Escape to Blankenburg: Your Dream Ground Floor Apartment Awaits!
Escape to Blankenburg: My Dream Ground Floor…and Why I Almost Slept Outside! (A Review That's Actually Real)
Okay, so I'm back. Blankenburg. "Your Dream Ground Floor Apartment Awaits!" they crooned. Marketing, right? Well, buckle up buttercups, because this review is going to be less "perfectly curated Instagram post" and more "real-life holiday meltdown (with a happy ending, hopefully)."
First Impressions, or, "Where the Heck is the Entrance?"
Okay, so "dream ground floor." Sounds lovely, right? Accessible, definitely. You know, no stairs to worry about. Perfect for someone who's prone to overpacking and tripping over their own feet (that's me, folks). Reaching the lobby felt a bit like finding the secret entrance to Narnia. The signage wasn't the clearest. I was circling the building like a lost sheep, muttering about how the "dream" portion of this was currently MIA. Getting in, eventually? Check-in was smooth enough – Contactless check-in/out is a Godsend in these times – thank you for small mercies, Blankenburg. The doorman looked genuinely happy to see someone arrive.
Accessibility Blues and Bliss:
The ground floor was genuinely accessible, bless its heart. Wide hallways, no crazy thresholds, and an elevator. The facilities for disabled guests seemed well-considered. I saw ramps everywhere (though I didn't personally need them!), which is a giant win. As someone who's clumsy beyond belief (and sometimes forgets to check for a tripping hazard), I appreciated it. CCTV in common areas and CCTV outside property gave that extra feeling of safety too. Good work on the basics, Blankenburg.
The Apartment – My Temporary Paradise (Almost Didn't Happen!)
The apartment itself? Well… the reality didn't quite match the brochure. Okay, let's be honest. The pictures were slightly airbrushed. It wasn't a total disaster… but the "dream" part almost took a nosedive… mostly thanks to me.
The Internet situation was critical for me, as I had to make up some work there. Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! (and Internet access – wireless was a huge selling point when I came along) was a big plus. And it worked most of the time. It wasn't lightning-fast, but I could upload my silly cat videos without too much stalling… important life priorities, people. Internet [LAN] was also available, for those of you who hate being wireless (I am not among them). I Internet services and the Laptop workspace were also really helpful.
The apartment had Air conditioning which was a lifesaver because I'm a sweaty person. Also, the Daily housekeeping meant I didn’t have to make my bed! This was a huge plus. Bathtub, Separate shower/bathtub, and a Private bathroom: I am a sucker for a good bath. But when I went to have a bath… Well, let's just say the water pressure that day was… optimistic. It took an hour just to fill the tub to a decent level. I'm talking, "contemplating my life choices" while the water dripped, drip, dripping, drip. I almost asked the concierge to arrange a bucket of water.
But then… the soundproofing in the room was amazing. I'm a light sleeper. The moment I closed the Blackout curtains, it was like plunging into a velvety void. I passed out and woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed.
The Mini bar was a little pricier than I’d hoped, it still was a nice touch. And thank goodness for the Refrigerator for keeping my snacks cold. The Coffee/tea maker saved me a fortune on expensive hotel coffee. Complimentary tea was a nice touch.
The Additional toilet wasn’t really necessary for a solo traveler, but it was good to know it was to hand. The Desk, and a Seating area, were so appreciated . The Desk and High floor also made me feel like I was on top of the world (or at least, above ground-level).
The Mirror made me feel vain. The Sofa was a good spot to get work done.
Food, Glorious, Almost-Exquisite Food! (With a Side of Mild Panic)
Ah, the dining situation. This is where Blankenburg really shines. I was in food heaven!
The A la carte in restaurant and Buffet in restaurant were excellent. They had some great Asian breakfast and International cuisine in restaurant. The Western breakfast and Western cuisine in restaurant were also superb! I spent an unhealthy amount of time at the Coffee shop, just soaking up the atmosphere and the caffeine. The Poolside bar was a joy.
