Bleiche Resort & Spa — Hotel in Burg (Spreewald)

Went there for an overnight stay for my birthday and didn't sleep at all. The staff appeared to be run by interns that aren't trained well and our attempts to get information about the spa or hotel were met with half truths (no, I cant buy dinner a la carte, I was forced into a 60eur buffet) and an air of "figure it out yourself". It a huge hotel and no maps are provided to you as a guest (management suggestion: why not provide guests a handout with pertinent information like a map, opening times, locations of the restaurants, the fact that there are no bathrooms in the common spaces, etc). In the room, we found look-books about the conceptualization of the uniforms, which was unhelpful, as I was looking for information about the hotel. There is a tablet phone, which contains more information than what lists on the website, but still does not provide much tangible information as suggested above like a map (we could not find an evacuation map in our room.)

The main thing that bothered me was the check-in process where we met with a bellhop (who looked to be 14) who only addressed my husband although it was me who booked everything, and it was my birthday (which nobody noted during our whole stay even after noting it at reception...that wasn't awkward at all). I was ultimately disappointed by the staff as I expected better and a more professional service at a 5-star hotel. We found more information about the hotel by studying the evacuation plan than by asking any of the staff. Actually, I found more information reading through the comments in Google than what exists on their website!

In addition to these items, there are a few things that make me think that the management is cheap: 1) Credit cards are not accepted (Seriously? This is just in bad taste for such high price tags, and I've never encountered a 5-star hotel that DOESN'T take credit cards) 2) No Wifi in the rooms (if this was intentionally done, why is this not the forefront of the marketing material? Why should I find out the day-of when I'm staying at the hotel?) 3) The skill of antiquing of the furniture was not at a good standard. To me, it looks like management spent more money on conceptualizing the hotel rather than effectively running it for their customer's high expectations.

Finally, they only have 2 saunas and a steam bath, which were all quite small and faced interior hallways, not the beautiful views that they have there... And as a matter of personal taste, I think the decor is old-fashioned and gaudy. The carpet looks like a green monster threw up all over it.

Not worth the trip or the stay, unfortunately. In retrospect, I wish we had gone to either the Spreewald Therme or Vabali in Berlin, which both have better facilities, nicer and more competent staff, much more of a comforting modern decor, and are a FRACTION of the...

This is a very "chill" hotel in the Spreewald. It’s hard to fit it into a specific category because it’s just so unique!||The food is excellent—absolutely no complaints there! They source their cheese from Maître Anthony, the Rolls-Royce of cheesemakers, who supplies the palaces of Monaco and England, as well as many celebrities… The only downside here is the other guests, who sometimes don’t know how to properly serve themselves and end up ruining the cheese—lacking a bit of etiquette...||As for the criticisms about the Wi-Fi: sure, not having internet access everywhere in 2024 can be "inconvenient." But honestly, why come to a place like this if you’re just going to be glued to your phone? In my opinion, it actually encourages you to disconnect, talk to other guests, relax, and take a break… and avoid disturbing others with phone calls, etc.||The hotel caters particularly to families, with outdoor games, large areas for playing ball, a pool, and even a sauna dedicated to kids—whereas in other hotels, children often face restricted hours or aren’t allowed to swim at all. I think the hotelier understands that today’s children are tomorrow’s customers! Of course, there are also quiet areas reserved for adults. Plus, there’s a cinema that shows movies for all generations.||What’s interesting is that this hotel is not only popular with regular guests, but also attracts multiple generations of families who come here together.||The hotel has a laid-back, cultural vibe, with antique and art objects in every corner, books scattered around, and even a bookstore...||Regarding the price, yes, it’s on the expensive side, but it’s up for debate. The half-board is included and of high quality. Additionally, the wine list is really impressive and varied!||In summary, sure, there are a few areas that could be improved, but hats off to the long-standing staff who sometimes have to deal with “unusual” remarks and behaviors from certain guests… Their patience is incredible!||To conclude: this is a hotel where you feel at home, and it’s frequented by many regular guests, as well as by families spanning multiple generations, which is a pretty good sign. The guests here come with a certain mindset and philosophy—you either get it...

Staying at the Bleiche is a truly special experience. The spa is wonderfully relaxing, the restaurant and food are excellent, the decor and furnishings in the hotel are eclectic but delightful, and the service is largely very good, but in no way snobbish.

Whether or not it can all justify the eye-watering prices is a matter of individual judgement. But the hotel claims that 80% of its guests are regulars - so it seems fair to say that those who like it do indeed really like it, despite the expense.

Here and there, the hotel could perhaps afford to be a little more generous, given what they're charging. 40 Euros for a "wellness bath" is ok - but 25 minutes feels unnecessarily stingy and it surely wouldn't hurt for that to be 40 minutes, say. The "arrangement" we had allowed extended use of the spa until 1400 on the day of departure - but given that incoming guests can't check in until 1600, this could also have been a couple of hours longer without any adverse effects for the hotel.

It can also take a while to figure out the lay of the land in the hotel and how things work - and there's little in the way of orientation provided. With most of the guests being repeat customers, it's maybe not a priority - but for first-timers, things can be a bit confusing, and the curtains everywhere make it hard to know where you're supposed to go - or maybe not allowed to. A plan of the hotel and spa area would certainly have been useful. And the only cards accepted for payment are EC cards - that is more than a little outdated (you can just get an invoice, however, and then pay by bank transfer later).

But these are small details that don't detract really from the overall experience, which is certainly something unique and wonderful. Special mention for the "mixologist" in the Ade Bar and the best Pina Colada I've...