ibis Essen Hauptbahnhof

The staff were helpful and friendly, and breakfast was lovely. We stayed three nights while attending a gig at Gelsenkirchen. The hotel is well placed for Essen HBF, shopping and food in Essen. Our room was fairly small, and the bathroom so tiny it was almost hard to move around in. The bed was very firm, and there was only one pillow.

The rooms are small and dated, and the bathroom barely has enough space for one person to be comfortable. It was mostly clean, though there was mold in the bathroom. Otherwise, it was okay.

We could book a room just before check-in because the hotel wasn't full and still had vacancies that night, though booking ahead would be better. Its main advantage is being within a five-minute walk. The rooms felt cramped and uncomfortable, with the beds too close together for lack of space. I wish the towels and sheets had been cleaner and fresher; there were stains. Breakfast was basic but enough, with several breads, cheese, meat, cereals, eggs, butter, jam, fruit and vegetables. The man serving breakfast was incredibly polite, cheerful and nice. The biggest downside was that tea and coffee cost extra, and were free only at breakfast.

I've stayed at this hotel chain in different cities, and it's always clean and welcoming, with a good bed and shower. Room sizes vary, but the quality is more or less consistent. In Essen the room was a little small, though still possible to move around in. There wasn't much spare space, so morning yoga might have to wait. The staff are charming and everything looks tidy. Breakfast was included and, as someone who loves breakfast, I enjoyed it. It's the usual German morning spread: real eggs, brot, the best bread I've ever eaten is still in Germany, cereals, cold meat, some fruit, tea and coffee. All good so far.