elaya hotel hannover city, Trademark by Wyndham

For more than 400 EUR a night, I felt thoroughly ripped off. I know a modest hotel can still be a great stay if it shows that it cares, but I didn't get that feeling at the Elaya. Hannover Messe prices are high, sure, but the quality of so many things made this feel like poor value. My main issue was the lack of attention to small, inexpensive details. There were good points: friendly staff, with thanks to Martin for arranging a fan and Kim for allowing a 30-minute late check-out; a decent mattress, okay breakfast and coffee machine, a pleasant breakfast setup and decoration, and a very good location. At 160 EUR per breakfast, though, I expected better. The room had no air-conditioning, and its door couldn't be locked from inside. There was no "let me sleep" sign, so the cleaner could come in whenever she wanted. We had only one pillow, plus an extra in the wardrobe without a pillowcase. A wardrobe shelf was broken and left there. Room #10 had a very tight bathroom, a door that wouldn't lock, and mold on the shower door's silicon. There were two shampoo bottles but only one shower gel, both cheap and funny-smelling, and no soap, safe or fridge. A 1cm gap under the room door let in all the corridor noise, including neighbors and slamming doors. There were two work stations but only one chair. Cables dangled visibly below the TV, part of the curtain had come off its rail, the inside of the toilet looked awful, and a nail from what was probably an old painting had been painted over instead of removed. That sort of neglect makes the hotel feel like a money-making machine instead of a business that wants travelers to be happy and come back. It's a pity, because it could easily be much better. I'd only book it if I had no other choice.