Premier Inn Hannover University

I was stranded in Hannover because of a storm and meant to book January 9-10, but Booking showed me April instead. I mistakenly reserved April 9-10, and I accept that the error was mine. I only found out when I got to the hotel. I couldn't cancel through Booking myself, and I asked the hotel to move the booking to January or cancel it, but they wouldn't help. They also rejected my request to change the dates on Booking. The receptionist was friendly on the surface but oddly passive-aggressive. He said I'd made the mistake because I was looking for the cheapest room, though I obviously didn't need a cheap room in April. I needed one on that particular day in January. The hotel itself is clean, cosy and central, and I liked it. But if anything goes wrong, they won't be on your side or do anything to help.

I stayed at Premier Inn Hannover City University in Hanover. The rooms were very clean, with comfortable beds, and stayed quiet despite the nearby tracks thanks to good soundproofing. It's a handy base, about 12-15 minutes on foot from the main station and 5-6 minutes from Werderstraße U-Bahn, with easy access to the centre and Herrenhausen Gardens. There’s free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour bar, and an onsite restaurant with pizza/pinsa and flammkuchen. Breakfast is a buffet with vegan options, and parking costs extra. Rates are usually around €70-€110 per night, depending on the dates.

The staff were polite and very helpful, and the hotel was clean and lovely. I was more than happy with everything during my three nights at this PI. Good food and great service, too. It's close to both the city centre and main station. I had a great stay and will definitely come back.

I travel often and am usually easy to please. I just want to feel welcome and have friendly staff, and that wasn't my experience here. I won't stay again. Looking back, the booking trouble at check-in should have been my cue to leave. When I arrived in the afternoon, three staff were at the front desk, but they couldn't find my booking even though I had the confirmation on my phone. Instead of entering it manually, they made me cancel everything myself and book again on their website. Not great service, but I could live with it. The bigger problem came on the second night. I got back around eleven, and the hotel was dark. Unlike the previous evening, when I'd come in around midnight, the doors wouldn't open. The only visible thing was a lit doorbell marked "Reception," so I rang it. I've done that at other hotels with late-night security. A staff member behind the bar could see me outside and called, "Hello?! HELLOOO?" I asked him to open the door, and he demanded, "WHY?!" I was confused and a little offended. He eventually let me in, but was incredibly rude, asking in an annoyed tone whether I had a booking or wanted to make one. I told him I was staying there. It turns out the room card opens the door, but that isn't easy to see in the dark. I said they should explain that at check-in. Nobody had told me. Sure, someone could forget to mention it, we could have misunderstood the door, and nighttime security matters. Maybe they'd even been robbed before by a small woman like me. The issue for me was his aggressive "WHY?!" A friendly "Good evening, can I help you?" on the intercom would have made for a completely different conversation. If I'd been a new guest looking for a room, I would have left because of his hostile attitude. My advice to future guests: don't ring the doorbell, unless you want to be yelled at.