Carlton Donaueschingen Hotel

The lift was out, dust covered the room, and the phone didn't work or connect to anyone. The bathroom door wouldn't close properly, and although there were two of us, we were given just one drinking glass. The property was a disaster, nowhere near Wyndham standard. The people running it were dressed in home clothes and shoes to welcome guests, and I saw no Wyndham standard anywhere. It felt like a fake Wyndham or like they were misusing the name. It was absolutely not worth the money, and the whole thing felt deceptive. Very, very disappointed.

“Housekeeping” came into my room without warning while I wasn't fully dressed, then tried to talk to me while still inside. I had to yell for them to leave. The man who entered wasn't dressed like staff: he wore a tie-dyed shirt and had no cleaning cart. That was a very concerning security risk. We booked because the fitness center was listed among the hotel's amenities on Google. Staff seemed surprised when I asked where it was. There is no fitness center, and apparently never has been, so that listing was false advertising. When my partner asked for replacements for our lumpy pillows, they said there weren't any, even though the hotel was mostly empty. They gave us towels to use as pillows instead. The other reviews are right about the loud trains, dated decor, and tricky parking. I blame myself for not reading them closely before booking. But the issues above were completely preventable, and that's why I'm giving one star.

The room was clean, with no view, and the trains weren't loud even though the hotel is right by the tracks. WiFi kept dropping, including in the lobby, and toiletries were sparse. The shower faced over the side of the tub instead of along its length. Breakfast wasn't impressive for €13. I thought the fake stuffed heads, velvet/velvetine chairs, and brothel-esque mirrors looked tacky. Still, I can imagine plenty of people being impressed by the big indoor fountain.

The place feels like a motel, with old installations, a chaotic parking area that's too tight for big cars, and very slow WiFi. There isn't a proper seat in the room for working. Rooms on one side get very hot in summer because there's no air conditioning. On the other side, a train line passes close to the rooms several times an hour, about 2 trains every hour. My room had no towels, and switching on the light shut off all the electricity in the room. In my experience, this shouldn't even be a 2-star hotel. I'd recommend staying somewhere else.