Hotel Carlton Dortmund

The room itself was close to the worst I've ever seen. The whole experience began with a lot of trouble getting a room despite booking early, followed by slow, resentful service and what felt like repeated dishonesty in the first conversation with reception. I was surprised that the condition of the room made that interaction seem pleasant by comparison. At least paying cash got me a good discount, though apparently I didn't deserve a receipt. And the breakfast I'd ordered never arrived. Stay away if you have a choice.

Train cancellations and delays meant I couldn't arrive during the stated check-in hours. I told the hotel as soon as I knew, sent several messages, and called repeatedly. The worker I reached was very rude and unhelpful. When I tried to cancel, I was charged €60, more than I had found the room for.

I paid 38.27 Euro for a night, which was very reasonable compared with similar places. The hotel is centrally located in Dortmund. I spent one night in a single room and the next in a double, and the difference was huge: the single was cramped and shabby, though not dirty, and had no toilet in the room. The double felt relatively more luxurious and had its own bathroom. Parking caused me a lot of trouble, since there was no parking service and parking a car in this country is extremely difficult. There was a parking area right beside the hotel with cars in it, visible in the photos, but customers weren't allowed to use it. They said it belonged to other buildings, which I think was probably a strong lie. It's between the building with the single beds and the one with the double beds, so I think there's zero chance it belongs to someone else. You can see for yourself if you stay. The staff tried to help as much as possible. She was a little stubborn at first but eventually helped. Cleanliness was good overall. I think we paid city tax, though I don't remember for sure. It may be worth choosing for the low price and closeness to the center.

The staff were super friendly and easy to talk to, and the hotel is close to Central Station and the main tourist sights. Our beds were comfortable, though the pillows were terrible. The room had a big flat-screen TV with internet and large windows for airing it out. The room we got didn't match the photos. We expected a double superior with a huge bathroom but were given a regular double with a tiny one. Reception is open from 15:00-20:00, so there's no early or late check-in. Also, on our first night, a Saturday, the street noise and people going through the trash in the hotel's common area made it almost impossible to sleep.