Travel

Schiller Guest Suites in Hermann is unlike any bed-and-breakfast around. The building was originally a bank, built in 1867. Guests enter the suites through an antique shop on the first floor. Upstairs, guest rooms feature original artwork, and room names are lessons in European history. Moreover, each of the suites is like an apartment with spacious, open rooms and abundant light.

Schiller Guest Suites is owned and operated by Wayne and Constance LaBoube. They renovated the building themselves in 2003 and 2004, restoring the original hardwood floors and retaining architectural touches under the watchful eye of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

There are three suites, all above street level. On the second floor, there are the Schiller Library, named for the famed German writer-philosopher; and the Alsace Suite, inspired by the Alsace region of France and Germany. Both suites have working fireplaces, queen sized beds, tiled baths with showers, and balconies overlooking the street. Schiller Library includes a wall of books and comfortable seats for reading. The Alsace Suite, which accommodates four people, features a handsome four-poster bed in the bedroom as well as a sofa bed in the sitting room. The two upstairs suites also serve as private art galleries, featuring paintings of Hermann landscapes for sale by local artists.

Ludwig’s Loft fills the entire third floor. According to Constance, the name is a tribute to both Ludwig van Beethoven, who put music to Schiller’s Ode to Joy, and Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, creator of the first Oktoberfest. The suite is decorated with a mix of nineteenth- and twenty-first-century furnishings, and the bath has an antique, claw foot tub with shower. Dormer windows give views of the town from every angle. Another unique feature: Each suite has its own fully outfitted kitchen. Constance says travelers often tire of restaurant fare and enjoy preparing their own meal for a change. Even so, guests are served a healthy European-style continental breakfast with coffee, fresh fruit, yogurt, granola, and breads each morning in their rooms.

In addition to spacious, home-like accommodations, Schiller Guest Suites offers a variety of special events to make a stay truly memorable. Fresh flowers can be ordered for the room from a local cutting farm. Guests may order a massage or facial in their room for a private spa treatment, sign up for a cooking class with a local chef, or enjoy a chocolate- and wine-tasting experience, presented by one of Hermann’s wine experts. Shopping and dining in town is a treat, as is touring the historic German community and visiting a local winery. Hermann sits above the Missouri River among the beautiful rolling hills of Gasconade County, near the KATY Trail.

For more information, visit www.hermannlodging.com.