Garner Hotel Cottbus Sud by IHG

The rooms were decent and clean, with good beds, and the price was fair for a one-night stop on the way to Krakow. I'd stay again if I'm in the area. The location is somewhat industrial and close to a highway, but it didn't bother us. At checkout, a staff member who seemed overworked complained to us about the duty roster, which didn't feel very professional.

The rooms were clean, comfortable, and very basic, with several essentials missing. There wasn't an iron or ironing board anywhere on the premises. Service was unpredictable, either spot on or awful. We waited 30 minutes into dinner for drinks for eight, and the order was wrong. One food order was forgotten completely, and we had to ask another server to enter it. When the restaurant is booked out or otherwise closed, skip the upstairs buffet and eat elsewhere. The food there isn't good. The restaurant's own food was solid, though, and the bartenders are great when you order from them.

The room was spotless, and the breakfast buffet was good value, making this a great stopover. It's right by the highway, so you can't avoid the noise.

The main reason for my one-star rating is the night access. Arriving after 10 p.m., you're supposed to enter a PIN or room number, but they hadn't given us either. If you leave before 6 a.m., a sign directs you to the night exit, but that door is locked, so you can't get out. I'm sure that's a fire code violation. When I went to check the entrance to the night entrance, I couldn't get in with my key. There was only a keypad, and even after checking, they still hadn't given us a code. The Wi-Fi worked by reception but not in the room.