Anecdotes
Stories from the Wildeshauser Hof
The enigma of pay TV
On a balmy summer evening, an elderly gentleman was having dinner on our indoor terrace with a pretty young lady who had an Eastern European accent. The evening sun bathed the surroundings in warm light and the two seemed to be absorbed in their own little world. Their laughter and animated conversations created a pleasant atmosphere.
At the next table sat another couple who happened to live in the room next door to the older gentleman and his charming companion. The two looked curiously over their plates and couldn't help but observe what was happening at the neighboring table. It seemed as if the older gentleman was enjoying the company of the young lady, which made the situation all the more interesting. The following day, at check-out, the couple said something unusual. They mentioned to reception that the neighboring room assigned to the older gentleman with the young lady appeared to be watching pay TV. However, they themselves had searched in vain for pay TV in their own room, although they had zapped through the program list several times. The reception staff looked at each other with amusement and couldn't help but smile. It was obvious that the two of them were having a good time. So the little mystery surrounding the pay TV remained as the day wore on and the guests left the hotel with smiles on their faces. It was a memory of a balmy summer's day made special by unexpected encounters and a dash of curiosity.
An unexpected night-time emergency call
In the summer of 2024, we received a call from the police in the middle of the night at around 03:45. They asked us to come to the hotel immediately because a guest was supposedly dying. A shiver ran through us and we set off immediately.
Ten minutes later, we arrived at the hotel parking lot, where the alerted officers and an ambulance were already waiting for us. When we opened the front door, we were immediately hit by an intense smell of marijuana. Curious and worried, we went to reception and discovered a young man who had fallen asleep comfortably in an armchair. He was the one who had phoned the police to report the alleged emergency. As the young man had given the room number of the “dying man”, the officers were obliged to investigate. At around 04:00, they knocked on the unsuspecting guest's door. There they found a sleepy couple from Sweden who were completely perplexed to be woken from their sleep by the police. They will certainly never forget their stay with us! It turned out that the young man, who was in the lobby, had forgotten his room key when he left the room. In desperation, he had called the police in the hope that they would open the door for him. Ironically, his dramatic announcement that someone was dying here had actually resulted in the door to his room being opened faster than he could have dreamed. In the end, we were able to calm everyone down and clear up the situation. The couple from Sweden shook their heads uncomprehendingly, while the young man apologized and admitted that his solution was perhaps not the best one. In the end, we were all able to laugh together - and so a night-time emergency call turned into an amusing story that would be told in the hotel for a long time to come.
An unhappy night at the hotel
It was a bright morning at the Wildeshauser Hof. The guests were having breakfast when suddenly an excited guest, we'll call him Mr. X, stormed up to reception. With a worried look on his face, he shouted: “Excuse me, I think there's a burst water pipe! My room and the corridor are under water!”
It should be noted that Mr. X had enjoyed a little more than usual in drinks the previous evening, which may have contributed to his excitement. The team from Wildeshauser Hof was on the spot immediately and set out to find the supposed burst water pipe. But when they entered Mr. X's room, they quickly discovered the real cause of the problem. The tap on the washbasin in the bathroom had been forgotten to be turned off! What's more, the guest had closed the pop-up drain so that the water could only drain through the overflow spout. The chaos took its course when a towel, which was unfortunately placed over the sink, got caught in the water and blocked the overflow spout. The water ran unhindered all night over the edge of the sink, into the bathroom, into the room and finally into the hallway. Even the rooms below were affected by the flooding - a real disaster! The guest, who was not aware of any guilt, tried to play it off. His wife, who was not present and had previously worked as a judge, had tried to absolve him of any blame for the mishap.
But thank God, after some correspondence, Mr. X and especially his wife finally came to an understanding.
Sexy clips
An ordinary morning at Wildeshauser Hof. The Vietnamese trainee, we'll call her L., arrived punctually at 5:30 a.m. as usual. She entered the breakfast room, switched on the TV - and could hardly believe her eyes: unclothed ladies and gentlemen were doing something explicit on the screen, which had absolutely nothing to do with the news from NTV, which is presented to the guests without sound and which the breakfast guests can read in the live ticker if required.
That same morning, she confronted the boss: "Boss, you don't have to watch porn!" she said with a serious face.
The boss almost choked on his coffee. "What do you mean? What do you mean by that?"
L. nodded mysteriously. "I know that. You really don't need to watch it."
The boss was embarrassed and replied: "I don't watch porn at all! What makes you think that?"
But L. remained stubborn: "I know exactly." But she didn't reveal how she knew that.
The boss shook his head, mumbled something about "nonsense" and ended the conversation - but suddenly the realization hit him like a bolt of lightning:
The previous evening, the restaurant manager, a big darts fan, had left the TV on Sport1 while preparing breakfast to watch the World Darts Championship. After the last throw in the Ally Pally, he turned off the TV but forgot to switch the program back to NTV. And as luck would have it, Sport1 showed from midnight until the morning - guess what? - sexy clips!
As a result, the next morning when L. switched on the TV, she didn't see the news, but "news of a different kind". No wonder she thought the boss had a secret hobby!
Thankfully, the misunderstanding was quickly cleared up.
Because L., who has long since completed his training, would probably still be thinking today and would probably have said, "My boss at the time watched porn in the hotel!"
Moral of the story:
Sometimes it's not the news that's the talking point - it's what goes on before it!
An unusual Christmas romance at the Wildeshauser Hof
Sometimes life writes the strangest stories, and one of them happened at Christmas time at Wildeshauser Hof. A former member of the team had met a lady from England traveling on business during a previous encounter. The two got on so well that they got to know each other, which obviously left a lasting impression.