The highlight? The Happy hour! (Need I say more?) And for late-night munchies? The 24-hour room service was a lifesaver.
The Breakfast [buffet] served a decent selection of pastries and fruit and I was happy to be able to grab the Bottle of water to go with it. The Desserts in restaurant were also superb.
One minor hitch… there wasn't much in the way of Vegetarian restaurant options. It wasn't a dealbreaker for me, but I know it’s a big deal for some.
The Breakfast takeaway service, was also fantastic!
Relaxation Station: Spa, Sauna, and Sanity
Okay, so, I'm not a spa person, per se. But after battling that slow-filling bathtub, I needed serious relaxation. I braved the Spa, and it felt like a sanctuary. The Sauna was hot and steamy (in a good way… this time). The entire process of being able to sit in a Steamroom and be able to breathe felt so good.
I didn't go for the Body scrub or Body wrap, because, let's face it, I'm lazy. But the thought was nice. They also had Foot bath which I really appreciated.
The Pool with view was stunning (more on that later).
One thing I did not use, I had to have a look at the Fitness center, and it was fairly standard.
Cleanliness and Safety: A Sigh of Relief (and a Little Bit of OCD)
Right, let's talk COVID. Blankenburg took it seriously. Major props.
The Hand sanitizer stations were everywhere (I may have become slightly addicted to them). I loved the Hygiene certification and how the Anti-viral cleaning products were used in the rooms. The Daily disinfection in common areas was reassuring. They really went to town. I was incredibly impressed with the Sanitized kitchen and tableware items
The Room sanitization opt-out available was a good idea.
The Safe dining setup gave me peace of mind. Individually-wrapped food options, Hot water linen and laundry washing, and Professional-grade sanitizing services were all top-notch.
Things to Do (Besides Eat and Sleep, Obviously):
Okay, so Blankenburg had some serious chill vibes outside of the food and sleep.
They have a gorgeous Swimming pool [outdoor] (and a regular Swimming pool indoors). The Pool with view was beautiful. But then the pool was closed for maintenance on my first full day. Devastating. You know, when you have a mental picture of yourself flopped in the pool, and the reality is… no pool…? I had a little moment. Really. I was ready to walk out of the hotel.
I did eventually get in the pool on the next day, which was a delight. They also had an Indoor venue for special events and Outdoor venue for special events, which I didn’t get to take advantage of.
I didn't use the Fitness center or the Gym/fitness, but they were well equipped.
Services and Conveniences: The Little Things That Count (and the Ones That Don't Quite…)
Daily housekeeping was a godsend and I really like an Elevator. The Front desk [24-hour] was helpful. They had a Gift/souvenir shop, which was sadly too overpriced. Luggage storage was also available.
They also had a Car park [free of charge] which saved me a fortune. They also had Car park [on-site] if the one outside was busy. They had a Valet parking, but I didn’t want to spend the extra cash.
For the Kids:
I didn’t bring my kids - the Family/child friendly seemed to be spot on.
The Verdict:
Accessibility: 5/5 (Seriously, top marks, especially for the ramps)
Cleanliness and Safety: 5/
Escape to Alkmaar: Stunning Holiday Home Awaits!
Alright, alright, buckle up buttercup, because this ain't your average, sterile travel itinerary. This is me, Sarah, spilling the beans on my (hopefully) triumphant, and potentially disastrous, adventure in… Blankenburg, Germany. A freaking ground floor apartment, no less! And the entire damn thing is going to be a total rollercoaster.
The Blankenburg Blitz: A Ground Floor Odyssey (and Possibly Existential Crisis)
Day 1: Arrival and the Art of German Bread (or, "Why Am I Already So Tired?")
- Morning (6:00 AM - or whenever the hell I finally pry my eyes open after surviving a red-eye from… well, let's just say far away): Ugh. Plane. Train (hopefully). Luggage. Praying my German is better than I remember. I'm picturing myself already lost, wearing a ridiculous backpack, and desperately miming "toilet!" to a bewildered local.
