Holiday Inn Express Dortmund by IHG

There isn’t much to see nearby, but a few restaurants are within a 15-minute walk. I was there for one night as a road trip stop, and it did the job without any issues. My room was very small, though clean and perfectly fine, with little room for belongings. I think there was free parking for the car too, which I appreciated.

At 6 a.m., a fire alarm woke me and my younger brother, who’s only a child. It turned out to be an error in their system, but we were kept outside in minus 6 degrees Celsius for nearly two hours while they worked out what was wrong. By then we had to leave for our flight. I highly recommend not staying here 😡

The room itself impressed me, with things like an ironing board, coffee, and tea. I suggested that if the shower door opened from the opposite side, there’d be more than about 20 cm between the open door and the sink. Breakfast had its own problems: our table wasn’t clean, there were no cereal bowls, and there was no bacon or sausage for an international breakfast. We arrived exhausted after a 14-hour trip from the United Kingdom, only to be accused of not paying through our booking.com reservation. We’d received confirmation from the hotel before the trip. It turned out they’d confused me with someone else who had a completely different name.

The hotel is near the highway but in a quiet, pleasant natural setting, close to the city. There are a few good restaurants within walking distance, though it’s not the place for nearby nightlife. We saw lots of families with children and guests with pets. Parking was easy, with plenty of spaces even outside the hotel lot. Our room was small but comfortable and clean, with useful amenities and a modern touch. The pillows were comfortable too, unlike the usual “sponge”. We booked through booking and got twin beds as a couple, so keep in mind the bed choice seems random if you prefer a double. Breakfast was a great surprise. I expected a basic continental spread, but there was much more, and the pancake machine was great. It was very good value for money. We’ve already agreed to stay here again next time we’re in Dortmund.