This is an older hotel that has held onto its charm well. It has a very nostalgic and old-world quality. I was drawn to it specifically because of how it reminded me of the better hotels I had stayed in while touring Germany as a boy. The staff is friendly enough, the rooms are clean, and it is a quiet hotel. However, the very best thing is the amazing views of the valley below and mountains beyond. Even if you don't get a front-facing room, you can enjoy the view from the semi-circular breakfast room each morning. The breakfast is excellent.
I have stayed in so many varying hotels in Europe and can tell you that the quality varies dramatically from one to the other. This is especially true when you you get to the smaller towns like Berchtesgaden where your choices can be confined to new-but-sterile hotels or to the gasthofs where some of the basic amenities are missing. Hotel Vier Jahreszieten fills in the gap between the two nicely. I did stay in the "new" wing (build around 1970) and am not sure I would have been especially impressed with the older wing which resembles a traditional gasthof. I also paid for a junior suite facing the valley which had a nice private balcony overlooking the valley and was not disappointed. Our suite had a large double walk-in closet off the front hallway which was again closed off from the sitting area and bedroom by another door, so that there was absolutely no noise from the hallway.
Every breakfast was a delightful experience, too, with the wonderful views and the friendly waitresses. I did not eat in the restaurant because I was surprised to see that the menu was not specifically German (which I wanted), but rather an eclectic mix of nationalities (that kind of menu doesn't appeal to foodies like me). The restaurant is charming in its decor, though, but as I passed by it each night I only saw elderlry people eating in it even though there were a range of ages staying in the hotel.
There are plenty of parking spaces in the area, too, and we did not have trouble finding a spot at any time despite it being the weekend. The train station is down at the foot of the hill that the hotel is on (never heard one train noise), but unless you are a back-packer with a light load you would want to get a cab to bring you up that steep hill.
My only complaints aren't bad ones, but should be mentioned. Upon check-in we were not warned about the many, many twists and turns and stairs. You have to carry your luggage from the parking lot up a flight of steps to even reach the reception. from there you take another flight of stairs, plus two or three more short flights of steps before you even reach the floor that has the elevator. Having a bad back, this was disconcerting for me as I got stressed when I became lost (the way the rooms are numbered and the paths to the various wings are very confusing). I had to abandon my suitcase and walk back down to ask for help.
The other complaint was that on Saturday night there was a lot of yelling on the street from a bar beside the hotel. This might not have been a problem if I had shut the door to the balcony, but being September, it was warm and I needed to keep the door open. The next night was absolutely quiet, though.
The bathroom was very large and spotless, but in much need of an up-grade. The pink tile and fluorescent lighting singed my eyeballs slightly and there was enough room to have put in a larger shower and to have closed off the toilet. But compared to bathroom in other hotels in Germany, this one was sufficient in design and much larger than most. It had that rare element in German design; the double-sink.
Over-all, I would recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Berchtesgaden. I enjoyed staying here, loved the views, and found walking easy as it is located at one end of the main drag (on the quieter end). It was an excellent base from which to explore the surrounding area.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
