Hotel Gustav Stresemann Institut

The only good part was the friendly housekeeping and restaurant staff. The rest of the stay was unbelievably bad. We’d booked well in advance, but from the start they put us in a room in the wrong category, without our agreement and at a different price. When I saw it and asked reception to change rooms, they said every room in the category we’d booked was already occupied. It made our reservation feel meaningless. Breakfast was supposed to be included according to the booking information, but we were charged for it too. For that price, I’ve never seen such a low-quality hotel. The room was stuffy, with no AC or fridge. The restaurant food was stale, and sometimes it felt scary to eat it. The same puddings were served day after day, and the supposedly fresh sliced fruit was sour, even fermented. Drinks weren’t included with lunch either. At checkout, they unpleasantly asked if we’d drunk the tiny bottle of water in the room, which cost 3 euros. I half expected them to charge us 50 cents for every breath of air in the room. If I were organizing an event, I’d think twice before putting guests in this “dormitory.” It feels disrespectful to the people attending.

It’s quiet here, and the local station isn’t far away. Bonn city center is about 20 minutes from the hotel. The rooms are cozy and have the basics, and the staff are friendly and courteous. There’s a restaurant on the ground floor for breakfast and dinner, with good breakfast choices. I enjoyed my stay.

The room was clean enough and a good size, as expected, though the bed was a little hard. We paid a lot for breakfast and assumed the food would be available and replenished. But 45 minutes before it ended at 9:15 on weekdays, the small rolls, croissants, and other drinks hadn’t been restocked. That’s unacceptable. Thankfully, the front desk staff were kind and sorted it out.

I’d stayed here before, but my latest visit in June 2024 was disappointing. I don’t eat meat or eggs, so that already ruled out quite a few breakfast choices, which is fair enough and my own choice. But I came 45 minutes before breakfast was supposed to finish, and the remaining food was gone. They weren’t replenishing it because breakfast was nearly over. The roll I managed to get was still frozen inside. I understand not refilling everything in the last hour to avoid waste, but guests should be told. If I’d known, I’d have come earlier instead of paying for a breakfast that left me so disappointed.