Hotel Ochsen hosts half-day and full-day meetings, seminars with an evening program, company parties and weddings for up to 250 guests. Its largest room, the Festsaal, takes between 80 and 250 people depending on the layout, and five smaller rooms cover breakout sessions, board meetings and family-sized celebrations. Guests can stay overnight in the hotel, so a two-day program runs without transfers. The house is a family inn in Merklingen, on the Swabian Alb between Ulm and Stuttgart.
Seminars and company events
The meeting offer is built around three packages. The half-day option covers a morning or afternoon session with one break and either a two-course lunch or a standing snack. The full-day option adds a second break with cake and fruit, and the third package adds a three-course dinner with a choice of three main courses. Each package includes a projector, a screen, a flipchart, a pinboard and a writing set for every participant, and the room is matched to the size of the group. Activities can be added to the program: a coached cooking session, a barbecue for the whole group, a torch hike, dinner at a table in the kitchen, and carriage rides with a local partner. Company parties, from openings and summer events to Christmas dinners, are planned and run by the in-house team.
Weddings and receptions
Civil weddings can take place at the hotel, including in its orchard, which the municipality of Merklingen has designated as an official wedding location. The Protestant church Zu den Heiligen Drei Königen stands about 250 m away for a church ceremony. Receptions of 80 to 250 guests use the Festsaal, while the Kaminzimmer suits weddings of fewer than 80. Packages exist for both rooms, and the hotel can arrange music and arrivals by horse-drawn carriage, vintage tractor or limousine.
Rooms and capacities
The house lists Seminarraum 1 and Seminarraum 2, the Tenne, the Gartenzimmer, the Saal and the Kaminzimmer. All meeting rooms have ergonomic chairs, blackout and WiFi. A wireless microphone system is available in the Saal, and a projector, a conference phone, extra flipcharts and a facilitator kit can be booked. A lectern is provided on request. Published layouts include circle, U-shape and parliament seating.
Accommodation
The hotel has guest rooms with WiFi and a breakfast buffet. Wedding guests who book directly with the hotel receive a dedicated rate. The number of bedrooms is not published, so large groups should check availability early.
Catering
Andreas Hintz, a certified master chef, runs the kitchen, which cooks traditional, regional inn food. Meeting days include breaks with pretzel rolls, yogurt, fruit and cake. For weddings, couples choose between a buffet, a set menu and a children's menu. The restaurant has a garden terrace, and the Ochsenbar serves drinks in the evening.
History and setting
The Ochsen was first recorded in 1609. The Hintz family took it over in 1823, and in 1846 Johannes Hintz replaced the old building with a new inn that is still the core of the hotel. Brothers Andreas and Michael Hintz, the sixth generation, have run the house since 2006. Between 2006 and 2009 they converted the former farm buildings into three linked buildings around a courtyard with a garden terrace. The family still farms its own fields and forest.
Getting there
The hotel is at Hauptstraße 12 in Merklingen, about 600 m from the A8 motorway between Ulm and Stuttgart, with a quick link to the A7 through the Ulm-Elchingen interchange. Merklingen also has a station on the Stuttgart to Ulm high-speed line.
