Romantik Waldhotel Mangold, Bergisch Gladbach

This small, charming, family hotel is located in a peaceful valley next to a forest full of walking paths in Bensberg (now part of Bergisch-Gladbach), Germany just a few kilomets from Cologne. It has a magnificent view of Bensberg's "New Castle" circa 1700). My wife and I have stayed there several times over the years. In our travels, we have never found such a balance of service, cleanliness, comfort, and value. (The beds are the most comfortable hotel beds we have found.) The family takes great pride in providing only the best service; this includes both comfort and business needs. The restaurant is absolutely remarkable with an excellent wine list; the small "Winestuppe" is also comfortable and relaxed. It is a short walk to town (by German standards) and the light rail to Cologne is right downtown. After traveling, this is where we stay to relax for several days before we must return home to the US. (An example of their dedication to service is when we were asked at breakfast if there was anything wrong with our room, we mentioned that we did not care, but that someone had torn a courtain which could hardly even be seen. When we returned from breakfast, it had already been replaced!) We plan many trips there in the future! (Also close to golf and summer swimming.)