HOSTELLERIE LE MARÉCHAL
Characterful olde-worlde charmer in the heart of Alsace SOME PLACES LOOK ALMOST TOO GOOD to be true, and Hostellerie Le Maréchal – looking like
a make-believe gingerbread house on the water’s edge – is one. You half expect to see Hansel and Gretel checking in at the front door.
This storybook half-timbered 16th century house sits in the heart of historic Colmar –
arguably the loveliest town in Alsace – tucked beside a canal in the much-photographed Petite Venise (Little Venice) quarter. The location couldn’t be better.
Inside Le Maréchal, step into a period residence heaped in charm.
Gables, dark beams and medieval quirks are the backdrop. Giant candelabra, old ticking clocks and generous jugs of flowers sit against prettily stencilled walls strewn with plates and pictures.
Lavish rooms (some reached by winding staircases) are
all beamed ceilings and pretty hues. Huge four-poster and canopied beds – some set off by pleasing contemporary fabrics – are matched by chests and armoires from the reigns of Louis XV and XVI. All blend seamlessly with up-to-the-minute comforts.
Where? Beside a canal in Colmar’s pretty Little Venice district.
Pillow Talk Take the Wagner or Bach suite, complete with whirlpool bath, or the four-poster Debussy room.
Be savvy There’s no lift (attic rooms are a bit of a climb) and parking nearby can be a challenge.
Be smitten A Hansel and Gretel hideaway.
Canalside terrace Crooked walls and ceilings come as standard, colours are country-French, and compact bathrooms are anything but old – many boast whirlpool baths, power shower and saunas.
Romance beckons on warm evenings at Le Maréchal’s
candlelit terrace tables beside the canal. The mood inside the hotel’s more formal L’Echevin restaurant is deliciously enticing too. Tuck into ballottine of Alsatian squab with duck liver and truffles or other local signature dishes.
Colmar’s water-encircled old town is a gem.
Take a bateau ride along the canals of Little Venice for views of the town’s original 11th century ramparts. Hot-foot around Colmar’s ancient closely-packed streets to take in its museums and timbered facades, or drive out to vine-clad countryside – you’re in the midst of Alsatian wine country.
Hostellerie Le Maréchal was reviewed for Room for Romance by
Mike North
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Dining in Candlelit dining at the water's edge in Le Maréchal's A L'Echevin restaurant is a treat, and you can dine out on the terrace itself or in the two warmly lit, beamed dining rooms. There's classical music in the background, and house specialities include fresh lobster, fish and breast of duck roasted with lemon and thyme. The chef's six-course gastronomic menu is worth going hungry for, and includes
half a lobster, roasted seabass with mussels and pan-fried loin of veal flavoured with ginger and cardamon. Extra-special desserts include pear carpaccio with gingerbread icecream and meringue.
Breakfast Buffet breakfast (charged at EUR 14) is served until 10am.
Room service Morning and evenings only
Where? A L'Echevin restaurant at Hostellerie Le Maréchal
What’s cooking? Fillet of perch served with scampi in a pancake with beurre blanc and dill, followed perhaps by the wicked trilogy of crème brulée.
Dress the part Don your smart classics.
Top table? Definitely on the terrace in warm weather.
See & Do Colmar is one of the prettiest towns in Alsace, with its cobbled streets and half-timbered houses. The canal quarter known as Petite Venise is a delight, and it's not hard to imagine 16th century wine merchants shipping casks of wine along these old waterways. There's also a toy museum stuffed with antique toys and trains, and an automobile museum with some 450 rare motor cars on display.
Colmar also sits conveniently at the heart of the Alsace Route du Vin – easily within reach of medieval towns such as Eguisheim, where two grands crus are produced.
Diary Dates November-December Come to see Colmar’s fairytale Christmas market: mulled wine, gingerbread and Christmassy gifts in a picturebox setting. There’s also an ice rink to burn off some of those indulgent yuletide treats.
GETTING THERE Location Place des Six Montagnes Noires, 68000 Colmar
Parking Garage parking is available for a small fee
Trains Colmar station - 2km
Taxis EUR 10 from the station
Airport Strasbourg – 70 km
Rooms and suites 28 rooms, two suites
Special features Comfortable rooms are furnished with antiques and family heirlooms. Some boast a whirlpool bath, others a hydro-massage shower.
Also… Check out the sumptuous four poster bed in the Debussy room, and the riverside restaurant.
ESSENTIAL INFO Rates guide EUR 105-275
Open/closed Open all year
Check-in 2pm
Check-out Midday
Minimum night stay? No
Children Welcome
Pets Welcome for a small fee
Air conditioning Yes – all rooms
Wedding license? No