Hotel Strandlust Vegesack

Vegesack is a lively, beautiful part of Bremen, with friendly people, good food, and interesting things to see. The hotel is lovely for a quick weekend away, and the room was comfortable and well equipped, though some fresh paint here and there would help. The food was excellent. When one option wasn’t available, the chef, who clearly takes pride in his work, came over himself to offer an alternative. The staff were incredibly friendly and patient with my middling German, switching to English when needed.

We were allowed to keep our six bicycles in the ballroom, which has wooden floors. The hotel is very close to the ferry crossing and looks like a building from the 1960s that’s been renovated since. I got the impression the staff prefer German to English. Breakfast was set up with one-way signs, and a kind staff member served us what we wanted from the buffet.

I’d booked a room weeks ahead and was looking forward to staying, with no availability problems at the time. But when I called about my check-in time, I was told they’d overbooked and arranged another hotel for me. I was really unhappy about that. I managed to cancel the booking, and after hearing similar stories from other guests, I’ll avoid this hotel in future. The man on the phone was friendly enough, and clearly it wasn’t his fault, so he gets the two stars.

The room was spotless, the heating was enough, and the Wi-Fi signal was very strong. It’s a good hotel with friendly staff.