Familotel Deichkrone

This was our fourth stay at a Familhotel, first time at Hotel Deichkrone. Although we enjoyed our stay, the hotel did not fully live up to the standard set by the previous ones (which were really good). My main point of criticism is concerned with the hotel restaurant, which is too small for the number of guests in the hotel. During dinner time, between 6pm and 7pm, it got really crowded and more than once we were lucky to get the last free table, while families arriving too late had to wait for a couple of minutes. Breakfast was okay, but our kids were disappointed that the clown Happy did not show up (like in the other Familhotels). Lunch and dinner were average, the buffet reminded me a bit of the cafeteria at work and there was some repetition during the 10 days of our stay. A lot of fried, fatty stuff. The dessert was quite disappointing: everyday more or less the same selection of sliced fruits (melon and pineapple) and each day another variation of pudding (chocolate, strawberry, etc.). Fortunately there was the "Kuchenzeit" between 3pm and 5pm with nice cakes and pies, so I still got my daily dose of sugar. Our two-storied room was well-equipped and very clean, also spacious. Except for the bathroom which was very small and looked a bit outdated. The room was quite noisy. The outdoor playground was great, our kids could play for hours there. The distance from the hotel to the beach is 500 to 800m. Basically next door is the Ocean Wave (indoor swimming pool with artificial waves), a seal station, an indoor playground, a maze, bike rental, etc. I would very much recommend a trip to the scenic island of Norderney. It can be reached by ferry boat in 45min and is best explored by bike. The beaches there are gorgeous. Certainly one of the highlights during a our stay. Another one was the mudflat hiking tour (be sure to join one of the guided tours). The main reasons for me to consider a future stay is the convenient location and the exceptional staff. Everyone we met was very friendly and especially the room service did a great job (thanks, Sonja!).