Solinger Hof

I come back here regularly because the management is always so nice. And having breakfast included is a lovely bonus.

For €60 a night, this was a hostel-like place where I worried I might wake up without my kidneys. The walls were damp and moldy, there was a cannabis smell, and the elevator was broken. The photos say more about the rest. Reception was empty from 6:00 PM until 8:00 AM, and unless you asked in advance, nobody explained how to get in after 7:00 PM. The cleaning staff seemed to be doing reception too, and communication was reduced to gestures because we had no language in common. It felt more like accommodation for people who weren't exactly law-abiding. The one good thing: I managed to book another hotel for the night. I can't believe this place gets called a hotel.

DISASTER!! I arrived late after paying, and still didn't get a room. The guy running this place said I had to pay extra. He wasn't cooperative at all, just seemed interested in getting more money. Maybe he should put some of it into the "hotel." What an unfriendly jerk. This barely deserves to be called a hotel.

The room was a shock. The floorboards were badly fitted and shifted underfoot, the whole bed frame sagged, the TV aerial cable was torn off with no connector on one end, and the phone cable was nearly ripped out and stripped where it plugged in. Paint was peeling from spots in the bathtub that had already been sloppily painted over. The hall carpet outside the rooms had large, heavy stains. The photos on the website looked nothing like the place. We had only needed a cheap one-night stay for a trade fair in Solingen. I had called the owner and agreed we'd pay there, but later the hotel demanded payment in advance. We went along with it, then understood why when we arrived. At 10:00 we left our bags before heading to the fair since check-in wasn't until 15:00. In the evening, we found our suitcase left open in a room anyone could reach through an entrance door that was only ajar. The next morning, an employee couldn't speak German at all, and when we handed over the suitcase again, it was once more left open and accessible to everyone. We'd advise everyone against staying here. It was unacceptable, and we felt cheated.