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reThe Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl sits a little higher on the northern outskirts of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, with a pasture of cows at its feet, with ski jumps stretching skyward as an extension. A place in Bavaria, as one would imagine in distant countries. From the outside, the Sonnenbichl looks a bit old. From the inside, however, it is as magnificent as ever, at least if you look at the photos on the website. It is said of the King Ludwig Suite, grammatically incorrect: “This suite is as magical as its namesake Ludwig II, King of Bavaria. It impresses with its elegant Bavarian atmosphere. Here you can also enjoy a majestic view of the Alps and Garmisch-Partenkirchen ”. It’s unclear if the Thai king, who actually does what in Sonnenbichl, also has an eye for her beauty.
Nothing is known for sure, but he and his entourage spend a lot of time there, while in their home country more and more people dare to take to the streets to demonstrate against him, the king.
A call to the hotel marks the beginning of a story that will be familiar to those familiar with Kafka’s novel “Das Schloss”: You can approach the ruler in various ways and yet stay away from him. “Dear guest,” says a female voice on the tape, “thanks for calling. Due to the current good situation of the reservations, we can only make reservations at certain times ”. For everything else, you should visit the Sonnenbichl website. But even attempts to book there fail, even if you want to be content with a comparatively modest “superior room”. The Grand Hotel, it is said, “cannot be booked due to the general Covid 19 situation.” Unable to book due to Corona? Didn’t the announcer speak of a “currently good reserve situation”?
Departure for Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Perhaps something can be accomplished through personal presence. But the attempt ends on the driveway to the hotel. A stop sign in a warning cone blocks the road, another sign indicates that this is private property and that the passage is only allowed with a valid reservation. But that is simply not possible. At the end of the driveway a burly man appears, he approaches. A shout in his direction clearly shows that no shouting is needed here.
The King’s Villa at Tutzing on Lake Starnberg
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Image: Reuters
The locals noted over the phone that the locals had no problem with the Thai monarch. In fact, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen he is very familiar with dazzling guests from all over the world. The Russian oligarch Roman Abramowitsch took over a magnificent property here from the Yeltsin family, and the Omani Sultan Qaboos, who died of cancer earlier this year, also owned a large property on a hill above the village, where he spent a few months at the year, especially during your cancer treatment. Although he is rarely seen, he is said to have donated a lot, also to local churches.
