The Arnold at Itterswiller is a clever package of hotel, restaurant and shop a blend of the best of the old and the new, aimed at today's traveller, who appreciates a traditional ambience but wants everything convenient. The accommodation is in a pleasing timber and yellow-painted Alsatian house standing in its own vineyards. There is no restaurant or bar here, just a small breakfast room, and the place feels sotto because of it. Bedrooms have rough-cast, yellow-washed plaster walls, some with new panelling and bright cotton bedspreads. Bathrooms are a similar standard. The best have long views of vineyards and hills.
   For a happy buzz, just go fifty paces up the road to the Arnold's restaurant, where local residents mingle with hotel guests and the hearty Alsatian food is way above average. Here, as in the hotel, everything seems to run on rails yet there's nothing functional about it. To achieve this effect you need a head for the market, attention to detail and a liking for people: all of which, not surprisingly, are qualities of the friendly owner, Bruno Simon. The Arnold has its own wines: try the Oscar Riesling, available in restaurant and shop.