FOUR Essen City Centre

RUUN!!! I'd avoid booking this place. The lobby is the only part that looks nice. The rooms are old, have no basic amenities like soap or a heater, and aren't cleaned.

The room was clean and fine, and the location worked well, but be aware there's no air conditioning. The charges were the real problem: €50 per night for damages, more than €200 in total and nearly the price of my whole reservation. Then the system supposedly updated each night and added more pre-authorizations, €150 the first night and another €100 later. Staff seemed clueless when I asked and said it happened randomly. I got locked out of my travel card, which was really stressful.

The rooms are clean and roomy, but street noise comes through even with the windows shut, and there's no air conditioning, so warm weather could be uncomfortable. The internet was so slow it was basically unusable, a big problem for business travelers. As a Platinum member, I also didn't get a special welcome or any benefits, which was disappointing for this chain. It's an aging budget city hotel with basic amenities and some details that show its age. An average stay, probably fine for undemanding travelers, but those drawbacks matter.

The welcome at reception felt genuinely warm, and the optional breakfast had a lot more than the usual meat, bread, and cheese. There were waffles to make yourself, bacon, sausage, scrambled, boiled and over-easy eggs, fruit, three kinds of yogurt, plenty of jam, three honeys, about six cereals, and more. The location is handy too, with restaurants nearby and a mall across the street. I stayed in the suite, which had a kitchenette with a sink, microwave, dishes and cutlery, a larger pullout trash bin, and the usual small fridge. There was also a big desk, sofa bed, and a separate bedroom with a very large, comfortable bed. No safe, though. The two AC units weren't something I can comment on since I was there in winter, but the heating worked really well. The windows tilt and also open all the way, which is a nice bonus. Water pressure was strong and hot water didn't run out. The dated look of the rooms isn't much to look at, but the hotel is very clean. I was here for seven days when I first wrote this, with another 14 planned. Those remaining two weeks were pleasant too, so I'd definitely recommend staying here.