Villa Contessa – Riviera elegance where Churchill once slept

On a quiet bend of Lake Scharmützelsee — a stretch of water so large that locals call it the Märkisches Meer — two white villas share a single address in Bad Saarow, about an hour south-east of Berlin. Enjoy a picturesque setting directly on the shores of the majestic Lake Scharmützelsee, offering superb views and a tranquil escape just an hour from Berlin. The MICHELIN Guide describes the result simply: the lakeside resort town of Bad Saarow, on the shores of the Märkisches Meer, is the setting for the lovely Villa Contessa, actually a pair of villas in a unique French Riviera style, accompanied by a fine restaurant and an unusually lavish spa. Inspectors also note classic aesthetics and a remarkable dedication to the white end of the color chart, accompanied by high-end comforts and thoroughly soothing views of the hotel's natural setting. The Guide's 2026 German selection confirms the honour again: MICHELIN gave Two Keys to 37 hotels in Germany in 2026, seven of them new at that level. Villa Contessa has long been on that list. It remains, above all, a family concern: a family-run hotel for several generations, with 38 employees.

01The house

The original villa dates to 1910, raised as a summer residence just as Bad Saarow's shoreline was filling with the gabled houses of an artists' and villa colony. The elegant villa is over a hundred years old and was built in 1910 as an exclusive summer residence for Berlin society. A second building, the Grand Villa, was added beside it, and together the two now make up the resort guests check into today. Our private hotel & spa resort has a total of 14 rooms & suites (6 rooms & suites in Villa Contessa | 8 suites in the Grand Villa).

One of the more unexpected lines in its history: German press coverage of the 2026 MICHELIN Key hotels in eastern Germany notes that Winston Churchill once stayed the night at Villa Contessa.

02Rooms and suites

Across the two buildings there are 14 rooms and suites in total, six in the original villa and eight in the Grand Villa next door. Our private hotel & spa resort has a total of 14 rooms & suites (6 rooms & suites in Villa Contessa | 8 suites in the Grand Villa). Every one opens onto its own balcony or terrace, facing either the garden or the water. Each room and suite offers a private lounge terrace or balcony — with views of the picturesque gardens or superb views of Lake Scharmützelsee.

Insider tip

Check-in from 15:00; book dinner and spa ahead; a chauffeur service runs to and from Berlin and BER airport.

The Grand Villa's rooms lean toward a lighter, more contemporary register, defined by modern elegance and light-filled design. Its top address is the exclusive Grand Suite on the penthouse floor of the Grand Villa, offering spectacular panoramic lake views. In the original house, the suite to request is the Balcony Suite: a particular recommendation in Villa Contessa, with its refined elegance and lake view, this suite is a homage to the golden age of the grand hotels.

03Where to eat

Dinner is served in the single Villa Contessa Restaurant, where the kitchen writes a fresh menu every evening rather than working from a fixed carte. In the gourmet restaurant, there is a daily changing dinner menu. Falstaff's reviewers single out imaginative fine cuisine and a picturesque view of the lake, and on Tripadvisor the restaurant is rated 4.7 of 5 and ranked #1 of 28 restaurants in Bad Saarow.

A short walk from the hotel lies Hof Marienhöhe, a Demeter organic farm the hotel's own pages date to 1880 and describe as the country's oldest. Founded in 1880, Hof Marienhöhe is the oldest organic farm in Germany. Its bread, dairy and vegetables turn up on the dinner plates, a quiet counterpoint to the restaurant's French Riviera polish.

04The spa

The Grand Spa carries its own accolade: honoured by the Falstaff Spa Award as one of Germany's best spa hotels. Its heated outdoor pool runs through the year with its pleasantly warm water temperature of 32°C and its beautiful view of the idyllic Scharmützelsee.

Indoors, the spa moves between a romantic private sauna suite, a jacuzzi, a steam bath, a bio-sauna, a Kneipp foot bath, and a relaxation area. It is small enough in scale that couples can reserve the entire area from 21:00 in the evenings.

05The neighbourhood

Bad Saarow has drawn visitors to the Scharmützelsee shoreline since the nineteenth century, and the hour's drive from Berlin remains part of the appeal rather than a drawback. A tranquil escape just an hour from Berlin sits alongside the beautiful fairways of the renowned Bad Saarow Golf Club, just 5 km from the Villa Contessa.

For arrivals, the hotel runs its own car service: an exclusive chauffeur service that can pick you up from the train station, airport or even from your house if you wish.

06Making the most of a stay

On the wellness side, Villa Contessa has earned 90 Falstaff points in the Falstaff Spa Guide — a score that reflects how the kitchen, the spa and the setting work together, rather than any single standout feature. Book dinner and spa slots well ahead of arrival; both run on limited capacity.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.