In most of the posts on hotels in Switzerland I have come across people mentioning the Romantik Hotel chain. Whats special about these group of hotels ? Any info on what makes a hotel a Romantik hotel would be appreciated. <BR>Thanks, <BR>-Manju

Hello Manju! <BR> <BR>You'll probably get the best answer right at their website, romantik.de (note no "www"). One of the options once you get past the entry portal is "About Us" or something like that. Let them tell you their philosophy! I believe one point is that all of their buildings are historical and that the owners have preserved the history and charm of the buildings. Of course, the local Romantik may not be the *only* historical or charming hotel in the area! <BR> <BR>I guess you're still trying to make up your mind about Luzern. It's a tough choice, but, look, you really can't go wrong! <BR> <BR>Luck! <BR> <BR>s

We have stayed in about 7 or 8 Romantik Hotels and all have been very nice with lots of character, and all superbly run operations. The only exception was the one in Bergen, Norway. Although we had booked nearly 10 months ahead, when we arrived and I was oohing and awhhing the lovely interior, they announced that we had been assigned to their annex. This ended up being a dormitory from the the nearby university that they use in the busy summer months. Before we looked at it I said, "well, at least we will be having breakfast in this spectacular room." She replied, "No, actually you'll be eating in the dining room over there." We drove to the annex about three blocks away and it is the only place in years of travel that we refused to stay. It was the worst, tiniest dump I have ever seen. We went back and protested and sought out another hotel. But that is indeed an unusual incident for Romantik Hotels. When I contacted the home office later, they were shocked that the hotel was including annex rooms not approved by them as if they were part of their hotel. <BR>

Hi s, <BR>Thanks for the website. We are already decided on Luzern and are sure of it. Also, based on our need for a room with a view, (and your recommendation ) I changed our hotel to the Balances. I am sure we won't be disappointed. <BR> <BR>This weekend, I plan to draw up our final itinerary. Based on your experiences in Luzern, is there anything I should keep in mind while doing the itinerary ? We will be mostly sight-seeing and don't plan to travel out of Luzern much except for the excursions to nearby spots. <BR> <BR>Thanks, <BR>-Manju

Manju, <BR> <BR>I really don't have anything else to offer than what I posted last time. I think the best ideas came from Richard Vicek (??), which I found when I did a search here on the forum. Again, I loved the all-day (10 am - 2 p.m.) ferry trip to Rutli -- I splurged for first class and enjoyed riding in the salon at the front of the ferry. I also enjoyed running around the old-town historical sites. Walking along the lakeside was also a nice few hours, though I'm not sure how far the promenade goes. I didn't do any of the mountain-top excursions because I prefer to sit still and soak up the atmosphere (lazy?? I guess!). Be sure to spend some time each afternoon in one of the pastry/tea shops around the old town; I found them crammed with locals. <BR> <BR>Feel free to e-mail me if you want more details. Have a great time. <BR> <BR>s

If it interests you, you might want to check out concerts or events in the spectacular new concert hall in Luzern, right on the edge of the lake next to the train station.

I am coming in on the tail end of this discussion, but I just spent 4 days in Lucerne in September. We stayed at the Montana, which is now a Best Western. <BR>http://www.hotel-montana.ch/ <BR>If you are looking for a room with a view, this one is spectacular! It is high on a hill behind the Palace Hotel, and you have to take a small funicular to reach the lobby. The view of the lake and the mountains and the entire city of Lucerne is simply amazing. We loved it!