- Mid-Morning (10:00 AM - Hopefully Arriving at Blankenburg Bahnhof): The train to Blankenburg! Assuming I can actually find the train… And, even more crucial, get on the right one. Google Maps open like a lifeline - more like a slowly unwinding ball of twine. Did I book a taxi to the apartment? Nope. Walking it is!
- Lunch (12:00 PM - Assuming I haven't starved/gotten lost): Okay, apartment check-in. Keys, the dreaded "manuals" (in German, naturally), and a silent prayer the place isn't a dungeon. I'm intending to explore! "Intentions" are always a big ask. The goal is a bakery, a Bäckerei. I heard the bread is godly. Seriously, the reason some experts say that the best bread is in Germany is the most accurate thing I’ve ever heard. I'm already dreaming of a crusty, warm loaf, slathered with butter. Maybe even cheese. And maybe, just maybe, a little German beer to go with it.
- Afternoon (2:00 PM - Apartment settled, or at least, the luggage unpacked into a pile): Blankenburg exploration begins! The town, I've heard (from a suspiciously enthusiastic travel blog), is "charming." We'll see about that. Maybe some photos, maybe a nervous sweat for my camera, and if I am lucky. It might take me a while to find the most famous place for photography. I guess I should look at the map.
- Evening (6:00 PM - Dinner and the Great Netflix Debate): Okay, now for the real challenge: finding dinner. I'll be honest, the thought of cooking after a day of travel fills me with a deep, lethargic dread. So… Restaurant? A Gasthaus, perhaps? Or just the nearest kebab shop because, let's face it, sometimes practicality wins. Then, back to the apartment. Netflix, snacks, the never-ending debate of what to watch. This might be the existential crisis part of my life. This is where I question my life choices, or the choices of the people who created the service of Netflix. Bed. Sleep. Repeat.
Day 2: Castles, Caves, and Possibly, My Sanity (or, "I Like Castles. Is That Weird?")
- Morning (8:00 AM - Breakfast and Bewilderment): Wake up, not in a pile of luggage (success!). The great bread expedition, round two. But first coffee. Oh, sweet, blessed caffeination. My sanity starts with coffee.
- Mid-Morning (9:30 AM - Getting Lost (Again?)): I'm gonna try the castle! Or, at least, the idea of a castle. So, more walking, more map-checking, possibly a small verbal outburst if I get hopelessly lost in the charming streets. I will find it and take a photo.
- Lunch (12:00 PM - Castle Views and a Sandwich Disaster): Picnic lunch at the castle! Hopefully, the weather cooperates. Praying I packed a decent sandwich, not just a sad lump of soggy bread. The view better be worth it. If the view isn't worth it, I'm going to have a serious chat with that travel blog.
- Afternoon (2:00 PM - Caves, Maybe): This is where things get interesting. The caves of Blankenburg! It's gonna be dark. It's gonna be damp. It's gonna be… potentially terrifying. I'm not the biggest fan of enclosed spaces, to be honest. But hey, adventure, right? "Adventure" is French for "bad idea."
- Evening (6:00 PM - Dinner, Drinks, and the Existential Aftermath): I've just had a thought. Should I drink beer? Or should I go back to my apartment with some chocolate and watch whatever entertainment I can grasp. I have a feeling that tonight, a few beers are going to be needed. The evening: finding a cozy pub. German beer. Maybe a plate of schnitzel. Maybe, just maybe, a nice conversation with a local. Or, you know, just me, my beer, and the realization that I'm utterly, gloriously alone in a foreign country. And it's actually… kind of amazing.
Day 3: Gardens, Gastronomy, and the Approaching Departure (or, "Did I Even See Everything?")
- Morning (8:00 AM - The Eternal Question: Coffee or More Coffee?): The eternal question! Maybe with a view this time? Find a nice cafe with outdoor seating – assuming the weather cooperates, of course.
