Hotel & Spa Gut Matheshof, BW Signature Collection

I stayed at the Gut Matheshof for a week whilst at a work event. My room was very spacious. No issues. There was a good on-site restaurant. There were no snacks were available in the evening - not ideal when you arrive too late for dinner on the first night. A vending machine would be a welcome addition. When I was staying they were working on a new gym, fitness and wellness facility. This looks like being an excellent edition

The room really large and comfortable. Excellent breakfast. Usseelly I stay there traveling as bussines trip betweet West Germany and Poland but in the future I would like to arrive with my family to spend good time arroundig by beatifull forests.

We were looking for a hotel in a green, peaceful setting where we could find rest and relaxation. We found exactly that here. The service was excellent, and there's a dedicated area in the underground garage for bicycles, where eBikes can also be charged. We will definitely come back. One thing we don't know, but it's very likely, is that if there is an event at the nearby Ostbayernhalle, the hotel might not be as quiet, because of a lot more guests

Very little info on this hotel exists for English speakers, & reviews are raw at best, yet rooms book fast. I was scrambling less than 6 weeks before our trip to Schwandorf for a place for 4 adults 1 child (teenager) that was cheap, had 2 close or adjoining rooms, a bathroom with a shower. Booking dot YEAH found us an apartment for $575.00USD. I also put in bids for cheaper listings that were declined because we were booking from America. I literally had no other choice, & right up to the last "cancel for free" moment (the day before check in) I checked for better alternatives. Weighing pros and cons, I decided to stick with what I found in WHGM despite the unknowns and the cons others had noted in sporadic, years old reviews. You should know that I am a traveler who appreciates dive bars, hole-in-the-wall eateries, roadside attractions, and finding those real experiences only locals know about. I'm not looking to rack up points or stay somewhere that is exactly like a place I can find at home. So if you need chain hotel amenities, stop reading NOW. You aren't going to like WHGM. If you're still reading, that means you're still interested. So let me address the trade-offs. WIFI -NONE. There's a tiny closet with a PC that connects to the internet. SOLUTION: Verizon has an international plan for $10 a day, activate it the DAY YOU TRAVEL. You may have to divine around your room for a signal, but we got 4G LTE without leaving the room just fine. SMOKING: Despite printing gory photos of the horrors the human body suffers on cigarette boxes, smoking in Europe seems more likely than we're used to in America. If you vape be sure to stock up on juice/coils before you travel and be mindful to turn off your mods in your carry-on. Most mods are not lithium, but sneaking a vape isn't worth it. The WHGM lobby smells smoky, there are also ashtrays in the rooms, but ours didn't smell at all. ROOMS: I reserved 2 rooms for 4 adults, 1 teenager. Bookongdotcom glitched & dropped the teenager (young kids stay free so long as they don't need an additional bed). That cost us 20usd a night and included extra towels that were set up immediately. Our room was set up like this: Large front room had a coat bar and 3 doors to 3 rooms. Left door #1: The main room with two beds (2 twin foam mats side-by-side per "bed"). This is the best room for an extra bed. Just off the family table is a separate kitchen with its own door, Cutlery, dishes, glasses, shot glasses, a passive drip coffee set, and silverware for 4, plus some pots and pans provided, Any soaps, condiments, salt/pepper NOT provided. The carpet may seem dated and worn, but there aren't bare patches or weird smells. A Netto grocery is minutes away in Rieden. The TV is old, but there are English channels. Middle room #2: Bathroom with bidet and shower, No free soaps, etc. There's water meters for hot/cold usage. Don't freak out, it's for longer term rentals. Launder your towels unless you want to pay extra, housekeeping is NOT standard. P.S., using the washer/dryer in the basement of each building costs a Euro per hour per machine. We never got the hang of the elaborate German settings (the spin cycle icon looked like a tome warp and one setting was a piece of fabric that looked like it was speeding away from a crime scene LOL). Instructions were in German. Easier alternatives may be worth finding. Room #3: A small room with 2 twin beds, a chair, & a set of drawers. There are heaters in all rooms, but no fans. All windows open up, but not the way we're used to in the US--they tilt at the top. No microwave, just a 2 burner stove. Fridge is little but has an ice tray (Europe does not serve drinks with ice). WATER is usually fizzy!!! Finding "still water" is easier at Globus hypermarket, Evian is your best bet. Tap water seemed fine, but locals seem to shy away from consuming it. I'd love to know why, There are dining options on site that are served in a couple rooms off the lobby, we didn't eat there. There's plenty of places in the various surrounding villages that are cheaper. If you grab provisions from Netto or Globus.(Globus.has an extensive meat & cheese section and fresh rolls to DIE for are everywhere just follow your nose) you can save even more. There are even trees on site with huge, sweet, crisp apples for the picking that are better than anything we buy back home. In town there are also pear and black plum trees. WHGM also has genderfied sauna rooms off the lobby, call at least 30 minutes ahead so staff can ramp it up. Parking is free, but spots in front of your building may fill up fast when it gets dark. The hotel hosts equestrian events constantly as this is the majority of its clientele. There are huge competition complexes/arenas, campgrounds, and most rooms allow pets like working dogs. There are extensive biking/hiking trails into the Black Forest and along a quaint river. Even if you get a room facing the country road the room is quiet and peaceful. WHGM is a superb launch pad to endless ancient churches, charming villages, castles, and shopping options, and is minutes away from the Autobahn as well. The Waldhotel Gut Mathesof is NOT your typical hotel, it doesn't have perks and points. Plan your visit wisely, get an international phone plan before you leave, rent a small car at Nurnburg airport, and shop cheap at Globus (the ATM there will convert your US funds from your bank to Euros (MAKE SURE YOU NOTIFY YOUR BANK YOU WILL BE IN GERMANY TO AVOID YOUR CARD BEING SHUT OFF). Google translate is AWESOME btw, use it often. Germany is a magical place where beauty is free and the locals are warm and friendly and the food is fresh, natural, and delicious.Thank you Piotr for all your kindness, and for the extra bed and for spot on directions around the road construction. If I ever come into $$ I'd move there in a heartbeat. I didn't take photos, but those you can find are pretty legit, especially those of a guy posing all over the place LOL! If you do stay here it would be AWESOME if you took the same views and posted them...

This hotel still does not deserve 4 stars, and should be rated 3 stars. Nothing has changed in the past few years, except that the restaurant is not as good as it was before. (Dry, tough schnitzel and dishes lacking presentation) You definitely need a reason to stay here, as a previous TA reviewer commented.