Residence Inn by Marriott Hamburg Altona

The staff were amazing, from the front desk and kitchen to room service. They made our month-long stay a joy. The accommodation was great, and the location made it easy to get around town. We want to come back.

Avoid this place if you travel solo and tend to roll over at night, or if you're a couple who likes to get fruity in the room. Their “king” is two single beds pushed together with a topper. The hotel is generally okay and connected to Moxy. My room was in decent shape, and the full-size fridge and kitchen area were handy. Staff were generally friendly, but management clearly didn't care about guests. That bed was the big problem. I sleep in the middle, and ended up waking taco'd between the two mattresses on hard wood. I complained and was assured it was fixed, but the same thing happened on night two. After two awful nights, I forced myself to stay on one side for nights three and four, which was basically sleeping in a single bed. I paid €1100 for four nights, and half the stay was ruined. People in meetings asked why I looked so tired. When I asked about compensation, management didn't even come out. Lobby staff were sent back to tell me “they will do 3000” points, worth about €35. How was I supposed to discuss it with someone without the authority to do anything? Three weeks later, neither the points nor the 500 bonus have arrived. I travel to Hamburg a lot and would have booked a three-week stay coming up if the points and bed issue had been resolved. Eating out gets exhausting on a long trip, but not as exhausting as not sleeping. This was a bad experience when I had an issue with the team.

Each room has a little kitchen, so you can cook for yourself when you get tired of eating out while travelling. The breakfast section is pretty decent too. It's a very nice hotel, not too far from Hamburg Altona train station, and I'd like to come back :)

We stayed for three nights as a family of two adults and two kids. The staff were courteous and helpful, and did their best to bring us the extra pillows and towels we asked for. Breakfast was decent, in a cozy restaurant, with the expected German breads, cold cuts and cheeses, plus juices, jams, cereals, yoghurts, doughnuts, croissants, eggs, bacon and mushrooms. There was also a separate allergen-free station and a coffee machine. The location is about an eight-minute walk from Ottensen metro station, served by the S1 Bahn. You can buy tickets at the station or through the HVV app, which gives a small discount. The group 9am ticket seemed the best value for us. With big suitcases, that walk felt like a lot. I wish the hotel offered a paid station pickup and drop-off, which I think travellers with luggage would really appreciate. Nearby, we found a great pizza-by-the-slice place, a huge supermarket about 100m away, and the restaurant in the neighbouring MOXY hotel. The lobby also has free museum flyers and Hamburg maps. Our studio was reasonably spacious, and the kitchenette came in handy. It had a fridge, microwave, dishwasher, kettle, a few utensils, and a limited amount of cutlery and crockery. The electric window blinds were cool. The main bed was great and the sofa bed wasn't bad either. There wasn't much of a view, just the street, but it wasn't unpleasant. A couple of things let the room down: there's no good overhead shower, just a hand shower on a rod with limited reach, and water escaped from the shower onto the bathroom floor. The toilet also isn't soundproof, so a flush was enough to wake the rest of the family. There's laundry on the first floor, but it's not free and you have to install an app to pay. Overall, there were lots of positives to the stay.