Radisson SAS Hotel, Hamburg

We went to Hamburg earlier this month for a bit of sightseeing and a lot of Christmas shopping. Since the flights were so cheap (barely a fiver before tax) we decided to semi-splurge on a hotel, and ended up at the Radisson. First impressions were good – we got in a cab and the driver knew where it was from the name, no address needed. We took the escalator up from the taxi rank to the glistening first floor lobby and immediately ...
...of elegantly dressed business and not so business people, all puffing away on their 6 cent cigarettes. But when we checked in (easily and quickly thanks to prebooking with expedia) and received our keys, it became apparent that we were on a no smoking floor, so things were looking up. So were we as we made our way to the lifts, in a vestibule adorned with mirror covered ceilings. If they’d been any less expensive looking you might have mistaken it ... more

We went to Hamburg earlier this month for a bit of sightseeing and a lot of Christmas shopping. Since the flights were so cheap (barely a fiver before tax) we decided to semi-splurge on a hotel, and ended up at the Radisson. First impressions were good – we got in a cab and the driver knew where it was from the name, no address needed. We took the escalator up from the taxi rank to the glistening first floor lobby and immediately realised we were in Germany – the place was full of elegantly dressed business and not so business people, all puffing away on their 6 cent cigarettes. But when we checked in (easily and quickly thanks to prebooking with expedia) and received our keys, it became apparent that we were on a no smoking floor, so things were looking up. So were we as we made our way to the lifts, in a vestibule adorned with mirror covered ceilings. If they’d been any less expensive looking you might have mistaken it for the set of a cheap porno movie, but there was too much gold and sparkle for that. These were them there posh ceiling mirrors.

We rode up to our 22nd floor room, hardly noticing the ear popping speed at which we travelled thanks to the plane trip we’d made in the recent past. Round the corner we found our number, swiped in, and stepped through into our lovely large room, home for the next 4 nights. As well as all the usual stuff you’d get in any half decent hotel (something to sleep on, wash in, write on and with etc) there were some lovely swish additions: piped TV / radio in the bathroom; free (German) magazines; posh little toiletries; mirrors all over, lots and lots of storage, German style double glazing (where you have two windows, both openable, about 10 cms apart) – great for storing food and drink over night to keep it cold; a minibar that is both automatic and electronic (the reason said food and drink cannot be kept in it). The furnishings were on the tasteful side of icky – not quite as bad as the lovely American motels I wrote about a few months back, but oddly not quite as nice as Birmingham’s Jury’s Inn. My favourite bit, though, had to be the snazzy American style walk-in wardrobe, which I proceeded to go into, and come out of, several times during our stay. The TV had a good choice of channels, including English news and pay per films, and since we tuck to the German, we were able to find out what was on thanks to the complimentary TV guide in our room.

Service, aside from the pool/gym area, was generally good. The chain have a OneTouch system where you call the concierge with any request from a wake up call to a room service order, and they respond, without you having to call several different numbers. We rang down for extra pillows (we had a twin room with a pillow each, plus one spare in the drawer) and the polite knock signalling their arrival came within 15 minutes. The hotel appeared very clean, and the bedrooms were made up immaculately each morning after we left. The communal furnishings were nice, and lived in without being worn, and the hotel managed to find the right balance between swish international chain and local, friendly charm.

On the hotel’s 2nd floor is their ‘leisure centre’ which includes a medium sized pool surrounded by excessively large lounger terraces, a sauna and a tiny gym (the type that’s so small even mirrors on all the walls don’t help). With the exception of the sauna, these facilities are free to hotel guests, but we were so unimpressed with the service that we only went the one time. On arriving you are met by the receptionist who interrogates you as to the type of shoes you’re wearing. Being well-prepared guests full of German knowledge we went in specific indoor use trainers, not out street shoes, since these aren’t generally allowed in gyms over there. However the receptionist did not seem to believe us that we’d never worn them outside, and also needed to ask if we had bathing-shoes with us, since even clean, indoor trainers were not allowed by the pool area. We didn’t, so were issued with a couple of pairs of well worn old Birkenstock knock offs, complete with stained, sweaty foot prints from previous wearers. We did the whole negotiation in German, but even that didn’t help as the woman came off as very abrupt and up her self, not something you’d really tend to expect in a 4* hotel.

The hotel has a night club on the 26th floor, a Polynesian restaurant on the ground floor and a coffee bar and general restaurant near the lobby on the first. It was in this general restaurant that we had breakfast two of the four nights. It wasn’t included in the bargain rate I’d found on the internet, so we paid the €15 per person it cost. While the selection on offer was well worth the price, we just couldn’t eat enough to make it worth while going there everyday. For those in a rush / counting the pennies, a free breakfast-to-go of croissants and coffee was available outside the restaurant, which we took advantage of one morning. Inside, if you paid the price, or had it included with your room, you could choose from a staggering selection at the buffet tables. This included half a dozen types of fresh rolls, various breads for toasting, another half dozen cheeses, and the same number of meats. In fact they seemed to have half a dozen of everything – juices, jams, fruit, yoghurts, nuts, sausages, salads, hot items a la full English breakfasts, milks (from soy to chocolate with everything in between) and cakes and pastries (including waffles with syrup, sauce and cream; donuts; muffins; croissants…). The selection was truly amazing, but I guess my stomach capacity is not that large when chocolate isn’t involved, so after 2 or 3 rolls, and some sweet stuff, and half a litre of juice, I was full to bursting. If you can eat heartily, or have the time to sit there for the 3.5 hour it’s on each day, the buffet is definitely worth the money. As it was, we were glad we’d tried it, but didn’t feel obliged to stuff ourselves every day.

The hotel is a short stroll from the city centre, and a stone’s throw away from an international train station (Damtor) which is the nearest place for basic shopping – fresh rolls, ice cream, fruit, chocolate, books, cards and, well, train tickets. About 50m further on there is a multiplex cinema (www.cinemaxx.de for checking film times up to a week in advance). Another 100m and you’ll have passed the opera, the communication museum and numerous other places, and be on your way to the centre of the city, home to the proper shops, the other museums, galleries and churches, and at this time of year, the various Christmas markets. So, although it’s in a quieter area of town, you’re only ever a 20 min walk or a €1.05 underground / tram ride away from anywhere you might want to be.

We paid around £50 per night for the hotel, which at two people sharing a spacious room seemed a very good offer, even without the inclusion of breakfast. That being said, it was lacking a certain je ne sais quoi that I was hoping a 4* hotel might provide. Normally we stay at 2* or 3* places when city breaking, and this one, although nice, did not seem all that extra special in comparison. Recommended if money is no object, or it’s treat-yourself time, but as a general, run of the mill hotel, in my opinion it’s not worth the £150+ per night price tag that you’ll find on most sites.
 

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