Review: Small, friendly hotel with great restaurant – Hotel Du Nord, Putbus, Ruegen, Germany

Hotel Du Nord offers simple, modern rooms in a nicely restored historic building on Ruegen, an island on the Eastern Seaboard of Germany. The service if friendly and the restaurant offers very good breakfast and even better dinner. I scored an incredible deal, making this the best value of my German road-trip! It’s not on the beach, making this a better bet for people wanting to explore the island by car or bike!

Location: Hotel Du Nord is located in the center of Putbus, a small town on the island of Ruegen on the Eastern Seaboard of Germany, and next to the town circle with the Obelisk in the middle. There isn’t a whole lot to do in Putbus, but the location is good to explore the island of Ruegen. The nearest ocean is just a 5 minute drive away, the beaches of Binz are about 20 minutes by car and Stralsund on the mainland is about 40 minutes. As you can tell, you really want to have your own car to visit. Once here, it is a good base to explore the island by bike as well!

Service: Hotel Du Nord is a small, independent Hotel that had (re-)opened shortly before my stay. The front desk is not permanently staffed, but somebody came to check me in after a short wait. I was assigned a room and given all the necessary information about the hotel, as well as the meals included in my reservation, daily breakfast and one dinner. Staff was warm and welcoming, something not a given at many (chain) hotels in Germany.
Housekeeping did a thorough job cleaning my room each day and everything was in working order and fully stocked.
The staff at the restaurant was especially attentive. They were kind enough to adjust the set menu for dinner to accommodate my food allergies. During breakfast, they kept the buffet stocked and tables cleared and were friendly in addressing any other requests.

Room: I had booked a Single Room for this solo trip and that’s what I got. My room was on the top floor, under the roof, and very small. The single bed is set under the slanted roof against the wall, with a window opening in the roof above. There is a small nightstand with a locking drawer, unfortunately without the key.

At the foot of the bed is a small desk with chair, wo you can get some work done. A small tube TV was set on the desk, taking up most of the space, but visible from the bed. Given the recent renovation and re-opening of the hotel, the TV should have been replaced, it seemed like a relic.

There is also a small shelf for personal items above the desk and a large mirror next to the door. The room has rustic hardwood floors and wood-look furniture with soft green accents for a retro-chic look – simple, but nice enough.

The bathroom is small, with a glass-enclosed shower in the corner, a wall-mounted sink on one side and a toilet on the other. It’s held in all-white. There isn’t much space for you or your stuff, but it’s all new & clean.

Restaurant & Amenities: The Hotel Du Nord restaurant is the main attraction. The dining room offers fine dining with white table cloths, well trained and attentive staff and a menu that’s a lot more upscale than the rooms would suggest!

Breakfast is served buffet style and offers typical German breakfast food, including fresh fruit, yogurt and cereal, wonderful bread rolls, cold cuts and cheeses as well as eggs. The quality is very good and I started each morning very happy.

As part of my package, I also had one dinner. It started with a glass of champagne (can’t go wrong with that), followed by a chicken soup and a chicken main course with potatoes. The meal finished with a Creme Brulee, which was just as good as the rest of the food. This was a very good meal and I enjoyed it – even if you don’t stay at the Hotel Du Nord, the restaurant alone is worth a visit to Putbus!

Hotel Du Nord doesn’t offer a gym, pool or wellness area.

Value & Rewards: I purchased an “opening special” package for two nights for one person, including 2 breakfast and 1 dinner for only $79 during high-season weekday! I booked through kurzurlaub.de, specializing in short breaks! That’s fantastic value and probably the best deal I’ve found in a long time – and as you know from reading this blog, good deals are part of my passion!
The hotel doesn’t participate in any rewards program. I paid for the stay with my Citi Prestige MasterCard and earned 3 ThankYou points per USDollar. 

Bottomline: The Hotel Du Nord works best for travelers on a road trip who are planning to explore Ruegen by bike or car. The hotel offers free parking, but no other amenities and welcomes you with friendly service. The rooms are basic, but modern and the restaurant is very good, so booking half-board including dinner is a good idea!
If you are mostly looking to spend time on the beach, staying in one of the beach towns like Binz is a better bet. Prices can be much higher during peak season than the deal I scored and then the great value can shrink away! You can find current prices here


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *