Our last night in Germany was spent at this 3 star Gem. Hotel Heidelberg as it is called now is a family run hotel on the outskirts of Heidelberg. We booked a non smoking Bavarian Tripple Room for our family of 3 and were pleasantly surprised. The hotel is 3 star, has all the amenties that you need and none of the expensive extra's you never use anyway. The breakfast buffet was fantastic and is included in the room rate!!! We paid 102 Euros for 1 night, including breakfast for 3 people and booked at the ast minute.

We had a brand new, clean and modern bathroom with bath/shower. We had 3 beds (not a lot of space left once our bags were on the floor). The room also has a split system airconditioner if needed in Summer. Free wireless Lan is advertised, but reception was not good in our room. We ended up using our computer in the pub and breakfast room. The hotel also offers a free terminal for guest use in the lobby area.

The hotel has a washing machine and dryer (3 Euros each), which can come in handy for a family. Meals at the restaurant and drinks were reasonably priced. The hotel even offers drinks service to the rooms. The restaurant offers a true non-smoking environment and a smoking environment. So everybody is catered for - very unusual in Europe. There is also a lovely play area outside for children.

Breakfast was in a pleasant non-smoking breakfast room and offered cooked selection all sorts of cereals, breads and meats and cheeses. Very delicious.

Location is someout out of Heidelberg city. We had a car and the hotel provided free car parking, so this was not a problem.

Overall, this was one of the nicest, homely places we stayed at during our Europe holiday and I would definitely recommend it to families who are looking for a great value place to stay that offers all things of importance.

This is a small family-run hotel on the outskirts of Heidelberg. Our room was immaculate, with down comforters and pillows, a large bathroom and towel warmer. The front desk was very helpful and all spoke English. The city bus stops right outside the hotel and takes you to the downtown area, near the "old town" and castle. It runs every 20 minutes and we found it to be very convenient. A bus pass can be purchased from the bus driver that gives you unlimited access for the entire day. The hotel will arrange an airport shuttle service for you if you are flying out of Frankfurt. The train station can be accessed by bus or by taxi (about 10 euros). The restaurant at the hotel was very good with reasonable prices. In the morning, a huge breakfast buffet was served at no additional charge.

Staying at Hotel Erna during the summer of 2003 was fantastic. The hotel empolyees were very helpful and patient, especially since I did not speak the German language. They were very helpful with explaining how to get around the Heidelberg area using the very efficient and economical bus system. They also had a few brochures with information about local attractions and tours and assisted with booking the available attactions. Visiting the Heidelburg castle is a main attraction and they assisted with making arangements for this tour. Since the hotel is located in a residential area, it is not much to do or see. The hotel is not in the downtown area of Heidelburg, but this is not problem (unless you want to be in the mix of the downtown action) because the bus stopped one block away from the hotel when travelling downtown and right across the street from the hotel when returning. The desk clerk explained how to use the bus and each bus stop was announced before it reached its destination. Twenty-four hour bus passes for individuals or groups of 4 were available for purchase. The bus passes could not be used in the morning during rush hour. During the summer, it did not get dark until about 9 or 10 p.m. , so there was plenty of time to use the bus pass during this time period. The rooms in this quaint and cozy hotel were very clean and come with twin beds. A very satisfying buffet German breakfast was included with the room rates. Dinner is also served either inside or outside of the hotel. The dinner price was not included in the room rate. The hotel did not have air conditioners, as many German and European hotels and houses do not. Usually, this is not a problem since summers are not very hot in Europe (with the exception of last summer!). Windows opened in 2 directions, from the top and from the side. When the windows are opened from the top, they can be left opened all night long and the room occupants will still be safe because the windows are tilted open and no one can enter. European style showers are provided with out bath tubs. Important: You must take a wash clothe because none were provided. I think that this is normal for many Euopean hotels. However, we were provide a hand towel and a regular size bath towel. The hotel is located in a quiet residential neighborhood and I felt quite safe while staying there. I think that the desk closes around 9 p.m. or so, so arriving before then for check in is essential. This was a nice quaint hotel and I would stay there again.