ESCALE CAB’ÂNE

ESCALE CAB’ÂNE Overview

Look, I’ll be honest – when I first pulled up to ESCALE CAB’ÂNE on Rue Principale in Mittlach, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The name had me curious (it’s this clever play on “cabin escape”), and honestly, from the outside it doesn’t scream luxury hotel. But you know what? Sometimes the best places are the ones that surprise you completely.

Walking inside was like discovering someone’s incredibly stylish secret hideaway. The owners – and I mean this in the best way – are clearly design obsessives who’ve created something that feels part mountain retreat, part modern art installation. Each room is basically a different interpretation of what a “cabin” could be, but elevated way beyond anything you’d find in typical Vosges accommodations. I’m talking custom woodwork that actually smells good, bathrooms with fixtures I’d never seen before, and windows positioned so perfectly you’ll find yourself just staring out at the valley longer than you planned. The attention to detail is sort of ridiculous – in one room, they’ve got this mirror that’s somehow integrated into reclaimed barn wood, and in another, the bed frame appears to be floating (still haven’t figured out how they did that).

What really gets me about this place is how it sits in Mittlach. Most people zip through this little town on their way to Munster or the bigger hiking trails, but staying here means you actually get to experience what it’s like when the day-trippers leave. You can walk to the boulangerie in two minutes – and trust me, you’ll want to, because their pain aux raisins is legitimately perfect with morning coffee on your private terrace. The hotel sits right where you can hear the Fecht river if you open your windows at night, but it’s not loud enough to keep you awake. Parking is right there, which matters more than you’d think when you’re hauling hiking gear or trying to navigate these narrow valley roads after dark. The owners clearly know their stuff about the area too – they’ll point you toward trails that don’t show up in guidebooks and somehow always know which mountain restaurants are actually open (because half of them close randomly without updating their websites). I mean, a 9.8 rating sounds almost too good to be true, but after spending three nights there, I get it. It’s the kind of place where everything just works, from the absurdly comfortable beds to the fact that they’ve somehow solved the eternal small-hotel problem of terrible wifi. You’re getting boutique-level creativity and attention to detail, but with the warmth of staying somewhere the owners actually care about.