Hôtel-restaurant Klein — Restaurant in Thann-Guebwiller

Forty years ago or so there were small rural hotels in almost every village in France. As time went by, new safety rules etc. were introduced and many of these places could not afford to update and fell by the wayside. ||Fortunately Hotel Restaurant Klein did manage to move with the times and somehow retain the old French charm and quirkiness associated with these all but vanished businesses.||Credit for this must go to the owner Michel Klein a man as unique as his hotel. He takes great pride in running a hands on management style, is a first class chef in his own right and has taken time to employ staff that really care about the job they do. (Many of the staff have worked for him for donkeys years) Being multi lingual Monsieur Klein is able to address guests and diners questions fluently in there own language. ||So much for my overview dear reader.||Now for a little more detail. The Rooms: Each room is unique, no euro boxes here, they are all of different sizes and shapes some with four poster beds, all with TV, French and German channels only. Room seven my favorite, though a little on the small side, has a balcony that over looks the courtyard area away from the road, very pleasant to sit out on after a long afternoon walk.||All the rooms I have stayed in have been clean and comfortable though rooms adjacent to the road can be a little noisy if you leave the double glazed windows open. Please bear in mind that none of the rooms have air con so on hot summer nights you will need the windows open.||Remember also, this is rural France and many people keep chickens so don't be surprised if the sound of a cock crowing drifts through your open window in the early hours of the morning.||The hotel also has an annex around 250 meters away at the bottom of the vineyards, it is a very pretty building in a quiet place,though it does seem a long walk from the hotels restaurant on a wet night. As it has been more than six years since I stayed in it, I don't feel qualified to review this part of the hotel. ||The hotels restaurant is exceptional with a wide ranging menu and a wine list with over fifteen hundred different types of wine. ||Even though the restaurant is used extensively by the local wine producers and their families,tourists are not forgotten, as the menu has been written in several languages including English. Please be aware this restaurant is closed on mondays.||While I have been writing this review I have realized that I have been visiting Hotel Klein for more than ten years, usually two sometimes three times a year and that I will be staying here again in the autumn when I shall be buying wine from the local producers. ||I was inspired to do this review having read sunshineman7s opinion of this place, there is nothing in his review that I disagree with, you must read it.||In conclusion, I have had good food and happy times at Hotel Restaurant Klein, I am sure...

Forty years ago or so there were small rural hotels in almost every village in France. As time went by, new safety rules etc. were introduced and many of these places could not afford to update and fell by the wayside. ||Fortunately Hotel Restaurant Klein did manage to move with the times and somehow retain the old French charm and quirkiness associated with these all but vanished businesses.||Credit for this must go to the owner Michel Klein a man as unique as his hotel. He takes great pride in running a hands on management style, is a first class chef in his own right and has taken time to employ staff that really care about the job they do. (Many of the staff have worked for him for donkeys years) Being multi lingual Monsieur Klein is able to address guests and diners questions fluently in there own language. ||So much for my overview dear reader.||Now for a little more detail. The Rooms: Each room is unique, no euro boxes here, they are all of different sizes and shapes some with four poster beds, all with TV, French and German channels only. Room seven my favorite, though a little on the small side, has a balcony that over looks the courtyard area away from the road, very pleasant to sit out on after a long afternoon walk.||All the rooms I have stayed in have been clean and comfortable though rooms adjacent to the road can be a little noisy if you leave the double glazed windows open. Please bear in mind that none of the rooms have air con so on hot summer nights you will need the windows open.||Remember also, this is rural France and many people keep chickens so don't be surprised if the sound of a cock crowing drifts through your open window in the early hours of the morning.||The hotel also has an annex around 250 meters away at the bottom of the vineyards, it is a very pretty building in a quiet place,though it does seem a long walk from the hotels restaurant on a wet night. As it has been more than six years since I stayed in it, I don't feel qualified to review this part of the hotel. ||The hotels restaurant is exceptional with a wide ranging menu and a wine list with over fifteen hundred different types of wine. ||Even though the restaurant is used extensively by the local wine producers and their families,tourists are not forgotten, as the menu has been written in several languages including English. Please be aware this restaurant is closed on mondays.||While I have been writing this review I have realized that I have been visiting Hotel Klein for more than ten years, usually two sometimes three times a year and that I will be staying here again in the autumn when I shall be buying wine from the local producers. ||I was inspired to do this review having read sunshineman7s opinion of this place, there is nothing in his review that I disagree with, you must read it.||In conclusion, I have had good food and happy times at Hotel Restaurant Klein, I am sure...

Yes it is a little quirky and so much the better for all of that.||It has been three years since I last reviewed this place and for me it is still magic and full of character, not the sanitised "Euro boxes" that sadly are spreading across the continent. This place has Alsace written all over it, the old Alsace with just enough updates to keep up with the 21st century.||The rooms vary in sizes but all I have stayed in are comfortable and pleasant. || Monsieur Kleins (The owner) ability to speak fluent English is of great help to many people from around Europe (including me) as it can really help out with some of the jargon words that seldom appear in phrase books etc.||Restaurant Klein is generally thought of in the village as "the best in town" its dark panelled atmospheric dining rooms point to a wonderful bygone age.||The food however is by no means bygone, it really is excellent, a mixture of traditional Alsatian, Germanic and French all with a touch of Klein magic. ||I will be quite honest, I absolutely love the food here for I always know that it will be prepared with ingredients as fresh as possible and by a cook who works from the heart.||So negative things: wi-fi is only in reception and in the bar restaurant, but it is quite fast.||There is no air conditioning and in those few summer months when it can get pretty hot in Alsace you can really wish there was. In fairness the building is very old and the thick stone walls do keep the place cool in all but the longest hot spells.||To sum up, A place of character, with a great restaurant, and an owner who actually likes the British. A place that is a little quirky and if you can live with its foibles a wonderful and unique place to visit.||There is after all a saying that "The unique find the unique," maybe that is why...