Any ideas for the south Black Forest area? Will be 5 of us for 2 nights.

Hotel Zum Löwen in Staufen is quite nice.

No personal rec's - never seen Staufen myself.

You'll find inexpensive rooms here:

http://www.touristik-staufen.de/pension.php

DZ = double room, DB = 3-bed room, price at right; click on "Privatzimmer" to find two other private B&B places in Staufen for around 40 Euros double.

You can ride trains i and buses in the southern Black Forest for free during your stay if you stay in Staufen - ask your host for the "Konus Karte" which you'll show on the train.

The little village of Unter Munstertal about 6 kilometers east of Staufen has a nice little hotel called the Gasthof Munstertal Hof with a wonderful breakfast and a good inexpensive restuarant. 50-60 Euro double. Its an old building but one of those gems you find off the beaten path. Another 2 k up the road is St. Trudperts monastery. The drive up the Munstertal to the Belchen is beautiful.

Not exactly Staufen but close: We spent New Years in Münstertal in the Hotel Adlerstube and liked it a lot. (Google, they've got a website.) Their restaurant is quite good, and it's a 15-minute walk to the lovely monastery of St. Trudpert.

In 2003, my wife, her parents, and I stayed at the Hotel Hirschen (http://www.hirschen-staufen.de/) for a night. This was a perfectly adequate, typical German hotel. We stayed in their Apartment, which had a living room, bedroom, and bath downstairs and a second bedroom and bath upstairs. (The photo of the castle ruins on their website could be the view from the upstairs bedroom.) Their website lists this as EUR 155/night (we paid 140) incl breakfast.

Enjoy your trip,
Paul