Gräflicher Park Health & Balance Resort — Hotel in Bad Driburg

Do you know those times when you are just exhausted, tired, uninspired? Most likely when you've worked too much, didn't get enough sleep and just haven't had enough time for yourself in a while. It has been a time like that for me and my best friend. So we've made the only sane decision one could make in that situation: to get a break! Soon we found the Hotel Gräflicher Park quite close to our home town cologne. While browsing through the Website we couldn't believe all the benefits this place has to offer:|||| Amazingly beautiful surrounding: the "Gräflicher Park"|| Extensive spa area on 1.500 m² with a pool, saunas|| Big variety of wellness and medical treatments|| 2 restaurants and 1 cafe each with very good reputation|| Included Ayurveda clinic|| Modern and beautiful rooms||||Especially the Ayurveda treatments and approach which even applies to the menu of the restaurant fascinated us. Decision made! A few weeks ago in October 2017 my friend, her baby and me spent two nights at the hotel. Spoiler alert: we LOVED it there. The whole property was built 230 years ago in the 17th century and is run by a family in 7th generation. When we arrived and got a first glimpse at the venue we wondered if this could really be the hotel we are about to stay in. It's just amazingly beautiful. During our stay we had the pleasure to experience the Ayurveda pulse diagnosis, the Ayurveda three course menue including a chat with the chef, tried all of the restaurants and the spa area. I guess one could say that we really made the best of our stay. So where to start? I'd like to point out the two highlights. First, the pulse diagnosis which was examined by Vaidya Kumaran Rajsekhar has been astonishing. Both of us were surprised which detailed insights he received by simply taking our pulse and asking a few questions. At the end, you'll get a detailed recommendation regarding the recommended diet and lifestyle. Secondly, to complete this experience we signed up for the three course Ayurveda menu which was prepared by head chef Thomas Blümel. What should I say? You simply HAVE to book this when you are there. I told my friend that this has probably been the best meal of my life and I still can't believe how great it was. Also, it has been vegan and prepared according to ayurvedic principles. So basically, it has been full of amazing flavours, healthy and cruelty free. What a great combination. Also, talking with Thomas Blümel has been very interesting and gave us an insight on how many benefits this way of cooking has and also how the staff of Gräflicher Park is treated. The management obviously internalized how important it is to support the health of the bodies and minds of their employees. I personally find this very progressive and also it is something which you can really tell as everybody is just extremely friendly and positive. Well, what can I say: this weekend was just everything we did hope...

Stayed here from friday to sunday. ||Location is amazing and very well upkept. Absolutely fantastic. ||Rooms are very individual and we had a newly renovated one. Which was very nice. Unfortunately the mattresses were not new (or shady quality to begin with). Definetly recommend getting a room away from the bar area. ||Service tries it’s best and is mostly very friendly. Unfortunately that doesn’t cut it for the type of hotel they aim to be. If it’s only very young staff without proper training than you will not get top service. Restaurant, reception and spa all seem like a training ground for service personnel. We saw no senior/managerial staff over our three day stay. ||Dinner was on the above average side (tasty and good quality ingredients) but portions were small and they should definitely hire someone for deserts. 2/2 some type of cream, some fruit, some coffee (cream or sauce), some crunch all thrown together. Nothing to write home about. ||Sadly they didn’t have enough staff (per answer of staff on duty)to serve dinner outside both nights and breakfast only on one day. That is just poor planning as most guests were definetly hotel guests. But again no manager of sorts available. ||Lastly pricing. They are „famous“ for the springs on site. I understand that during Corona you can’t put out self-service water in the spa but charging 6,90€ a bottle... holy smoke. ||And for the cappuccino in the spa area (not near the pool but where lunch was served and they did serve beer and other drinks in real glasses), I’ll let the picture do the talking if any place should charge ~ 3,50€ a piece for that...||So overall it could be a great place but they need to invest in staff (minimum a proper restaurant manager) maybe then the prices won’t feel completely...

This is an absolute gem in the heart of Germany. A secluded enclave of health and beauty treatments and many options to let all your tensions and stress evaporate in to the clean air of the Teutoburger forest! Although it is officially a 4 star environment I give it 5 Stars here! Culinary wise it's absolutely in line with the standards expressed above. The atmosphere of the small town of Bad Driburg is lovely as well as the warm hearted inhabitants. Don't forget to visit the local bakery and butcher for the true German taste that tinkle your palate.The Spa options are limitless including traditional hot mud baths and (actually directly obtained from the nearby moor) the multiple healing springs actually originate on the premises of the Count & Countess von Oeynhausen Sierstorpff 'Gräflicher Park' . The nearby Bad Driburger Golfcourse is another gem with it's 18 holes that run thru woods and hills with endless panorama's with a lovely clubhouse including a tasty traditional kitchen. This all at affordable prices. Oh my gosh it almost sounds like an advert but a truly mean it thru my own experiences during the 4x times that I visited here over the past decade. The history of the von Oeynhausen Sierstorpff family is a novel in itself go and 'google' them and you...