Webers Hotel im Ruhrturm Essen by Accor

We were stranded in essen and couldn't book a room, even though this is meant to be a three-star hotel. The front door was open and unlocked, but there was nobody at reception at midnight. I didn't expect that from a three-star place.

The hotel was quiet, and the rooms were clean, tidy, good quality, and had good showers. We spent most of our time at Spiel Essen, so didn't use the hotel much. They had no problem holding onto our many bags of board games. The lobby didn't seem suited to playing board games, with its atmosphere and music, and that seemed to be the general feeling since we didn't see anyone else playing there. Getting to Messe Essen by bus was easy, and there was a bus to the station too. Late at night, though, there wasn't direct public transport back from the center.

The lounge by reception had a nice vibe, and the bartender was a real gentleman. He took his time making the drinks as well as he could. One busy night, though, he seemed to work at least five hours without a break while at least two people sat in the office behind reception, just 10 meters away. People were waiting 15 minutes for drinks. Come on, help your colleague! The rooms feel dated. The bathroom water pressure either sprays you and the wall behind you or disappears altogether, and two lamps were broken. Breakfast was pricey and not very good. We came down 1.5 hours before it ended, and a lot of the food was already gone. We had to tell the two dining room staff before they brought more, and it took them a long time to refill things.

The reception staff were friendly, and the rooms were modern and clean. The location was good too, with a bus from Central station to the hotel. The internet was really poor, and I had to log in through the browser every time I wanted to use it. The air conditioner didn't work either.