Heidelberg has two SLH hotels, one is the Heidelberg Suites Boutique Hotel and the other is where I stayed on this trip: Die Hirschgasse. 

Both hotels are on the other side of the river Neckar with the castle and the old town a 15 minute walk away (over the famous bridge).

Also check out my blog for a full trip report of the wine regions in Southern Germany, starting in Heidelberg and continuing with stays in two other SLH properties: https://www.continentaltraveller.blog/home/2017/7/2/german-wine-roads#hirschgasse

This old hotel has history and you can feel it. It is connected to student unions who held so called Mensuren here. Carvings on the table in the restaurant tell stories of past sessions.

Mark Twain wrote about this hotel when he stayed there in 1878 to witness a Mensur. You can read about it in "Bummel durch Europa".

Check In

Checkin was done in the little reception area with very comfortable seats where we were offered a tea or coffee and welcomed heartily by the owner. Something that is always appreciated and one of the reasons I like small boutique hotels.

Room

The rooms are all very individual suites. We had one with Laura Ashley-style - flowers everywhere. There are slightly different styles in the other suites, but they follow a similar theme. Meaning: you won't find a suite with slick Scandinavian simplicity.

Cleanliness was good, but things like the carpet seemed dated.

Cool little detail: At each room door was a bell and ours had a label with my name on it.

Spa

Unfortunately there is no spa in this hotel. I reckon there is not enough space on the premise for a spa area.

Dining

We tried to book a table in the Michelin-starred restaurant, but it was already fully booked. The owner was as disappointed as we were. We just decided to eat at the less formal restaurant. And it was really good as well. A theme you will find in all of the hotels we visited on this trip. In this area of Germany they actually know about good food (you can't say that about all parts of the country).

And again, the owner was very nice here, offering us the cheese selection from the Michelin-restaurant.

Location

Unfortunately, the location is not very central. It’s in a residential area, rather in the second row to the river. So you don’t have anything I would call “a view”.

On the other hand, walking over the famous old bridge into the old town is always a nice feeling of entering medieval times.

Overall

Good

• Very friendly staff and engaged owner that tells you stories about the long history of the place
• One Michelin starred restaurant
• The less formal restaurant is fantastic as well

Bad

• It's not very centrally located
• The style of the suites is not for everyone

I would try the Heidelberg Suites Boutique hotel next time, but I can still recommend the Hirschgasse as being very personal and full of history.