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aced with a choice between modernizing his rustic country inn and leaving it a monument to tradition, the Trier-based hotelier Wolfgang Becker made the audacious decision to have it both ways. Becker’s Hotel splits the difference: Beckers’ eighteen guest rooms and suites are suffused with sleek design-hotel signifiers, while the fourteen additional rooms in the Weinhaus provide a classic wine-country experience.

The modern rooms are decorated in stark blacks and grays, with minimal blocks of furniture that match the obligatory clean lines and right angles of everything from the desks to the flatscreen TVs. These rooms are all quite spacious, with hardwood floors that sneak in some country atmosphere to temper the urbanity just a bit. The rooms that comprise the more traditional Weinhaus section of the hotel still offer modern conveniences, such as free wi-fi, in a cozy wood-furnished setting, with balconies that overlook neighboring vineyards.

The hotel’s curious duality extends to the food: the elegant Becker’s Restaurant features a distinctive and hearty five-course menu, while the Weinhaus serves more laid-back seasonal fare complemented by selections from the in-house wine cellar. This distinctive two-in-one presentation is memorable, but let’s be honest: the wine is what attracts guests to the Rhineland-Palatinate region in the first place, and Becker’s offers a fine selection of its own Pinots and Rieslings. For guests embarking upon their own personal wine tour, Becker’s is within walking or cycling distance of several vineyards and a micro-brewery.