Holiday Inn Dusseldorf

Our stay at the Holiday Inn Express Düsseldorf – Main Station (Moskauer Straße 29) was unfortunately a great disappointment and did not meet our expectations in any way. The first problems began already upon arrival. Although we had checked in online beforehand, we had to go through the entire check-in process at the reception again. This made the online check-in seem completely pointless. Additionally, we had booked our room back in January and contacted the hotel in advance to request a room with a nice view, if possible. At that time, we were advised to mention this request again on the day of arrival during check-in. That is exactly what we did. However, upon arrival, we were only informed that the hotel was fully booked and that nothing could be guaranteed. We had the option of rooms on the 1st, 4th, or 6th floors. Floor. We chose the 6th floor, as we hoped to at least have a better view there. However, our request was ultimately not taken into account at all. The check-in process itself was also not very professional. The staff member wrote our room number on a scrap of paper and then directly led us to the card reader with the request to pay 12 euros. Initially, we did not receive an explanation for this charge. Only upon inquiry were we informed that it was an additional fee. It was not about the payment itself, but about the lack of communication and transparency. However, the real problems only began in the room. Upon entering, we immediately noticed an unpleasant, stuffy air. During our stay, there was a heatwave in Germany with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees. When we wanted to turn on the air conditioning, we found that it was not working. . After a call to the reception, we were informed that the hotel was already aware of the problem and that several guests had complained about it that day. At the same time, it was explained that no technician would be available over the weekend and therefore no solution could be offered. As compensation, we were only offered drink vouchers for the bar. When we inquired whether there was really no other solution, only a room change was suggested. However, we were also informed that no one could guarantee that the air conditioning in the new room would even work, as they themselves did not know which rooms were affected. When we then personally went to the reception to discuss the situation, the communication became even more frustrating. An employee did offer a room change, but refused the request to briefly check whether the air conditioning in the new room was functioning beforehand. This request seemed completely understandable to us, as a room change without functioning air conditioning would have made no sense. We did not receive a plausible explanation as to why this should not be possible. What was particularly frustrating was that another employee had previously explicitly stated that such a check was generally possible. Another employee, presumably in a managerial position, then merely repeated standardized apologies without offering a real solution. Even more surprising was the hotel's suggestion to refund us for the entire stay so that we could find another hotel. In principle, this initially sounds generous. In practice, however, this was completely unrealistic. The hotel knew very well that due to a major event, numerous visitors were in Düsseldorf that weekend and that the hotels were almost fully booked. We had not reserved our room months in advance without reason. Suggesting on-site that we cancel the booking and find an alternative at short notice was therefore not a real solution. The negative impression continued the next morning. The breakfast room was completely overcrowded. We are aware that a fully booked hotel during peak times means a lot of business. Nevertheless, there should be enough space available for the guests. Some guests were already standing with their drinks and food because there were no seats available. Unfortunately, the breakfast itself did not convince us either. Taste is, of course, subjective; however, we found the selection to be very limited. Additionally, the pancake machine was out of order and had a corresponding notice attached. During breakfast, I began to read the current reviews of the hotel out of curiosity. I particularly noticed an English-language review in which a guest complained about the non-functioning air conditioning. This review was already more than two weeks old. This means that the problems with the air conditioning had apparently been known for quite some time, and yet neither were they resolved nor were the guests informed about it at check-in. As a result, we got the impression that they hoped as few guests as possible would address the issue. Unfortunately, these deficiencies were not the only ones. In the room, the lighting also only worked partially. Either all the lights were on or none at all. The bedside lamps could not be used separately in a meaningful way. On the night of Sunday, there were heavy rainfalls and thunderstorms. Since a tilted window was not possible, we closed the window completely. The next morning, the entire windowsill was still full of water, as if the window had not been properly sealed. We also took photos of this. Another unpleasant moment occurred when the bedding shifted slightly, and we noticed that the comforter had stains on it. Since we had already reported multiple issues at that point without satisfactory solutions being offered, we decided not to complain about this deficiency as well. We wanted to avoid further discussions and end our stay as stress-free as possible. There are also photos of this. Unfortunately, the conclusion of our stay was just as chaotic as the rest. At check-out, we went to the reception on time, returned our room keys, and informed them that we would like to check out. The staff member took the keys and explained to us that everything was taken care of. We said our goodbyes and left the hotel. Just a few minutes later, as we were already standing in front of the hotel entrance, a staff member ran after us and loudly called out that we had not paid for our room. This situation was extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing. Even more problematic was the fact that the payment had already been made prior to our arrival, and we had a confirmation for it. If the reception had carefully checked the process at check-out, this error would have been immediately noticed. Instead, we were initially confirmed that everything was fine before being publicly chased outside the hotel. Overall, this stay left the impression of a hotel that is struggling with several known issues, which it neither communicates transparently nor resolves professionally. The multitude of organizational deficiencies, the lack of air conditioning during a heatwave, the poor communication, and the handling of guest complaints unfortunately mean that we cannot recommend this hotel further.

Discovery, it is a magnificent hotel, very clean with a very decent breakfast. The reception staff is very professional and attentive. Among the highlights, it is next to the center.

Very good HIX. About a 15-minute walk from the Hauptbahnhof. Check-in was fast, and the staff was friendly. The rooms are large and well-kept. The bath is nice, with a large walk-in shower. A large TV, good wifi, nice view. Breakfast was a buffet with a large selection of food. All in all, a very nice stay for 6 nights.