I haven’t made my fortune being NICE. No one succeeds in the hotel business whilst being NICE!
That said, I can be nice on occasion…if a place impresses me. I suppose there’s no real positivity there, however; I simply report things as I have found them to be. And in this case, I can say that I’m genuinely impressed.
I was rather incredulous when I heard that a Black Forest experience had opened in the centre of Melbourne. Of course, it sounded like something to do with cakes, until I heard that many highly-rated Melbourne arborists had been consulted, and they had shaped the surroundings into something authentically German. I always appreciate the extra mile, and consulting tree lopping professionals to create the perfect atmosphere for your experience? It piqued my interest, at the very least.
The exterior was quite remarkable, actually. A pavilion of sorts in an urban centre has been transformed into a copse of trees, and within those trees, a set of cabins for accommodation and entertainment purposes. I booked two nights, and was surprised to find that the lady taking my reservation sounded authentically German. Of course, actually entering the miniature forest was remarkable. You can tell arborists were involved, along with what seemed to be a lot of tree trimming to keep MOST of the pathways nice and clear. After that, it was a matter of assessing the service, which was mostly excellent, and authentically German. Well, besides the sauerkraut…which was burned and tasteless.
Still, a promising enterprise. Although they could still afford to look up some of those quality Melbourne tree pruners and keep them on call, or perhaps one of them permanently on staff. Walking around the pathways was atmospheric, until you caught a bunch of pine needles to the face from a stray branch.
-J.K.M., Hotel Inspection and Assessment Branch