- Mid-Morning (9:30 AM - Gardens!): Botanical gardens! Walking around, taking photos, pretending to be all cultured and stuff. Maybe I'll even identify a few plant species. Probably not.
- Lunch (12:00 PM - The Search for the Perfect Sausage, Maybe): Time for more food! I want those sausages! I have a feeling I will love them.
- Afternoon (2:00 PM - Souvenir Shopping (and Sudden Panic): Souvenirs: buying things for people who are going to roll their eyes. Still, gotta do it, right? The panic sets in: Did I miss something? Should I go back to that place? Did I even do anything?
- Evening (6:00 PM - Farewell Feast (and Deep, Existential Melancholy)): Goodbye dinner! I'm going to find the best restaurant in town. I'm going to eat everything. And then, I'm going to have a moment of quiet reflection. A look back on the adventure that was. A little tear for the bread and the beer, and the charming (and possibly slightly weird) town of Blankenburg. This. Is. Life.
Day 4: The Journey Home (and the Unavoidable Letdown)
Morning (6:00 AM - Ugh, Again): The final morning. Wake up. Pack. Double-check everything. The dread of the journey home weighs heavily. But, then: those memories. The bread! The castle! The caves! Okay, maybe the caves were a bit much. But still…
The rest of the day is just me getting home: Remembering the trip.
Important Notes, AKA "Things I Will Probably Mess Up":
- German: I'm gonna butcher the language. Expect lots of pointing, gesturing, and panicked smiles. I'll probably call everything "das Ding" at some point.
- Pace: I'm terrible at sticking to a schedule. Expect deviations, detours, and spontaneous decisions based on the smell of fresh pastries.
- Photos: I'll take a million photos. Most of them will be blurry. Some will be of my feet.
- Emotions: Expect a rollercoaster. Excitement, exhaustion, moments of sheer joy, and the occasional existential crisis.
- Ground Floor Apartment: I'll be hoping it's not haunted!
Final Thoughts: Embracing the Mess
This itinerary is a guideline, not a gospel. The point is to embrace the mess, to be open to surprises, and to laugh at the inevitable mishaps. Germany, here I come! Wish me luck. I'm going to need it.
Escape to Tuscany: Luxurious Limonaia Villa in Cortona!
Escape to Blankenburg: So You Think You Want a Ground Floor Apartment? Let's Get Real.
(Because the glossy brochures? They LIE.)
Okay, So What *Exactly* Makes Blankenburg... Blankenburg? Besides the Obvious "Ground Floor" Thing?
Alright, alright. Let's be honest. "Blankenburg" sounds like some vaguely romantic, possibly German spa town, right? And for a split second, I thought, "Ooh, bougie! Maybe a little too perfect." Turns out... it *is* pretty charming, but not in the way a stock photo of a smiling couple with a dog on a pristine patio would have you believe.
Think more... slightly weathered brickwork. A tiny, *tiny* park that probably smells of dog pee (and I wouldn't be totally shocked if I saw a squirrel try to mug a pigeon for a breadcrumb). It's the kind of place where the barista *knows* your name... or at least pretends to. Oh, and the ground floor? That's the real magic. Being able to just... walk *outside* into your little sliver of the world? Game changer. Until you realize the world can *also* walk right *into* your little sliver of the world. More on that later. Much, much later.
And the Ground Floor Thing... Is It *Really* All It's Cracked Up to Be? Like, No Hidden Drawbacks?
HA! Hidden drawbacks? Honey, you are about to *swim* in them. Let me tell you about the time I left my curtains open... Ugh. It's like being in your own personal goldfish bowl. Which is fine *until* you're attempting to do a semi-naked interpretive dance routine (don't judge! It was a Tuesday!) and catch Mrs. Henderson from across the way, peering in, clutching a trowel. Mortifying. Absolutely mortifying. Then, the noise! You get *so much* more noise. Children screaming, dogs barking, the incessant *thump-thump* of the downstairs neighbor's bass (I'm convinced he communicates with whales). And the bugs. Oh, the bugs! Ground floor equals: closer to bug level. Just saying. I've developed a phobia of spiders the size of my hand. Still worth it for the convenience of just stepping outside, mostly.
