The Willkommen Hof Bed and Breakfast is located in White Face, New York. The building itself has two stories and has seven rooms that guests can choose from to stay in. Of those seven rooms, visitors have mentioned that they either enjoy the suite or the three deluxe rooms the most. Other rooms that guests are free to use as they stay at the property are the full-size kitchen, a living room, a fireplace room, and a kitchen. There is a deck and a wraparound porch on the property that guests are free to sit on and relax if they choose. A unique feature that visitors to the bed and breakfast will find is the sauna that is free for patrons' use.
The Willkommen Hof Bed and Breakfast is a sizeable property that many guests from around the world have stayed at. The property consists of a garage that holds yard gear and miscellaneous items, grass, trees, and the main building. The main building is a modern-looking home that used to be a farmhouse. It is two stories tall and has seven rooms that guests are free to use as they stay at the property. One of the rooms is a two-room apartment and can be found on the right when a visitor enters the property entrance. The rest of the rooms are on the second floor. These rooms are the suite, which holds 4-6 people total, the three deluxe rooms, and the two shared bathroom rooms. Guests in the past have chosen mostly to either stay inside of the suite or the deluxe rooms. The deluxe rooms have various amenities that guests like to use, with one containing a two-person jacuzzi, and another with a fireplace and a king-sized bed. Each room is slightly different from the others, but all are stocked with basic necessities. Besides the rooms that guests can reside in, there are a few rooms that guests are free to use while they stay at the property. These include the living room, the lower dining room, the fireplace room, and a full kitchen stocked with an abundance of cooking supplies. Guests are invited to utilize these rooms for relaxation and comfort if they would like to.
When guests go outside of the property, they can find that there is a fair amount of grass that they can walk or play on and a lot of trees surrounding the property. One street in front of the house and is partially covered by the cedar trees that form a small wall between the street and the building. Guests can find a good amount of shade on the property because of the trees that surround it on both sides and the back. There is also a nearby river that guests can walk to if they desire. The river is stocked with fish and is known for its popularity amongst fly fishers.
Besides the abundance of nature, there is also a deck and a wraparound porch that guests can use to sit at and read or chat with friends, family members, or other guests at the bed and breakfast. There is also a hot tub and a sauna on the property, adding a unique flair to the property that other bed and breakfasts in the area don't provide. The sauna is something that Bert and his Heike, the owners of the business, feel connects them with those who visit their establishment from Europe, which is where Heike is native.
A full breakfast is provided complimentary to guests' stay at the bed and breakfast. The breakfast typically consists of a small buffet bar that contains cereal, yogurt, and fruit. Besides the buffet bar, they also serve hot entrees, which are usually eggs made to order, and then a daily meal. The daily meal could be pancakes, quiche, or french toast. Meals usually come with bacon or sausage, and there is also a regular potato-based dish provided, which could be hash browns, potato patties, fried red/sweet potatoes with herbs, etc. The meals may also vary from time to time, but for those staying for seven days at the property, they are given a menu at which they can choose what meals they would like to have in the morning.
Many of those who stay at The Willkommen Hof Bed and Breakfast come for the various amounts of outdoor activities available in the area. The bed and breakfast is located in the Adirondack National Park, which brings many people over on its own because of the large number of trees that make the area unique for its hiking trails, camping locations, and exploration features. There is a river within walking distance to the property that many guests have fished at in the past. The area is actually well known for its popular fly fishing due to the amount of fish that are stocked in the river. Lake Everest is also nearby, offering another fishing location or a spot for visitors to go kayaking, canoeing, swimming, or simply to go and relax at. Those in this area can also find other things to do outside that are a bit more extreme, such as outdoor rock climbing and mountain biking trails. The bed and breakfast is open for certain months in the winter, which can be convenient for those who come to the area to ski down Whiteface Mountain and need a place to stay. Outdoor activities are available at basically any time in the year in the region, offering plenty of things for people to do when they come to the area.
There are also a few local restaurants that are recommended by the owners for guests to eat at while staying in the area. The first of these is the Hungry Trout, which is just down the street from the bed and breakfast. Another is the Pourman's Taphouse, which is a local pub. The last that they recommend to their guests is Rudy's Scar Bar and Grille.
