Centro National Frankfurt, Trademark Collection by Wyndham

After a 32-hour flight from Australia, arriving to find locked doors was a very disappointing start. A man let me in after I knocked, mumbled something in German, and seemed frustrated. He paced around and moved papers for about 10 minutes before telling me the hotel was closed and that I’d been arranged a room at another hotel 1.6 km away. He said it was better and already paid for, but only gave a vague explanation about maintenance. I asked why I hadn’t been notified; he said they couldn’t find a way to contact me, which seemed odd since they could have messaged me through the booking agent. In the end, the alternative hotel was much better, so I can’t stew on it too much, but it wasn’t what I expected on arrival.

The receptionist looked exhausted from dealing with complaints. I felt bad for him. The cleaner could have done a better job too: there was an empty grappa bottle and a half-finished bottle of water on my table. Things in the room badly need fixing. For a cheap, no-frills stay near Frankfurt central station, though, it’s not bad compared with nearby hotels.

The room was big, clean, and well equipped, the price was very good for Germany and Frankfurt, and the Wi-Fi worked well. I’m happy with my stay and will come back. The lift wasn’t working, though. Hotels near Germany’s main stations tend to have odd people around them, so don’t act as if you’ve just fallen out of a coconut tree.

The location was good, and the staff were nice. That’s about all I can say in its favor. The building is really old and the lift was broken. There was no cold water, only water so hot I couldn’t even wash my hands. Noise cancellation was poor, so I could easily hear people talking in other rooms and outside on the street. It was dirty and smelled bad.