What About Security? Aren't Ground Floor Apartments, You Know... Easier to Break Into? Uh, Should I Be Paranoid?
Okay, deep breaths. Yes, it's *slightly* less secure. Yes, you might want to invest in some serious window locks. And yes, I did, at one point, swear I heard someone trying the handle of my back door at 3 AM. (It was probably just a particularly determined raccoon, but still... sleepless nights, people!). However, most places have pretty decent security these days. Deadbolts, maybe a fancy alarm system (I'm too cheap for that), and a good dose of common sense. Don't leave valuables in plain sight. Make friends with your neighbors (especially the ones with the intimidating dogs). And maybe, just maybe, invest in a really, really loud bark from a speaker system. Just to be safe. I heard it somewhere... (not really)
Is There a Garden? Or Just a Concrete Slab That Passes for a Patio? BE HONEST!
Depends. Some have amazing gardens. Lush, green, perfect for morning coffee and existential contemplation. Mine? Well, let's just say it's a "work in progress." It's currently a collection of slightly overgrown weeds, a sad-looking rose bush that’s seen better days, and a patio that might also be the local cat's toilet. I *intend* to landscape. I have *bought* the gardening gloves (bright pink, naturally). I even *watched* a YouTube tutorial on companion planting. But getting from "planning" to "planting"? That's a whole other story, usually involving a bottle of wine and Netflix. So, temper your expectations. But hey, at least you can *grow* something, right? (Or at least attempt to.)
What About the Neighbors? Are They Going to Be Staring at Me 24/7? (Like That Mrs. Henderson You Mentioned?)
It's a gamble. You get the good, the bad, and the Mrs. Henderson. I swear she has nothing *better* to do than watch my life unfold. I swear once she called the police because my laundry (which, to be fair, was a bright red thong) was flapping in the breeze, "indecently". Some neighbors are lovely. They’ll bring you cookies (probably laced with guilt for whatever they *think* you’re doing) and offer to water your plants when you’re on holiday. Others? They'll complain about *everything*. The music. The smell of your cooking. The fact that you have a pulse. Learn to embrace the awkward small talk ("Lovely weather we're having! Did you know they're replacing the bins next Tuesday?"), and invest in some noise-canceling headphones.
Okay, so What's the Absolute BEST thing about Blankenburg (or Any Ground Floor Apartment)? Give Me the Good Stuff!
You know what? That feeling when you've been cooped up all day, working, stressing, generally *existing* in a small closed space? And you can just...pop outside? Into the fresh air? That's it. That's the magic. That feeling of freedom. The ability to let your dog (responsibly, of course) out to pee without having to wait for the elevator. The immediacy of it all. It's like having your own little portal to the outside world. Being able to have a glass of wine on your patio as the sun sets, even if it IS overlooking a weed-filled garden and Mrs. Henderson's disapproving glare. It's that small connection to nature, even if it’s just a potted geranium (that you might accidentally kill), or the ability to just... *breathe* without having to go through a metal box first. That's it. That's the best part. Even when the spiders come.
So, Should I Do It? Embrace the Ground Floor Life?
Look, I'm not going to lie. It's not for everyone. You'll need a certain level of... tolerance. Tolerance for noise, nosy neighbors, and the occasional rogue insect. But if you crave that connection to the outside world, that instant access to fresh air, and if you're willing to accept a little imperfection with a side of potential peeping toms (or Mrs. Henderson), then yeah. Go for it. Just maybe invest in some good curtains. And a really big can of bug spray. And maybe, just maybe… a lawyer. (Just kidding! Mostly.) But seriously, just be prepared for anything. And enjoy the ride. It's a wild one.Book Hotels Now
