Deck 8 Designhotel.Soest

The breakfast had a nice range of cheeses, eggs, ham, and vegetables. The location is excellent, about a five-minute walk from the station, city center, and shopping area with a supermarket and more. Rooms are big, clean, and comfortable. The mattress felt too firm for me personally, but it was still good value.

The hotel itself is fine, but I'd warn people about taking a taxi booked through it. We were charged €130 for a 40-minute ride to Dortmund airport at 9 a.m. That seemed outrageous and like a clear scam, and I assume the hotel is involved and gets a cut. The evening before, we had paid only €100 to get from Dortmund to Soest during peak prices, so I don't see how this charge could be justified.

The room felt a little bare, and several switches didn't work. There was no way to turn off all the lights from the bed. I also expected slippers and a bathrobe, especially with a bathtub next to the bed, but there weren't any. The only toiletries were soap and shampoo on the wall, and there was no fridge. On the balcony, the ashtray was there, but the outside door wouldn't close, so smoke came in. The room wasn't completely clean, and there was only one packet of bath salt, when I thought there should be enough for the number of days or guests. Breakfast was very average, with the usual basics but not much else. The location is close to the center, but also near parking areas and the train station, and those aren't the nicest or cleanest parts of town. The rails and train noise in front of the hotel are both a plus and a minus, I think it's romantic. Nothing was really bad, but for over €200 a night in Soest, I expected a bit more from the service. I'd give it 4.5 stars.

The rooms were clean and the location was handy, right by the train station. It was a little noisy because of the trains, and breakfast was quite basic.