So much so that the lady was invited to his home for the Christmas holidays and New Year. So far, so romantic - but a small detail caused a twist: The host was registered for duty on both Boxing Day and New Year's Eve. So while he went about his work at the hotel, his English companion spent the waiting time at the restaurant counter. To pass the time, she indulged in a drink or two - a little too much, as it turned out later. On New Year's Eve, the scenario repeated itself. The restaurant was filled to capacity, as a coach group had booked a large party. The atmosphere was exuberant and the guests were looking forward to a festive menu and the turn of the year. But just in time for the first course, the story took an unexpected turn: The lady from England, who had once again generously bridged her waiting time with drinks, could no longer contain herself and threw up in the middle of the restaurant. It was a moment that none of those present would soon forget - especially not the coach group, who would probably talk about this memorable scene for many New Year's Eve evenings to come. Despite everything, the story remained proof that life is sometimes chaotic, sometimes embarrassing, but always full of surprises. And who knows, maybe they even laughed about it at the end once the initial shock had been digested - in the truest sense of the word.
An unexpected room problem
Before our major renovation in June 2023, our bathrooms were equipped with the classic towel rails that many people are familiar with from the older generation. These holders had a double bar that could be moved to the right or left. There were three screws under the bars, which only became visible when the towel rails were pushed to the outermost positions.
One day, a guest who had registered with “double Dr.” as his academic degree came back to reception immediately after checking in. With a worried look on his face, he explained that the room was absolutely unacceptable and that he wanted another room immediately. We were completely surprised and asked him to show us the inconvenience. Together we accompanied him back to his room. There he positioned the towel rails to the right and left so that the fixing screw heads were visible. To our regret, these screw heads were covered in rust. The guest saw this as an opportunity to drastically reduce the price of the room.
We tried to explain to him that we could not grant the discount he was asking for because the screws did not affect the quality or condition of the room to the same extent. In the end, he decided to check out. It was an unfortunate situation and we hoped that he would find something suitable for himself and his wife. We felt particularly sorry for his wife, who found the whole situation visibly unpleasant. Sometimes a small detail can lead to big misunderstandings. We hope that the memories of her stay will not only be shaped by this incident.
A memorable soccer match and an unforgettable birthday
It was June 21, 2014, the day of the German national team's second group match against Ghana during the World Cup. We had set up a large TV with a truss on our terrace, ready for the big event. The anticipation in the air was palpable and the guests had already secured the best seats to watch the game.
With just 20 minutes to go until kick-off, a group of “youngsters”, including the birthday boy, arrived in Germany jerseys. The young man was celebrating his 30th birthday and was obviously in a celebratory mood. But when he stepped unsteadily onto the terrace, it was clear that he had looked a little too deeply into the glass. He approached the crossbeam to support himself, as he could hardly stand upright without support. Nobody would have expected what happened next. Contrary to the assumption that he would fall over with the truss and the TV, something much worse happened: the next moment, the birthday boy had to throw up in a huge jet! The guests, who were looking forward to the game, witnessed an unforgettable moment that would unfortunately be remembered forever.
Despite the mishap, the atmosphere remained cheerful and after this minor incident, the match was finally kicked off. Fortunately for the birthday boy and all those present, the result was comforting: Germany won the game and became world champions in the end! This made the day not only an unforgettable soccer experience, but also an amusing anecdote that the birthday boy and the guests would share for a long time to come. Who would have thought that a soccer match could evoke so many emotions and memories?
An unexpected meeting in the lobby
In spring 2025, we noticed a man who spent an unusually long time in our lobby. He seemed to be lost in thought and seemed restless, so we politely asked if there was anything we could do for him. The man replied that he was just waiting for his wife. Hours passed and we noticed that he continued to wait without changing his expression.
Eventually his wife arrived, but not alone. There was another man at her side. Both entered the hotel lobby with a smile. To our surprise, it turned out that this man had booked a room for himself and the wife of the waiting man. We immediately sensed the tense atmosphere as the situation in the lobby came to a head. The two men got into a scuffle, but fortunately we were able to defuse the situation quickly and prevent it from turning into a full-blown confrontation. Nevertheless, it took around an hour for the participants to start arguing wildly and letting their emotions run free. Finally, a decision was made in the parking lot of the hotel: The cuckolded man decided to leave, while his wife, who accompanied the other man, stayed behind. The separation was decided there and then - a tragic but also liberating moment for everyone involved. When the situation calmed down, we were left with the realization that life sometimes takes unexpected turns and decisions are made that change lives forever. We looked at each other and were grateful that we could help in this chaotic situation. It was a story we would not soon forget - and it showed us once again how quickly fate can change.
The wine merchant and the e-bike will probably never be friends again!
On a glorious Sunday in the summer of 2025, a wine merchant who had booked an overnight stay at a competitor's hotel wanted to hire our e-bikes with his wife for an extended bike tour. After a short briefing, the two of them set off on their adventure in a good mood and full of energy.
But after just an hour and a half, they were back at our door. The wine merchant was visibly exhausted and completely out of breath. He reported that his e-bike had given up the ghost on the way. He had covered the distance back from Dötlingen - around seven kilometers - without electric assistance. Anyone who has ever ridden an e-bike without a motor knows how exhausting it can be!
We were naturally uncomfortable with the situation, as our e-bikes had always been reliable. When we checked the supposedly defective bike, we quickly discovered the cause: the operating display was not properly engaged, which interrupted the circuit. The problem was solved in one simple step and the e-bike was fully operational again.
In retrospect, the wine merchant was able to laugh about the situation, even if he was a little annoyed that he hadn't noticed the little mistake himself. As his hotel's restaurant was closed that Sunday, he stayed with us for dinner without further ado. He has since become a welcome regular - the only thing he hasn't done since is go on another bike tour. But who knows, maybe he'll venture out on his bike again soon - this time with the display firmly locked in place!