Rugard Thermal Strandhotel

It's an old hotel, but they are busy with the upkeep. Yes the decor is insanely kitsch, but that kinda gives it its charm. It's an old building that's being taken care of well. Breakfast was incredible, and the breakfast room on the top floor gave spectacular views. Indoor pool was refreshing to use and in good condition - in fact it looked like they had recently renovated it. Added bonus was the free drinks available in the room upon arrival.

Price per night was a little on the steep side. Rooms are NOT air conditioned, and whilst we arrived just after a heat wave, I can imagine it's unbearable in temperatures above 28c. What didn't help was the ventilation in the bathroom appeared to not be working. That kept hot air stifling inside the rooms. Like much of Europe facing climate change, they need to either install air conditioners, or fixed fans inside the rooms and fix the ventilation.

Excellent location in front of Binz's seafront with a good dose of old school charm. Super friendly staff and a buffet for days. The room itself is very comfy, I loved the bed, shower, and toiletries. Super quiet. I'm happy with the information provided upon check in as well as the amenities for the beach and spa. I didn't try the wellness area because it was quite packed (I visited during a bank holiday).

PLEASE install proper blackout curtains! I was initially happy I booked a sea front room until it lit up like a floodlight by 5:30am. I don't think I would visit again when I know I can't get a good night's sleep.

Good varied breakfast, plenty of choice between salty and sweet foods...from scrambled eggs with bacon and sausage to yogurt, granola, croissants, bread, salad, cheese, ham, fruit etc. Beautiful suite with big terrace overlooking the beach, falling asleep to the sound of the waves...priceless! Great location in the heart of Binz, steps away from the beautiful beach, many restaurants and streets full of shops. Loved the swimming pools and the spa area too, a great way to relax!

The bathroom only had a bathtub, no shower or possibility to hang a showerhead. Also, because there was a space between the bathtub and the wall, the water would end up on the floor and flooding the floor. We did our best to avoid this, but even then, it happened every day and we had to use several towels to keep the water from going everywhere. A few things were not explained well when we arrived, in particular about the meal shifts and the table reservation system. On our second day when we showed up at a different shift we were brutally told "there is no table for you", no effort was made to clarify, we found ourselves in front of blank faces, no smiles, very odd. Also a minority of the staff spoke English, almost no one in the restaurant, which is normally not a problem since we can get around with our basic German but whenever we were not understood the staff just walked away without saying anything. Eventually they came back but we found it a very strange way to behave. On our last day my husband orders a black coffee at dinner like he did every single evening but we are told that they had no black coffee...how is this possible? I ask twice and even 3 times but again, the waiter can't speak English and shows us his phone where's there's 10 different kinds of coffee but apparently no black coffee (?)...We were not able to understand why and just dropped the subject. Very awkward not being able to communicate properly. At check out my husband was asked if everything went well, when my husband said "so so", the receptionist didn't ask any further questions as to what was not ok...that's a bit strange if you ask me.

Location and variety of food

Ambiente of wear and tear