Vienna House Easy by Wyndham Castrop-Rauxel

The breakfast was the only good part of our stay, with vegetarian and gluten-free choices. Everything else was disappointing, and I wouldn’t stay here again when visiting Dortmund. We booked one night for two people because we were coming to Dortmund for a match. The online listing showed a beautiful building, well-equipped rooms, and breakfast included. At €156, it seemed a little pricey, but the description and positive reviews made it seem worth it. We’d let the hotel know we’d arrive shortly before midnight. Check-in was neither especially rude nor welcoming. We were asked to pay and sign, then handed a key, and our room was right beside the main entrance. The room smelled strongly unpleasant. At first I wondered if it was stale cigarette smoke, though the hotel is supposed to be non-smoking. We noticed the same awful smell again when we came back after breakfast, and it was really hard to ignore. The room also had a small fabric pouch on the bed, covered in coffee stains. We couldn’t tell why it was there, and hoped it wasn’t meant as a gift. There were hairs on the pillow, mattress, and bath towel, and the bottom of the toilet was filthy, as if someone had used it without flushing. We honestly wondered if we were being filmed. Noise from other guests using the entrance door disturbed us through the night. Then at 7:55 AM, a vacuum cleaner in the main hallway woke us up. We couldn’t find a way to connect to the Wi-Fi from our room, either. At checkout, the woman took our card and said goodbye without asking how things had gone. We had a very bad experience. Reading the other reviews, I can only think we were terribly unlucky.

Breakfast was a bright spot: there was a wide range of fresh, tasty food, even if it wasn’t caviar and champagne. The room was comfortable and looked good, but there were a few problems. I’d booked a double bed and got twin beds instead. The receptionist said all the rooms had twin beds and suggested I push them together myself. I was alone for one night, so it wasn’t a huge deal, but they didn’t even apologize. The bathtub had no stopper. I could perhaps have asked reception for one, but it should already have been there, since I paid for the room. I was also told the sauna and fitness room were normally free for guests, but both were out of order.

There were several considerate touches, like fresh fruit in a basket at reception and a bottle of water in the room. The hotel is near a park, with friendly staff, plenty of parking, a stylish, well-equipped room, and a very good breakfast. All the women in my group were given first-floor rooms, which made it easier to sleep with the window open on a warm night. Thank you!

The rooms are spacious, but there’s not much in them. The shower was loose and moved around, and there was no refrigerator, safe, or flip-flops. The garden looked abandoned, and the staff and manager were awful. When we had an issue, they’d rather ask us to leave than help. The breakfast was the same every day, with no real choice: scrambled eggs, bacon, fermented fruit, and some pancakes, plus a few vegetarian options. The pictures were so outdated that the place didn’t look like the brochure. I don’t know how they got a four-star rating, because this definitely isn’t a four-star hotel. We paid dearly and this was the worst place we’ve ever visited. We’ll never make the same mistake again.