The alcove also has a hinged bottom shelf concealing sockets and connectors at a level with the top of the desk. Internet connection is made though a special unit which contains a power source as well as the standard Ethernet link. Unfortunately this is not as universal as it might be (it is not compatible for example with the new Dell power blocks), and access to the only spare socket is made difficult because of the inset nature of this installation. It does however result in a neat installation which is all but invisible until messed with! The visually rich use of materials carries though into the bathrooms, and the effect is not just achieved through the use of materials but also through the detailing and the functionality of the fittings. The bathrooms are dramatically well lit, with separate showers in a green grey limestone giving a contrasting finish and colour to the colours and texture of the bedrooms. The use of a dark stone sets the white porcelain of the fittings into a stark relief, making the areas feel bright sharp and clean. The rain head shower allied to the moveable massage head makes for a great shower, and the full length bath allows a long comfortable soak, and has its own shower head for hair washing over the bath. A slit window between the bedroom and the bathroom allows some external light in, and the TV screen to be seen.

The hotel is of course Wifi enabled throughout the public areas, an essential prerequisite for a conference hotel as this one also is. It provides a fast internet service through the Ethernet cables in the bedrooms, but unlike their counterpart US operation, Intercontinental EMEA has not seen fit to make this service free of charge - I would imagine for any businessperson trying to do a presentation using web material this must be a thorough pain. The Intercontinental brands in the US offer free internet access, but Branding appears to not work when a large body of water intervenes. The strength and identity of the brands in the Intercontinental portfolio needs consistency and some nurturing to give the world traveller confidence in standards being the same wherever they are on the globe.

When will hotels realise that a euro a night on the room rate will cover the costs of the internet? An apparently free internet service then endears them go a whole range of guests – especially those sad cases who want to tune into their home radio stations to listen to live broadcast to the latest test match or baseball game via the broadband link…or businesspersons reliant on the link to their offices. Only those who have not experienced the connected world think this should be charged for, any more than TV is charged for or mobile phone usage blocked. In a world where brands get over 50% of their bookings via the web from individual travellers, one would think that they would realise the importance of this electronic environment to their guests, yet they persist in charging by the hour at a rate that means a days surfing costs a guest more than they would pay for a month at home.

Intercontinental has pulled off quite a coup in getting hold of this beautiful property, in such a beautiful location. For the history of the site the Bavarian State Dokumentation Obersaltzberg is next door (and attracting 125,000 visitors a year) but the beauty of this region is timeless. The drive to the hotel is not for the fainthearted – a stiff climb and hairpin bends with a narrow road raises anxiety levels but the view makes it all worthwhile, and must be even more stunning in winter than it is in summer. This Intercontinental Resort deserves to join the ranks of the continents great hotels.