Location, location, location - this place has it in spades. Who can resist staying in a castle turret, after all? An idyllic setting, complete with an animal reserve down below. Plus - as the name suggests - they say it was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty, which is doubtless what attracts many of the visitors.

The good points? Its cleanliness. The comfortable bed. The good restaurant. The welcoming and personal service. Oh, and the fact that it's set in a spectacular castle.

Drawbacks? Turret rooms disappointingly ordinary and tired. TV inoperative (systemic problem, and presumably temporary). Bathroom absolutely tiny, and with an absurdly flawed and dangerous design which features a lavatory that is effectively co-located with a radiator. The elderly (or even the unfit) may wish to avoid the high turret rooms - assuming they survive the ascent, they risk being branded when they get there!

Overall, if I had been converting a beautiful ruin into a hotel, I would have made sure that the quality of the rooms matched that of the location. Sadly ours didn't.

It takes a little effort to find this place, but it is well worth it. After a long drive along country roads, we decided we had found the place when we saw a tour bus parked in the parking lot. We were a little nervous about staying at a tour bus stop, but our fears were unfounded. (The bus had stopped so that the passengers could have an afternoon snack in the beautiful outdoor dining area.) We received a warm & friendly reception and assistance getting to the room. We had reserved one of their more expensive rooms (215 euros incl. breakfast) in the turret with a four-poster bed. It was a large & beautifully appointed room. In spite of the very high temperatures outside (90's F, 30's C,) the turret was cool as a result of the thick walls. It did require us to walk up several flights of stairs but they were easy to navigate. The grounds of the hotel are beautiful. Because of the heat, we had dinner on the patio and enjoyed an outstanding meal, truly gormet quality, with a magnificent view. The staff was cheery & helpful & the price of the meal was an excellent value considering the quality. It was a good thing because I do not recommend leaving the hotel to find a meal anywhere else. It would be a long drive & not worth it. In fact, I don't recommend leaving the hotel for anything. In short, a magical castle in a beautiful, secluded setting with excellent rooms, food, and service.

I thought we were lost as we drove miles through deep woods and tree-lined roads that seemed as though elves or witches inhabited their depths. I was beginning to feel we had taken a wrong turn. The road narrowed, the night grew black, and civilization dwindled to near non-existence. The lines on the road faded and I knew we should turn around. At that time, we came upon a road sign that read "Burg Sababurg"...and I knew we had to be close! After several wrong turns, we drove up a long road through a castle gate. We parked the car and found a humble stone entrance by which a lonely lantern sat flickering at the base of the old steps. As we entered the castle, an old pleasant woman with white hair sat up from smoking a cigar at her table and asked us if she could help us. We told her we were lost and asked if we were in the right hotel. She nodded her head, yes, as if she had encountered weary travelers many nights before us. An old man came upon her beckon and kindly led us up the stairs to our room. We found out later they were the hotel owners...they emitted a presence of timelessness and wisdom, as if they had lived a fairy-tale themselves throughout the decades.

We were shown to our table later that evening to a gorgeous dining room that highlighted a spooky tree outside the window that a single spotlight illuminated for the guests to ponder upon throughout their meal. Everything behind and beside that tree was left in the deep blackness of the forest we knew we were in the middle of. As isolated as we were, we felt safe and more than comfortable next to the crackling fireplace lit by our table. A sturdy German woman that spoke English with a shockingly thorough vocabulary waited on us throughout the night and catered to our every need. The food was excellent and presented with perfection. I ordered a hand-made pasta in a special rose water sauce. I have never had anything like it to this day! They had a couple of delicious vegetarian dishes from the kitchen. Very romantic...an appropriate menu for Sleeping Beauty's Castle Hotel! The wine list was unusually tasteful, with many regional varietals that could not be purchased outside of Germany. Truly a dining experience you could not have everyday! My husband ordered wild boar that had been hunted from the local grounds. The next night he ordered wild venison that he said could not compare to anything else he had ever had (in a good way!). Everything was fresh, in-season, and regional.

We toured the castle the next morning and took many pictures of the area. The garden was perfectly manicured with roses, intimate seating areas, and tall shrubbery. We climbed the many stairs through a spiral staircase that was said to lead to Sleeping Beauty herself! During the summer, the large courtyard surrounded by the tall stone walls holds various concerts and theatrical productions.

For those who are truly romantic at heart, visit this castle and find the magic for yourselves!