Hotel Zum Bären

The people who run this hotel are wonderful; every restaurant recommendation turned out to be terrific, and they are just plain nice. And the location couldn't be better, on a quiet street but an easy walk to the Rhine or up to the chair-lift to the Niederwald Monument. The breakfast was lovely, and they made a special effort to decorate our table for my husband's birthday and poured out some bubbly! Even though there is an elevator, you will likely have to take your suitcase up or down a few stairs to get to your room, as the house was built in the 1700s: it's worth it. Also, there are only four hotel-owned parking spaces, so if you want one, say so at the outset. The bed was very comfortable and we were lucky enough to have Room 24, which has a freestanding bathtub right in the very large bedroom: impressive! It also has a rain shower, and a very efficient air conditioning unit with a remote control. Perfect for July. This was our two-day retreat for my husband's big birthday, and it was sublime.

Only two things. Room 24 has a glass door to the bathroom, which has a window without curtains (pebbled glass) -- so the daylight comes in very early in the summertime, and when there's light, I can't sleep. Fortunately, I had my eye mask along. Also, you can't get Internet in our room, probably due to the very thick 18th-century walls and the lack of a booster. However, the lobby had comfortable chairs and good Net access, so again, no real problem.