Wyndham Garden Gummersbach

The staff were friendly, which is why I didn't give it one star. But the place feels very old and not clean. The rooms have beds and lots of empty space, and the neon lighting made me feel like I was in a hospital. We were looking forward to the swimming pool, only to find it closed.

After our room was upgraded, we had a very pleasant stay. The staff were genuinely friendly and tried hard to make things nice for us. This is a beautiful old hotel whose former grandeur still shows in the marble floors and the finely decorated walls and ceilings. You don't see details like that just anywhere. It's lost some of its shine because of maintenance problems, though nothing seemed beyond what a bit of practical repair work could fix.

The service was very good, and the rooms in the modern wing were good as well. In the main building, the period decor is interesting, with even a suit of armour on display. As a vegetarian, I found only two meal choices, which could get limiting on a stay of three days or more. There's also no restaurant or bar service between 10am and 5pm, so for lunch or coffee you have to drive elsewhere. The pool was closed for maintenance, and I wondered why they hadn't done that during lockdown. The garden fountains shown on the website weren't working either.

The hotel is up in the hills outside Gummersbach. Its front has a vintage feel, with a pleasant interior for having a meal or drink, while the rooms are in the so-called new building at the back. My room was spacious, but the old furniture and carpets made it smell dated. The bathroom was fine, and the indoor pool was nice. Breakfast was served in a dimly lit room, and the buffet food was fine. I had a nice stay overall, apart from a woman at reception who was rude and acted as if she knew better than every guest. She needs to work on her people skills.