Raststättenhotel Hannover-Garbsen

One staff member even made my 10-year-old son get up from the chair he was sitting in, saying it was his seat. At arrival, the front desk employee was discourteous and unprofessional, which made the welcome unpleasant. The room also smelled strongly of alcohol, as if it hadn’t been cleaned or aired out properly. These problems seriously affected our stay. Management should address both the staff’s customer service and room upkeep. If I could, I’d give this zero stars.

The room had an unusual setup, with the sink in the room and the shower opening directly into it, but I actually liked it. There was a faint smoky smell at reception, which seemed quite normal in Germany, though I didn’t notice it in the room. The car park was full, but we parked without restrictions on the street right outside the gates. It’s conveniently close to the motorway, yet down a quiet road, so I slept really well. The receptionist was very friendly and spoke some English, thankfully, and there’s a Netto store just down the road. Very good value. I’d happily stay again.

We stayed five nights during the busy Hannor Messe and found the beds wide and comfortable. They were quiet too, apart from noise in the corridor. The hotel has recently been renovated, so everything felt new and worked well. The receptionist was very kind and did her best to make our stay go smoothly, whatever earlier negative comments might say. There isn’t much nearby, just a small bistro and bakery about a 10-minute walk away, and a supermarket around 15 minutes away, though the area felt safe. Bear in mind that before the 3 pm check-in and after the noon checkout, you have to leave the building entirely. Coffee and food are available at breakfast, but I’m not sure about other times.

We paid for a miserable night. We’d driven from Berlin and were tired, so we checked in at night, but after only three hours of sleep, workers woke us with extremely loud hammering and machinery. We still had eight more hours of driving and couldn’t rest. When we explained this at reception, she was busy chatting with friends and barely noticed I was there. She then rudely said the hotel was under renovation and there was nothing to do, before turning back to them. I asked if the workers could move to another room, and she rudely said no, barely wanting to answer because she seemed more interested in her conversation. Her manner was arrogant. If something goes wrong, the staff are unlikely to help and may be arrogant about it. The toilet on our floor was out of order. The air conditioner and heater didn’t work, and we were freezing all night. In the morning, staff talked loudly in the lobby, and all the rooms down the corridor had to hear it. All I can say is we paid for an awful experience.