Guests also get many ideas of what they can do in the area from one of the owners, Bert. Before owning the bed and breakfast, Bert was a local guide in the area for a number of years. He would help people who were looking for good places to hunt, fish, do white water rapids, and hike. He will often help his guests by offering suggestions or pointing them to a couple of nearby fishing shops where they can find other guides and tours available.
Bert and his wife, Heike, the other owners of the property, are the only people who run the property. They feel that they can run the business well enough, and because of this, they are able to interact with their guests relatively often, especially in the morning around breakfast. He and his wife hope that their guests feel comfortable and relaxed and that they enjoy their stay while at their establishment. They help them feel this way by always trying to be there when their guests need them. They also have a beer and wine license so that they can provide their guests with an abundance of unique local domestic beers or German beers. They also offer white and red wine or soft drinks for guests who would prefer these beverages.
According to Bert, if the business were to have a motto, it would be a "European style in the heart of the Adirondack." Heike is originally from Germany, so they hope to provide a European-style experience for those who stay with them. They are one of the only places around that has a sauna and a hot tub, giving it a bit more of a European feeling. The décor inside the building also consists of many things that they have brought back from Germany, adding an extra flair of European style.
There are a few events that can be held at the Willkommen Hof Bed and Breakfast. These include mainly family-oriented gatherings like family reunions. Most often, events that are held at the property are put on by the owners. The more popular events that they have had has mainly been their occasional bratwurst roast. This has been popular for those local to the area who have enjoyed participating in the cultural experience.
The bed and breakfast has a few policies that they want their guests to follow, including a no-smoking mandate. Unlike other properties, though, the Willkommen Hof Bed and Breakfast invites guests to bring their pets with them if they would like to bring a travel buddy that they may want to accompany them while they explore the forest around them. The property is open almost the entire year, with the exception of a couple of months. From about October 15th through mid-November, Bert and Heike enjoy traveling together, but they strive to be back before Thanksgiving to open up again for their guests. The bed and breakfast also closes around April so that the owners can do any renovations that they need to do. The busiest months for the business are August through September and January through March, though these busy times tend to vary depending on the projected weather for the area.
The owners see all types of guests at their property of all ages. Many of the guests are from all around the world, especially Germany, due to the name of the property and the familiarity it gives to those visiting the United States. Many of their guests are repeat guests, some coming from early on when they opened the business about thirty years ago. These guests have turned into good friends to the owners, who hope that they make more friends as they continue to work in the lodging industry. Many guests have commented on their unique experiences while staying here. One guest wrote that "the owners were extremely nice and welcoming. The bed & breakfast is conveniently located - close to Lake Placid and many trails and activities. Breakfast was delicious every morning with at least two choices of home-cooked meals." Another guest left a review saying that the property was "clean, cozy and comfortably away from the noise and traffic of town. We had warm hosts, a hot breakfast, and easy access to local natural attractions makes this an easy choice for hikers, bikers, sportspeople, and birders. There were local restaurants close by to wrap up a perfect day." Other guests have specifically mentioned to the owners that they have enjoyed their bratwurst nights and breakfasts and have had comfortable stays.
The Willkommen Hof Bed and Breakfast has been in the lodging industry for about thirty years now. The current owners, Bert and his wife, Heike, were the ones who originally turned the property into a bed and breakfast, and they have enjoyed running the business for such a long time. While doing some renovations on the property, they found some documents dated back to about the year 1890, assuming that that may be when the building was first made. It started off as a farmhouse in the city, one side of it having a shed. Through the years, though, the shed was converted to extra living space, which is now the two-room apartment. The back of the building was also added later on to add some extra bedrooms and bathrooms. When Bert first purchased the property, it had 6 rooms and only one bathroom. He and his wife have since changed that to what it is today, being 7 rooms and 6 bathrooms.
Bert and Heike entered the lodging industry because of the love they had for the area. They ran ski houses around that location for about 6 months out of every year and had done some renting in the northeast, but when they returned to the area of White Face, New York, they decided that it was time for them to stay. They have made many changed to the property, adding more renovations almost every year in the month of April. They plan to sell the property soon so that they can retire and travel together.
5367 NYS Rt. 86
Whiteface, New York 12997
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Bert & Heike
