Ketschauer Hof

Class: Deluxe

Style: Contemporary classic

Rooms: 18

The Ketschauer Hof is an exquisite hotel on the edge of Deidesheim, in the heart of the German winelands, with views over the vineyards to the Rhine Valley. Berlin-based interior designer Tassilo Bost has transformed the Bassermann-Jordan wine estate's former manor house with great skill. The hotel is also a gourmand's paradise. Freundstück restaurant (16 Gault Millau points) is manned by a dynamic young chef, Jens Fischer; both the restaurant and the Bassermännchen bistro open on to a courtyard planted with Mediterranean cedar, fig and citrus trees. There are only 18 bedrooms, of which 13 are suites, all of a generous size. The decor is calm and contemporary: a white-on-white palette dominates, with lacquered cupboard fronts inlaid with mirrored patterns, and white Loewe TVs, offset by burgundy red and leafy green accents in the embroidered cushions. Beautifully stitched eiderdowns and travertine marble bathrooms with underfloor heating, khaki-coloured cotton-fronted towelling bathrobes and lamps hand-strung with Swarovski crystal, add luxurious touches. The small spa under the cellar arches somehow manages to include a treatment room, sauna and steam rooms plus a relaxation lounge. The separate Heumarkt building contains the Cooking Atelier and its own dining room.