Hotel Freienhof located beside the River Aare in Thun Switzerland, is a blend of sophisticated design and modern Swiss resort decor.
When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by their friendly, professional staff. The hotel has an on-site parking garage of which we gladly took advantage. When we are on a road trip, a hotel that has on-site reserved parking is very important in making the decision about accommodation.
When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by their friendly, professional staff. The hotel has an on-site parking garage of which we gladly took advantage. When we are on a road trip, a hotel that has on-site reserved parking is very important in making the decision about accommodation.
The lobby of the hotel is large, welcoming and casually comfortable and the terrace area outside the lobby entrance is also furnished with lounge furniture where you can relax beside the river.
As you walk down the hall into the contemporary portion of the hotel where the rooms are, you immediately get a feeling that you are in an ultra-modern ski lodge. The décor is unfussy and minimalistic. Our original room was very nice, with a small balcony overlooking the river, and a large comfortable looking bed, but the room was a little on the small side, so Jim and I decided to upgrade to a suite; "The Panoramic Suite".
The staff was so accommodating and gracious, instantly taking us to see the suite when we asked to see it and then moving our suitcases from room to suite.
The staff was so accommodating and gracious, instantly taking us to see the suite when we asked to see it and then moving our suitcases from room to suite.
What an amazing choice the suite turned out to be! It was a modern two-bedroom apartment with staggering views! The lounge area was huge and the décor was stylish, with terraces of two sides that had amazing views of the historic center of Thun and its castle, the River Aare and the snow-covered Alps in the distance. We spent every evening out on the terrace sipping our drinks and soaking up the beautiful scene.
The suite had lots of windows and we opened all of them, letting in the fresh Alpine air in the mornings as we got ready for our day and in the evening as we relaxed after a busy day sightseeing. It was heaven!
The suite had lots of windows and we opened all of them, letting in the fresh Alpine air in the mornings as we got ready for our day and in the evening as we relaxed after a busy day sightseeing. It was heaven!
We were pleased to find that the bedroom and living area had separate televisions since Jim and I never like the same programs, and the master bed was very comfortable. The wonderful staff also found a fan for us because the weather was uncharacteristically hot and the hotel does not have air conditioning. They were truly fantastic!
The bathroom was surprisingly tiny for such a large suite but it was sparkling clean and that is our most important criteria.
The second bedroom was good size and had a full bed, but we set up our laptop on a small table and used it as our temporary office giving us even more room in the rest of the suite. I’m afraid Jim and I are getting way too used to the luxury of having suites with lots of room for both of us!
The hotel lobby leads to the loveliest part of the hotel, the Freienhof Restaurant and ESCAPE bar. It is here that you find a sophisticated elegance. We bought some excellent glasses of wine and beer at the lovely bar, though eventually we were pulled back to our stunning suite with terrace views to finish our drinks.
We decided to have dinner on the Aare Terrace since the weather was so nice and were not disappointed. The cuisine at the Hotel Freienhof restaurant is definitely fine dining.
We began our meal with a small prosciutto appetizer. Jim ordered the “Hot Stone” Swiss beef entrecote which was perfectly cooked to his taste and I ordered the pork which was served three ways with deep rich sauce, accompanied by buttery ravioli.
The meal was delicious and made even better with a local beer, a wonderful red wine and a view of the Aare River and historic facades of Thun.
The meal was delicious and made even better with a local beer, a wonderful red wine and a view of the Aare River and historic facades of Thun.
We were able to sample the hotel food again at breakfast inside the restaurant. Since we were at the hotel on a holiday weekend, we were delighted to see that they had an omelet station and champagne, but the fresh breads, pastries, cereals, meats, boiled eggs and cheeses, and of course the juices and coffee which are their standard fare were also very good and of excellent quality.
The Hotel Freienhof is conveniently located only a few minutes away from the historic center of Thun, lots of restaurants and bars, the castle and both the train station and ferry port. We took advantage of this to walk the old-town, visit Thun Castle and take a ferry tour of the beautiful Thunersee.
We highly recommend this hotel. Its location is perfect, the staff are fantastic and the Panoramic Suite has some of the best views in town. Our stay was wonderful!
We highly recommend this hotel. Its location is perfect, the staff are fantastic and the Panoramic Suite has some of the best views in town. Our stay was wonderful!
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