I returned after a gap of quite a few years. This family-owned hotel is even more agreeable than I remember. Very high standards; solidly south German in style; reliable; friendly; well-maintained; very comfortable; with excellent, hearty Schwabian food. As a result, a very relaxing place to stay, and a great escape from metropolitan sameness.

I am always staying at the Insel when I am in Heilbronn, and I am usually there at least once a year because of a conference series, always in June. So, I have seen it change in quality from one of my favorite hotels in the world to something really annoying. Right now, it deserves its four stars and I would call it nice without being spectacular. In Heilbronn and around, there is no alternative.

The basic quality of this hotel is founded on the fact that it is family-run and not part of any chain, not even of a cooperative group. It is a Swabian bourgeois place with good staff in one of the wealthiest cities in Germany. (The problem is that the owners are not really friendly nor communicating with the customers; they have their reserved tables, and they don't even talk to "Stammkunden", but only to local notables. They may greet you if you meet them in the pool, but that is it.) The hotel is located on its own private island in the middle of the Neckar, which is fascinating and makes for a special mood, yet totally downtown.

On the plus side, I would also list
- a great pool with fantastic showers and with warm water
- a nice private park
- an easily accessible, very convenient free underground car park with direct access to rooms
- a nice breakfast buffet
- good aircondition (I am not sure why people here have been saying that there is none - there is, and it works very well, but as always, it does not function when windows are open)

Minuses include
- that the breakfast buffet used to be infinitely better
- noise on all three sides of the hotel (construction, traffic, terrace)
- slight cheapness in condiments, linen, etc.
- no minibar in the rooms
- too high prices, considering city and level (even more as regards food)
- internet for pay

The rooms are somewhat 1980s style and darkly furnitured but basically fine and well-kept.

This time, there was a bizarre New Orleans Jazz night - maybe this was fun, but the main purpose for a hotel is to give guests a place to sleep, and this was so loud an event well beyond midnight that I am not sure what the owners were thinking.

Still, in Heilbronn, TINA - and it's even nice, overall.

We use this hotel as our base for lecturers going out from England to teach in Heilbronn and so I write from my own experience of 4 visits in the past year and from hearing from at least 5 other colleagues. My experiences of the insel have been good. The food is very good, especially the excellent enormous help-yourself buffet breakfast. The staff are friendly and efficient and the rooms are pleasant and clean - if somewhat "standard" in size and facilities. The overall feel is of a family-run hotel not a "chain" - I like this. The hotel is very convenient for the town centre and the train station - all easy walking. The hotel is located on a small island in the river which is a fun location - but I don't want to give the impression that's it's remote - this is a little piece of land in the middle of town! But it's different and means there are good riverside walks straight out of your front door. I would certainly recommend the insel for a peaceful and pleasant stay and we fully intend to keep up our arrangement with the hotel for the foreseeable future.

Stayed for just one night, but liked it: it looks a bit faded, but in a characterful way. If you want an ultra modern hotel, this isn't the one for you. However, it does have:
- charming location
- pleasant restaurant
- helpful staff
- good location for town and close to station
- decent swimming pool
I'd stay here again!