yhm85

I've looked through this forum but I haven't seen much about Brenners Park, nor Villa Stephanie in particular.

Thinking about taking my boyfriend there for a birthday celebration in late November.

I know the hotel is positioned as a 'health and wellness' destination so was wondering if others had any thoughts on whether this is the predominant 'feel' of the place or still somewhere worth going for an indulgent birthday celebration?

scented

I find Brenners underwhelming. It may be Oetker and a lot of investment went into Villa Stephanie, but it's not my kind of place, at all. Too much attitude served.

For me this is not a problem, but you are aware that most guests in Baden-Baden in general are 75 years ++? And I'm not talking about Brenners.

vuittonsofstyle

I agree - it feels like a clinic where they purée your food. Also, I find the treatments very suspect - too medicalised for my liking. The position of the hotel is nice, though, but I would not return.

kamel123

I would like to offer a different view. My family and I had an unplanned stay at Brenner's recently, as our car had technical issues and we happened to be nearby. We called ahead from the motorway, asked for a room, and arrived looking a bit scruffy in our ailing car.

They did everything they could, arranging with a local garage to have the car fixed. There was no attitude whatsoever, and despite the circumstances we had a quite enjoyable evening dining on the outdoor terrace with a view to the park.

Yes it's true that most guests are on the older side, but why should that be bothering? I cannot comment on Villa Stephanie, as we did not stay there - this may be a different experience. Also cannot comment on the spa; we used it on previous stays, but I am not a spa person.

Fliar

We just returned from here and although I am sure one could do a serious programme, it is nowhere near as hardcore as say for example Chiva Som in Thailand (where you get told off for having a coffee ;-)

It is a wonderful property. We really enjoyed staying in the Villa as opposed to the large main building. Service in the villa was excellent. The michelin star restaurant was ever so slightly underwhelming but overall we had a fantastic stay. Baden Baden is a wonderful destination too.

We had an upgrade to a superior (I think) room, which was probably slightly larger and on the right side of the building but I would have loved to have some more space and a small balcony. All rooms on floors 2 and 3 have these I think.

BTW, no need to pay the 25 euros per day for parking - plenty of parking the neighbourhood, although they let us park for free at the Villa (not sure if this is a Villa perk or just luck). Don't go to the main entrance when you arrive, just drive straight up to the villa (100 metres past the main entrance).

You'll have a fabulous time.

Kagehitokiri

there was another recent positive report in another thread (not forum) here
has some rooms with steamrooms etc, maybe some exclusive common areas
re oetker, a long time owned property, rather than one of their new managed

most interesting outside of villa stephanie >
2 suite "parkvilla" - not crazy rate
"Royal Suite occupies the entire ground floor of Brenners’ Parkvilla, it has a separate entrance, so guests can drive straight to their front door...French windows open onto your own private gardens."
with top suite occupying two floors above it
basically private villa, attached by walkway?

anyone have exterior photos of parkvilla or villa stepanie?

kamel123

Please see below for a map. There is a picture with Parkvilla in the foreground on the Brenner's homepage.

yhm85

Yes the 'age demographic' crossed my mind but isn't a deal-breaker in my book as it probably means less families with kids running around. My main worry is how 'medicalized' the atmosphere and offering might be given the core strength of the hotel.

I never understood the 'too much attitude' criticism of hotels and find it often applies to white glove / formal service standards a la Ritz Paris - which are perfectly fine in my book. Would be interested if you could shed more color on this aspect?

Kagehitokiri

thanks! so villa stephanie on the end, parkvilla kind of in middle.

seems villa stephanie has parking similar to parkvilla >

Fliar

Didn't (at all) get the impression of a older demographic. It was mixed - families with children, couples, and older people, all mixed.

yhm85

We just got back and very glad with our decision to go. Villa Stephanie is definitely the place to stay although I wish they made it a bit more seamless to check-in and with more clued-in staff (as you know you are checked-in at the Spa reception) which I found a bit inconsistent and not as polished as the front desk at the main hotel.

