It is a little odd writing a review of a hotel in a town which 99% of FT'ers will never have heard of! However, we had a great week at this German seaside hotel and, quite frankly, it puts all British coastal hotels to shame.

We were, to be honest, very surprised at how good this hotel was given its low PR profile, as it easily matches up to other world-class places we have visited. For a family with a small child it is perfect. The well-priced suites (well-priced because they are not huge, capping out at 50 sq m) allow you to put a child to sleep whilst you watch TV or a DVD in the other room. The buffet restaurant is not only convenient for children and babies, but is also outstandingly good – overseen by the Michelin-starred team that run the formal Buddenbrooks restaurant here, the food quality and choice is very high and changes each day. You can also eat outside on Summer days. I cannot overstate how impressive the buffets are here. The room is also split in two by the food, with families focussed on one side to give some peace to everyone else.

We tried the 1 Michelin-starred Buddenbrooks one night which was also good, although a little too focussed on serving everything with a special foam! Well priced compared to a UK Michelin joint, though, especially on the drinks front. This restaurant is clearly a massive loss-leader for the hotel, since it is only open 5 nights a week, evenings only, and has only 10 tables.

The spa is huge and high quality, with four separate pools (one outdoor, three indoor including a childrens paddling pool), all heated. The only disappointment was the products (Ligne St Barths) which I did not recognise - I was also not too keen to see that the rooms had a '3 in 1' shampoo / shower / conditioner from these guys, which is never a great sign. There is an impressive kids club with activities for all ages, and English-speaking baby sitters are also available if needed. (Note that an English-speaking baby sitter is not guaranteed, the hotel just happens to have one.) The hotel has only been open for 4-5 years, although the original building dates back to the 19th century, and is in excellent condition throughout.

The location is great, just 100m from Travemuende’s wide sandy beach. Sea view rooms are worth having, although there is a small park between the hotel and water. Travemuende’s town centre is a 10 minute walk around the harbour, although there are plenty of cafes and shops, plus the railway and bus station, next to the hotel. It is an easy autobahn drive from Hamburg Airport (transfers can be arranged) in 60-70 minutes, and about 20 minutes from Ryanair’s hub at Luebeck Airport. The historic town of Luebeck itself is also well worth a day trip by bus or train.

There are very few non-German guests here, which is a real shame because – quite frankly – there is not a single English seaside hotel that offers the same superb combination of beach, food, room quality and service as we found here. It was a 3.5 hour door-to-door trip from the hotel to our Central London house via Hamburg Airport, so it is quicker than going to most British resorts!

All of the hotel staff including the excellent housekeepers speak English (there is a Scandinavian ferry terminal nearby which brings in English-speaking tourists and therefore shops and restaurants often have English-speaking staff) and you would be able to get by easily without any German – although don’t expect to buy English newspapers! The TV has BBC World, though! My only criticism after 8 days here is the lack of a doorman, meaning that you end up loading and unloading your suitcases if no-one at reception spots you outside. Apart from that, this hotel is in many areas genuinely on a par with a Four Seasons or similar resort and is well worth a visit in the (admittedly unlikely) case that you're looking for a luxury German family hotel!

The website is here if you're looking for some photos: http://resort.a-rosa.de/english/travemuende/welcome/ The same group are opening a similar property on the luxury island of Sylt next year, which I am also hoping to check out.