Central Hotel Duisburg

The hotel cost relatively little, and that’s the only reason I gave it two stars. Even at that price, the quality wasn’t worth paying for. I arrived around 8 PM at the Central Hotel Duisburg and found every door locked. I had to call a number to get someone to let me in. That wasn’t necessarily strange by itself, but it set the tone for the service. The grey, lumpy bedsheet looked more like something from a teenage boy’s room, and the bed seemed to lack support in the middle. There was also a long black hair on top of the folded duvet, which was pretty gross. The bathroom light flickered, giving the room a horror-movie feel. I’m used to hotels in Germany having little soundproofing between rooms and hallways, but here I could also hear into the neighboring building. Someone there spent most of the night wailing, singing, and muttering. I can only guess they were mentally unwell. When I left the next morning, reception was empty. There was a small mailbox to drop the keys in, but nobody had told me about it, so leaving without speaking to anyone felt off.

The beds were really uncomfortable, and the old, downgraded rooms didn’t justify the high price. The fridge was dirty and switched off. There was dust along the bathroom wall edges, and I found hair from previous guests in the shower tray. The hotel could use a proper upgrade, especially the beds.

It’s a nice little hotel for the price. The door between my room and the next one was frustrating, though. I could hear the neighbors snoring, talking, and watching TV. Connected rooms should have double doors for a reason.

My train was canceled, leaving me stranded in Duisburg in the middle of the night. Thank God the hotel reception answered the phone. I booked a room just three minutes from the train station, and they saved me. The room was warm, tidy, and comfortable, with a clean shower, fridge, and tea kettle. They also provided the WiFi login.