I loved the house cat. Recent emigre from Hotel Bristol who is there to stay!

offerendum

Any updates? It seems Villa Stephanie only has the quite expensive Deluxe Suite (not a fan of the design) or double rooms. Is Villa Stephanie like another hotel or like an Executive floor?

scented

It is positioned differently, for their Medical Spa guests. Maybe a little more exclusive too -- perhaps something like Tower Suites at Wynn (hotel within hotel); although this comparison is probably not my finest, given the vast differences between these hotels....

MarkP24

This was my second visit to this hotel, and the hotel is truly a first class property, and one of my favorite hotels in the world! It's a real gem!

The property is incredibly expansive with gorgeous views in one of the most beautiful and relaxing towns. Everything about this hotel is first class from its decor, amenities, location, food and beverage, state of the art spa, and of course its crown jewel- its staff.

I was welcomed back to the property by Maximillian, Assistant Front Office Manager, who was so happy to see me- like welcoming family back, and he upgraded me to a gorgeous room with wonderful balconies and expansive views of the surrounding area, which truly made my stay unique. He had kept my preferences on file, even the most minor details such as my newspaper preference. Although I had a very early departure on Sunday morning, he ensured that I was sent off with a wonderful breakfast. Maximillian is a consummate professional and world class host!

It was great to see Katharina who had welcomed me on my previous stay, and she was so happy to see me return.

I enjoyed meeting Sven, the wonderful charismatic bartender, who created an impressive array of beverages and cocktails.

Merle, the Head of Sales and On Duty Manager one evening, was so kind and friendly, and really enhanced my stay.

The entire team once again created such wonderful memories and world class experiences, and I look forward to returning.

offerendum

After some time it worked and I was finally at Brenners. Why am I finally writing? I've been dreaming about it for over 30 years, even though it went from a dream to a simple plan.
Some people might not believe it, but one of my favourite books in my younger years was the Varta. Many people won't know it, but in the 80s and 90s, along with the Vif, the Michelin and the Gault Millau, it was the guide in Germany and actually unbeatable for hotels. We had the guide and I loved leafing through it. At that time it was very strict, only very few hotels got 5 stars. If I remember correctly, in Germany it was the Vier Jahreszeiten Hamburg, the Atlantic Hamburg, the Rafael Munich, the Bühlerhöhe and the Brenners. Later, more and more hotels were added, such as the Adlon, the Taschenbergpalais and so on. The prices for a double room were always listed, and the Brenners was the only one where double rooms cost over DM 1000. An unimaginably high sum at the time and still a very handsome price today. While the hotel used to be out of reach for me, that's not so much my problem now, but somehow it never seemed to fit and there were other things to discover. In 2020, I was on the verge of booking, but suddenly you were supposed to bring a test as a guest, so I decided against it.
It turned out to be 3 nights in a Prestige Junior Suite. Harper had a voucher that didn't save mega bucks and a normal junior suite that you get a guaranteed upgrade to would have been a few euros cheaper considering the credit, but I took it.
The hotel is 150 years old this year. So on the one hand it has a long history, but it is also a bit older.

The public areas are quite nice, but nothing outstanding. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of the living hall and bar.







The room was 70 square metres, with quite a lot of space going into the hallway. Nevertheless, it was nice overall, even if the furnishings seemed a bit old-fashioned. The air conditioning also reached its limits at 35 degrees outside. What really didn't work was that the heated towel rail in the bathroom was on full blast and could not be turned off. The bathroom was like a sauna all the time.





Free minibar.












The room was certainly not bad, but nothing outstanding either. I was told they were starting to renovate the rooms, which certainly couldn't hurt. I still have no idea why this was a Prestige Junior Suite. Maybe that's what they call the junior suites they sell to morons who are happy to pay a few hundred euros more for practically nothing. I don't know.
The park is nice.




The pool is said to be one of the centrepieces of the hotel. Let's just say it's a pretty nice pool. It is not a wellness landscape that deserves special mention.



But there is something else: almost as a matter of course, a cat lives at the Brenners. Kleopatre, or Cleo in the day-to-day business.







Her home. She was never at home, bur you could smell she visits from time to time.

At this point, a few words about the service. At this point, the Brenners ran really well, I couldn't find any faults. Always friendly and quick, they were really good here. I couldn't detect any arrogance as described in the past.