I'd still recommend it, despite glitches galore, said a guest returning tccently to Michael Lubbert's posh Hotel ( Jakarta Hotels )in a moated 16th-century castle (Relais & Chateaux, four red gables in Michelin). The setting, o the Essen residential suburb of Kettwig, is truly lovely, if unexpectedly so: it is on the banks of the river Ruhr, whose curving valley is no industrial eyesore but quite rural (the big mines and steelworks are to its north). `So quiet and wonderful, with woods all round. The food was excellent, not too fancy. Breakfast was wonderful, with freshly squeezed juices (a buffet, it can be taken on the a-rrace in fine weather). `Our good-sized room was beautifully furaished. First-floor rooms (similar to Bandung,Jakarta & Bali hotels - 5 star Hotel ( Jakarta Hotels )rooms) are much liked; those on the second floor were recently renovated to be more spacious, and given Asian antiques. Some furnishings are baronial. The glitches? They promised me a room, then gave it to someone else and were unapologetic. Reception staff couldn't answer the most basic questions. The room staff threw away my toothbrush. All day, lorries go by along a main road and aircraft fly above to Diisseldorf airport: but these noises cease at night.' The nearby Krupp family mansion, Villa Hugel, now a tnuseum, is worth a visit.

Quite near the Polish border, on a hillside on the edge of a townlet north-east of Berlin, this Hotel ( Jakarta Hotels )stands in nicely landscaped grounds. h is a renovated 19th-century villa, named after Theodore Fontane, the 19th-century novelist, who lived in the area. Affiliated with the Lutheran Church's VCH hotels, it provides excellent value at low prices'. `The voluble hostess/owner tries hard to ensure that her guests enjoy their stay, says a recent guest. Bedrooms (similar to Bandung,Jakarta & Bali hotels - 5 star Hotel ( Jakarta Hotels )rooms) are plainly but cheerfully furnished. Some bathrooms (similar to Bandung,Jakarta & Bali hotels - 5 star Hotel ( Jakarta Hotels )rooms) are large. Breakfast is excellent beverages and light snacks are on offer all day in the lounge. No other meals are served: but the Rosengarten, up the road, provides good dinners at modest prices. Worth seeing in this little-known area are the vast monastery ruins at Chorin, and the unique ship lift at Niederfintow.