Akademie der Bildenen Künste

Advantages: Location, spaciousness
Disadvantages: Food. Some bathrom fittings not up to scratch

.... It sits down below the level of the railway and motorway so any noise tends to pass over it. The trains, though frequent, are fairly quiet. All the rooms are double-glazed (and air-conditioned) so you can keep the windows closed and not hear a thing. There is a Chinese-style garden at one side, full of shrubbery, ponds, paths, little bridges and gazebos where no noise seems to impinge at all. **Who runs it?** It is part of the Van der Valk chain (da-da-da-DUM for those of you who remember the eponymous 1970s Dutch detective series; for those of you who don't, you didn't miss anything). I feel a shudder running through those of you who dislike hotel chains. Agreed they can be soulless and you can feel processed, but equally I have often been disappointed in attractive-looking independent hotels, not usually by the public rooms... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Close to the train stop
Disadvantages: Poor management

...I recently stayed at Der Föhrenhof in Hannover during a trade show. The hotel is located in the middle on nowhere, about 15 miles from town center and 40 minutes from the fair grounds. The rooms were clean, although a bit cramped and no closet space, but some hangers and a small cabinet. Unfortunately, the rest of my experience wasn't very pleasant. First I learned Body soap and Shampoo comes from the same squeeze bottle mounted on the wall. The Internet Access advertised is costly. Not to mention the manager walked in on my wife and I, not once but twice while we were taking a nap. There are no real bolts on the doors, nor a chain. You have to raise the door handle upwards to bolt it. But I never expected the manager to walk in on me. Also, while checking out, I was informed that the continental breakfast that was supposed to be free... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Clean, Friendly, Pretty, Warm....
Disadvantages: Best to know some German

...Freiburg, die schönste Stadt der Welt, or the most beautiful place in the world, as it has been described. Not only is it a very pretty place, but it is also the hottest place in Germany in the summer. I have visited Freiburg twice as part of an exchange with my school, once in year 10 and the second time, more recently in year 12. Both times I fully enjoyed my experience, and although only I was only there for 7 days both times, we managed to get quite a lot out of the region, one of the highlights being the trip to the Europaprk, a theme park not too far away from the city centre. Europapark can be reached from the main train station in Freiburg through a bus service (that's how we got there anyway) and the journey does not last too long, probably around half an hour. The theme park is divided into 'countries', with each country... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful