Mercure Hotel Panorama Freiburg

We have visited this hotel since it was built over forty years ago, originally as a 'hotel du silence', and it was very special then - the setting, high above the town, is still wonderful and peaceful, with marvellous views, and the sound of the bells stlll drifts up. Of course, that means a long walk down to Freiburg centre and so it may not be the best place to stay for sightseeing/restaurants/shops, etc., if that's your primary need. We have a car, but the hotel parking isn't always easy when full, although it seems possible to reserve a space in advance if available. This is still a very nice hotel to stay in, all rooms have a view, and it's very clean and well run. However, although the refurbished rooms look nice and the beds are comfortable, the arty lighting is insufficient to really do the job properly - another case of style over substance! Very good breakfast, though! Since modern needs re gyms, pools, etc, are different to ours, I'll leave those comments to others.

We felt that the restaurant was a disappointment, and really not as good as it used to be. After all, this is a hotel, and whilst the expensive degustation menus might be nice for a special meal the quantity and type of food offered is not for everyday, or after a long journey (as in our case). The a la carte dishes are also pricey and many reflect a similar style of cooking. The 'Brasserie menu' offered is meant in some way to address these points, but it's a smallish, somewhat random collection of dishes rather than structured - and when our two selections arrived at the table they looked thrown on the plate, as if all the care and attention went to the special menus. I think this element could/should be addressed, since even at this level the cost of eating in Chez Eric is fairly high and the food/presentation should reflect that.