, in fact, healthy and vegetarian options or more rich options for those who want to enjoy the pleasures of the table. Everything I tasted was very yummy. I also loved the breakfast room, very large and very bright and the restaurant with a really intimate atmosphere.