My Südstadt Bonn

I can't give zero stars, but this was the worst hotel stay I've ever had. The railway runs right outside the windows, with freight trains passing roughly every half hour. Forget sleeping with the window open for fresh air. The location is badly placed too, with no restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, or kiosks nearby. The room had a little kitchen, but it wasn't equipped well enough to use. At minimum, they could leave coffee, tea, sugar, and salt, especially since there's no breakfast buffet on weekends or holidays. The double bed had just one pillow and a very narrow blanket. When I asked for more, I got strange looks. There were two hair dryers, though, which felt surreal. The second room also hadn't been cleaned properly. I arrived around 4pm, checked in, then went out to a business dinner. That evening the shower broke loose and fell to the floor. Hot water burned my skin, and I couldn't stop it until I shoved it back hard. The sister hotel's reception said the only thing I could do was change hotels, so I had to wash in the sink. The next day I got an email saying they couldn't repair it on short notice, so I'd have to move rooms. They offered free breakfast in return, which I hadn't booked and don't even want. In the new room, the shower door wouldn't close properly. The WiFi was so bad I couldn't work. Behind the TV there was a mess of cables and just one socket, so it was either the TV or charging my laptop or phone. The hotel calls itself a hotel, but there's no reception after 5pm or on weekends and holidays. There's no buffet at those times either, and none of that was disclosed in the booking information. I booked through AMEX, not HRS, despite what they told me. I'm going to have my employer remove it from our system. Those were the worst three nights I've ever spent in a hotel.

The rooms were very clean, and the cleaning staff were nice. The location is okay. The problem is that the windows look onto the train tracks, so it's loud. In summer, keeping the window closed makes the room warm, but leaving it open makes it hard to sleep. The WiFi doesn't reach the room, which I just can't understand in this day and age.

The room itself was comfortable and clean, but I wouldn't recommend it if you need to work there because the WiFi barely worked. I tried a different room after they offered one, and the connection was still just as poor. Browsing with Chrome or Safari was nearly impossible. Getting into the room was also difficult at first, since reception was closed over the weekend. That could be a real hassle for international travelers without German mobile service or international coverage, or anyone who only has data access.

The neighborhood was absolutely beautiful, and getting into the city was easy by bike, about five minutes, or on foot in 10 to 15. The train tracks are just across from the hotel, but I didn't find the noise worth complaining about. With the window shut, you don't notice it. We really enjoyed our stay.