Mercure Hotel Hagen

We keep coming back for the huge breakfast spread, with something for every taste. Our standard room was spacious and quiet, though the shower is quite small. The hotel is right beside Stadthalle Hagen, and the Elbers cultural area, with its restaurants and theater, is just around the corner. Downtown is about a 10-minute walk away.

The heat made this a miserable stay. We arrived in the last week of June, with temperatures over 30 degrees, and our rooms had no air conditioning. We dreaded going back to them, even after leaving the windows open all day, which let flies in. When I asked at the desk, the response was, “This is Germany.” No portable fan or cooler was offered. The lack of air conditioning should be made clear in the facilities listing so guests can decide for themselves. We had booked two rooms for a week as a family traveling from Ireland for Euros2024 and had asked to be on the same floor. Instead, one room was on the 2nd floor and the other on the 5th. There were no safes, drawers, or mini-bars, and cobwebs in the rooms. Someone's socks were still under one bed, which hadn't been cleaned underneath. There was no room mirror, so we had to use the bathroom mirror. Breakfast was passable, but vegetarian choices were limited. I would have tried the scrambled eggs, except they were in the same warmer as the bacon. For a four-star hotel, you'd think they could get a few Dyson Air Cools.

We had a safe, covered place to park, and the rest of the stay was good. The hotel is starting to feel dated, though. It was hot at night, and the fan we were given barely helped.

The bar staff were friendly, but check-in was slow. The rooms were clean and plain, with plenty of space. Heat was turned up all the way despite open windows, in both my room and my colleague's, so apparently there was no energy crisis here. There are no EV charging points. I didn't try the restaurant, breakfast, or spa, so can't comment on them.