B&B Hotel Mainz-Hbf

Karim, the night shift receptionist from Morocco, was the star of the hotel. He was kind, well-mannered, smiling, and gave us a warm welcome. The hotel was clean, but my room was tiny and very cold. There was no heating system, only air conditioning, which couldn’t warm it in very cold weather and shut off after five minutes when set to automatic. The duvet was child-sized, and the pillows were awful. At 9:55 in the morning, they wouldn’t let me take anything from the buffet even though it was still laid out and other guests were eating; it closed at 10. The two breakfast staff were unprofessional, irritated, and didn’t smile, so I didn’t dare ask them anything. Breakfast itself was mediocre, just bread, cheese, boiled eggs, a little fruit, and yogurt. It cost 91 Euros a night for one person.

The location is great, and it might work well for a short stay, but service fell short during my 11 nights there. The front desk staff were friendly enough, yet my problems never got properly sorted. I’d arranged room refreshes every two or three days at check-in, but not once was the room refreshed unless I asked. Even when I did, the sink area wasn’t wiped down. I also had to request clean towels and toilet paper. I know many guests don’t stay long, but a room still needs a little care during an extended visit. I’ve had much better stays at B+B in other cities.

We were four friends, two couples, travelling by train from Brussels for a few nights in Mainz, and the hotel suited us well. It was well equipped and good value, with helpful reception staff and a smooth booking process. Our top-floor room had a lovely view of Mainz from the end of the corridor. The buffet breakfast was very good and worth the price. One small suggestion: Google Maps doesn’t show the tunnel under the railway line, which is the quickest route from the hauptbahnhof. It could be mentioned on the hotel website. I’d rate the hotel very highly.

We got a nice, clean room for a good price, and the city center is an easy walk away. We could hear no trains or traffic from inside. When we had trouble with a broken toilet, the staff promptly moved us to a better room. We skipped breakfast, since there are better options in the city.