Insel-Hotel Heilbronn

We only stayed for a quick stop over, so didn’t see much of the facilities but it was reasonable priced for a good hotel with nice common areas.

Our family wasn’t able to have side by side rooms which made it challenging with luggage, coupled with the huge delay in being able to check in (after 6pm due to heavy guest changeover). For a family with a 2 year old this made bedtime setting up the far apart rooms quite stressful late at night when everyone tired. No notice was given for the late availability of the rooms, we found out when we arrived at 4pm and were told it would be half an hour, however it wasn’t ready until much later than that.

The Insel is an experience. The name means "Island" and it's on an island in the Neckar River, reachable by a bridge across a 19th-century lock. There is plenty of parking and even the subterranean level of the garage has unusually generous parking spaces. You take the elevator right up from the garage to the check-in desk. Right near check-in is a display of their famous house-made confection, their version of a Florentine, with milk chocolate and sliced almonds -- delicious. Heilbronn is a city with plenty of history despite having been largely flattened by British bombers in 1945 (6500 deaths). The old town hall and the medieval St. Kilian's Church have been lovingly restored. The hotel is right on Kaiserstrasse, a pedestrian main shopping street (only city train/tram traffic). The Insel has a lovely indoor pool with big glass doors to outdoor deck chairs, a unique feature is the pool lighting which constantly but slowly, unobtrusively, changes colors. And right outside the changing rooms is a spinning water extractor that gets your bathing suit all but dry before you return to your room! The Insel has two restaurants, the traditional one with Swabian (local) specialties and Blossom, a newly opened sushi restaurant. Both serve excellent food. There is a big sun terrace in front of the restaurants on which one can dine in good weather. The breakfast is lavish, an ample buffet, and they put carafes full of coffee on every table with milk and sugar ready to hand. There is also a hotel bar. The staff goes out of its way to make your stay a pleasant one. This is a family-run hotel with a long tradition, and worth a visit.

I stayed in mid-May, the temperatures were cool and by leaving the window cracked open and lowering the rolling shutters until they were almost closed (no one could see through them), I could sleep with plenty of fresh air. The Insel does have air conditioning but it was not turned on yet. Thus, if the weather had been warmer, I would have had trouble sleeping. Also, there was no small fridge in my room. But these are being phased out in most hotels because they are energy hogs. I would say my complaints are tiny ones and on the whole I felt very comfortable and at home at the Insel.

Nice hotel on my way from Stuttgart to Cologne. Nice location and good parking. Great view from the window, nice restaurant, good service some of the time. Very nice breakfast - good buffet selection.

Very average coffee at breakfast. Difficulty in operating departure gates from the carpark - had to call reception as ticket was not recognised. When restaurant become busy with a couple of larger groups, myself and another solo diner were basically ignored.

Good interior of the room. Very nice location of the hotel. Breakfast was OK. Bathroom is well equipped. Good hardware like water taps, shower etc. Excellent shower with reliable temperature control.

Breakfast can be improved. Ex. Live counter for egg preparations. More varieties of Desserts can be provided. Toaster can be provided. Provide Coffee Maker in the room. Provide Still water in the room instead of water with gas.

The dry sauna, steam sauna and shower facilities seemed newly renovated and excellent. In the morning, they can turn it on when you call. I didn't use it but the pool along the river looked beautiful .

They offered a shower/body gel combo product (at the spa as well) instead of shampoo, conditioner and separate shower gel. Also no fridge or kettle, tea making facilities in the room.

This is an older hotel, but very well maintained. The room was in excellent condition and had a new bathroom. Staff told me that they are also progressively updating room decor. The hotel is a few minutes walk (or 1 s bahn stop) from the main station. Beautiful views over the river and parkland, and a short walk to shops and the Bildungscampus of the Technical University. Staff were friendly, helpful, and did everything with a smile. Totally recommend this hotel

No electric kettle in the room. A pretty minor issue

the stuff where extremely friendly easy to reach at any time very helpful. I was the very impressed with every thing that I planned and he valentines sect was very good. the breakfast was the best I would every get

I didn't like the massage it was less than I expected , I asked for FULL body but I was disappointed, he only did my back and my legs nothing more. Though it was nice

Ideal location; everything is near-by! Train station, shops and malls, many cafeterias, beer gardens, restaurants, fast food, etc. Try the Experimenta tech museum behind the hotel, too. Easy access but no street noise at the rooms on the side, facing the river or the kanal. Very convenient parking for those coming with a car or for local friends who may come and visit or pick you up with their car. Very beautiful classic decoration room, good quality matress, very practical electric shutters that can completely keep the daylight out so you can sleep more. Renovated practical and sparkling clean bathroom. Nice swimming pool and a garden with sun beds. I will surely go again!

A minibar / fridge in the room and tea / coffee making facilities would have added to the comfort. The breakfast was good but I expect a little more for 19.50 euros per person: The omelette was "leaking" water, the bacon was overcooked and very salty, the fried vegetables were "drawn" in oil, one coffee machine only, so you have to queue to get you coffee, etc. The breakfast buffet is not lit enough; some extra light from spot light from the ceiling would improve the general appearance. In general, good breakfast & helpful stuff but not the glorious buffet you see in many hotels that gives you an optimistic start of the day. Good people of Insel Hotel: try a little more with the breakfast and you will bring it there!

We were pleasantly surprised with this hotel. It is older, but has lots of charm. Rooms are huge, and the bed was super comfortable. Property has a pool and two saunas - a dry one and a steam one. Shower is modern, with lots of pressure. Parking is at the hotel and is only 12 Euro a day. Center town is a 5-minute walk away.

We found breakfast to be pricy, so we skipped it.

The Insel (island) is literally on an island in the Neckar River, like a big cruise ship forever at anchor. A sparkling terrace at the front of the hotel faces onto the bridge that connects the island to both banks of the Neckar. The Insel's Swabian restaurant is deservedly famous, we had two excellent meals there. Our room was a large one with a gorgeous view of the river. The Insel has a sauna, a steam room (closed for COVID, but usually available), and an indoor pool with a chromatic light show -- my husband and I were the only ones in it for a long, luxurious swim. The hotel is very well located in the center of the city, in walking distance of all the places where we did genealogical research on our family trees, and of historic sites and good shopping. There's also lots of on-site parking!

It's really unfair to carp about the lackluster nature of the breakfast buffet on the first two days we were there -- we now know it was due to an extraordinary circumstance. The former director of the hotel had died a few days before and her funeral was that weekend. All the long-time staff of course wanted to attend, so the breakfast buffet was tended by the trainees, who simply didn't yet have the eye to see when the buffet needed to be restocked or the coffee machine was acting up. As soon as the regular staff was back on duty, these issues became history. They even had oat milk and oat creamer, to my delight! My husband and I celebrated a pre-wedding party at the Insel back in 1986 and it was good to see how beautifully this traditional hotel has weathered time and COVID.