We opted to stay in the villa rather than the burg hotel because we wanted a no-smoking room. Our 2nd floor room had a glorious view of the Rhine river and the town of St. Goar's; we couldn't get enough of the view from the room, the deck and even the sizeable bathroom. Our room was spacious with above-average furnishings, though the paint needed some refreshing; it wasn't sparkling and perfect. There were cigarette butts left on the deck (no smoking room?!). The villa seemed somewhat removed from the hotel, with no service staff available. It was a short pleasant walk to the hotel facilities. I wish I'd read the previous review (in French) about needing to book our dinner reservation in advance; trying to get a table for dinner with a view proved to be an annoyance; the staff misrepresented the situation to us and promised a good table, which didn't prove to be the case. We did, however, snag river view tables for breakfast, though the light in the AM is somewhat glaring compared to the perfect afternoon light. The breakfast offerings were plentiful and high quality, with eggs made to order by a surly cook. Despite reputation, the dinner at the hotel dining room turned out to be below par, and not really worth all the fuss; the waitress spoke little English and couldn't explain menu and wine offerings. We had happened upon a charming little hotel dining room in Oberwesel, a small, untouristy town a little ways down river, that offered a much more gourmet lunch than anything we ate at Hotel Reinfels; I recommend eating in that town, if you have transportion, and seeking out a more accomplished chef, if cuisine is a priority for you.

We used the hotel pool area and spa for a short time twice and found the facilities to be quite relaxing and clean, though the steam room wasn't working on the second visit. The adjacent garden is very nice, though the weather was coolish, so we didn't linger there much. We walked down the hill to town one morning and caught a very pleasant river boat that cruised down to Bingen (2-1/2 hours), then jumped on the local train there and came back through Bacharach (which was crawling with senior tourists) and Oberwesel (which wasn't). All in all, we enjoyed our charming room at Villa Reinfels but were disappointed in the average dinner and spotty service. Staff don't have the English language skills to offer much more than very basic tourist information. If you want to explore the Rhine River area, do your research ahead of time and come prepared. And if you want to eat an average dinner there with a great view, book ahead!

We spent one night at Schloss Rheinfels in May 2006.

It's an easy trip from Frankfurt to St. Goar. Once you arrive in St. Goar, there is a friendly guy driving a "train" that takes you up the steep hill to Rheinfels Castle and the hotel.

The rooms are good size, clean, and the staff was very helpful. We spent most of the afternoon exploring the castle ruins, and enjoying the peacefulness of the Rhine. There are some patios which adjoin the hotel and some nice gardens to enjoy while having a glass of beer or wine. The meals in the restaurant were also quite good.

ROOMS: CLEAN, COMFORTABLE

CUSTOMER SERVICE: ABOVE AVERAGE

AMBIANCE: I DON'T GET TO SLEEP NEAR 700 YEAR OLD CASTLES VERY OFTEN, SO FOR ME IT WAS INCREDIBLE.

We were looking for a romantic overnight getaway and were disappointed. The castle itself is charming and atmospheric and the dinner was quite good. However our room had all the charm of a generic motel room anywhere in the US. We were in the Villa section of the castle, which is very modern and also houses meeting rooms. The room was adequate, nothing wrong with it, and it did have a nice view but at 165 euros for an overnight stay we expected a bit more. The breakfast was also fine but fairly typical of breakfasts in decent European hotels. We did not see any of the bedrooms in the castle so perhaps these are more evocative. But if you are looking for an overall castle experience, we would not recommend booking a room in the Villas section.

With various friends I've stayed in several Rheinland hotels. While Schoenberg in nearby Oberwesel is still my favorite, we absolutely LOVED Schloss Rheinfels. Though the castle itself is largely a ruin (blame the French), a portion that was spared now features airy, comfortable rooms, many overlooking the Rhein. Breakfast is my favorite meal and the folks at Rheinfels outdid themselves. Their dazzling buffet was the bomb! One major incongruency was the pool in the cellar, but that didn't stop us from enjoying it after a day of hiking down to the village and back. (We wondered if the Rhenisch knights had armored Speedos?) Our room overlooked the village of St. Goar--at which we arrived via the K-D Line's 1913 sidewheeler "Goethe" from Koblenz--and had a modern bathroom with tub and shower. Both the room and the bathroom were spotless. Hotel guests are bidden to tour the castle ruin, which is a really fun adventure. They advise visitors take along a flashlight and they're not kidding. Several of the passages burrowed deep into the ground and are not illuminated. What a delight to be held responsible for ourselves. We're so spoiled in the U.S. that were this an American site, it would've been ruined with flourescent floodlights, steel handholds, and we would've been hand-led by a guide. Much more fun to explore at our own pace, linger a while, get lost, find our way again, relax and enjoy. We enjoyed the little museum in part of the castle that has been renovated, and in the gift shop bought a 19th-century engraving of the castle above Kaub, where I've also stayed. Would I stay at Rheinfels again? You betcha, and I've just recommended it to a buddy who's traveling with three young 'uns ages 10-16, plus his older parents, who are in their late 70s. I know all will have a blast!