Eibsee Hotel Garmisch-Partenkirchen

I spend my life in hotels. Eibsee is my favourite. I am an Australia-based flight attendant and have several days in Frankfurt on each trip to Germany. In winter, I take the train from FRA to Garmisch and take the local "Blue Bus" to Eibsee. The hotel is located on the shores of picturesque Lake Eibsee and stands alone and quiet in the middle of the forest and at the base of Germany's highest peak, Zugspitz. Just outside the front door of the hotel is a small gondola that takes you to the top of the mountain where you can ski for 6 months out of the year (ski gear available for hire on the mountaintop). Lake Eibsee freezes in winter and the area truly becomes a winter wonderland....The hotel rooms are nothing much, the beds too soft and the bathroom fittings tired. The hotel staff are stiff and formal and most of the clientele are roundish older Germans who come in winter to relax in the spa and enjoy the view and food. Having said that, I love this hotel because of the location, and because folks leave you alone to relax and rest. It is still and quiet at night with a million stars in the sky on clear nights. The room price includes a big Continental breakfast buffet and a 5-course dinner. The silver service restaurant serves trout caught fresh from the lake. During ski season the hotel offers ski and lodging packages...On the way to Venice from Frankfurt last summer by car, I talked my partner into stopping for a night at the Eibsee and he loved it so much we ended up staying for 3 nights. We hiked and floated around the lake in inner tubes provided by the hotel. This place is a must for those looking for a true European alpine getaway, winter or summer.