Mintrops Concierge Hotel

I booked a non-refundable room for early November with a colleague (Booking reference XOBAWRZF-1). We each made our own reservation, as I often do when my plans are certain. I understand what a non-refundable rate means, and the booking mistake was mine. More than six weeks before the stay, I noticed I’d picked the wrong date in Booking.com’s calendar. I contacted the hotel straight away and explained that I’d be travelling on completely different dates and couldn’t use the room under any circumstances. This wasn’t a last-minute change of plans. The hotel is directly opposite the main Congress Centre, in an area that regularly sells out well ahead of time. I thought the room could have been resold within minutes, without costing the hotel anything, and perhaps even for more. On the actual date of my trip, I went to the hotel in person to explain again, while staying across the street at a hotel that cost nearly three times as much. Whether I contacted them through Booking, by phone, or in person, the answer was always the same impersonal, categorical no. They didn’t pause to consider the details. It felt like a reflexive response, as though they wanted to make sure I remembered my mistake, despite there being no apparent cost or inconvenience to them. I’ve travelled extensively for work and can’t remember encountering this level of inflexibility after giving so much notice, when there seemed to be no harm to the hotel. I wasn’t asking for special treatment, just some humanity. What I took from the response was that they’d choose not to help even when it cost them nothing. That’s the difference between a hotel and a system that simply punishes.

We stayed one night as three people. The room had enough space for all of us, and the foldout sofa was comfortable. It was clean, quiet, and well equipped. We arrived early and were offered access to the room for an extra 10 euro. I understand if a room isn’t ready yet, but charging extra when it already is feels a bit petty. There’s limited street parking, with a parking lot across from the hotel.

It’s handy for both the Messe and the train, and everyone was super friendly. The place feels like a mini apartment, and having laundry available was a big convenience.

I didn’t make the booking myself, and the stay was an unpleasant surprise. There’s no AC, cleaning is only on demand, and breakfast was poor. It felt more like a student residence than a hotel, and definitely not like the 4 stars you’d expect.