Swissotel Dusseldorf / Neuss

I am Platinum at IHG and usually you get a nice upgrade. Unfortunately not here: There were only double beds, and after 28 years together: We cannot sleep on one mattress under one large blanket. I ask myself not only here: How does one actually come to the conclusion that a guest who orders two single beds should be happy that they now have to share a double bed? The rooms have apparently all been renovated to the point that I no longer see anything of the 70s style of this hotel. A bit stingy: There was a 0.2 l bottle of water, but at least two glasses. Otherwise everything was good. What I will definitely never do again: Online check-in/check-out: you have no chance to change anything, e.g., credit card. The breakfast was very good as always. Upon request, there was also an omelet, and my lactose-free milk was also warmed up. VERY EXEMPLARY: the chafing dishes, for which you no longer need three hands: otherwise you always had to hold the lid with one hand, the plate with the second, and do the serving with the third. That was solved perfectly here. The team here was always accommodating, attentive, and friendly. There is one thing you should watch out for: In the age of MagSafe on smartphones, you have to watch out for nightstands – they are metallic. I also use a strong magnet on my tripod. When unpacking, I briefly set it down on the metal table. And I couldn't get it off again by myself. But two strong, helpful men at the reception desk won the battle between the magnet and the metal table for me. It's a shame that as a Platinum guest you don't automatically get a bathrobe in your room to go to the swimming pool. You only got one upon request at the reception desk. Due to the heat and the glass roof, the water was extremely heated. The full bath in the tub was cooler by comparison.

The hotel is located on the banks of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf, it dates back to the 70s/80s and is also designed for conferences and meetings. The standard room had everything that is typical in such hotels - safe, Wi-Fi, coffee-making facilities, small refrigerator, ironing board, it was quiet, clean, and well-maintained, the staff was friendly and helpful. However, the hotel needs an update, the old air conditioning could not handle the outside temperature, only at night was the temperature in the room somewhat acceptable, in the lobby it was muggy warm. Unfortunately, there is a slippery bathtub for showering in the bathroom, the half glass partition does not prevent the bathroom from getting wet. There is a large outdoor parking lot and some spaces in the underground garage. Dogs are allowed in the hotel ($25), however, there are no blankets or bowls, it was not a problem, we had everything with us.

Crown Plaza, Düsseldorf-Neuss The Crown Plaza Dusseldorf, Neuss, Germany. A building that must have probably come from the 70s or thereabouts. I couldn't really get the specific dates. Has been well renovated. On the inside it claims to have a clear view of the Rhine river, which is partially correct. If you stretch your head and open the window and put it out, then you have a decent enough view on the right hand side, at least from our room. Else the windows have not been washed for I don't know how long, so that somehow obstructs the view. See picture. The rooms are well appointed, they are very spacious, quite nice, very comfy and very Germanic. Built for function, modern to some extent and it really works. So for a couple of nights it's a very, very decent state to play. However, going into the bathroom, that can be a bit of a challenge for those that prefer a shower over a bath. The rubber mat provided proves to be more suitable for an ice skating rink and I almost broke my neck. The shower head itself leaked on several places and the hand shower just the same. Other than that, these bathrooms are again well appointed and they work out okay. Just be very careful. It's extremely slippery inside the bathtub. The room itself, no aircon control, as you can see in the picture. It's broken and wasn't replaced. The overall arrival was perfect. The night manager who checked us in was smooth, very helpful. Same guy also checked us out a night and a half later. We came from Frankfurt by car. Took us a couple of hours, so arrived about 11:30pm Pretty tired. Parking is provided, but you have to cross the road for that next day. When I try to get the parking ticket, the receptionist kind of. Well, she thought we checked out and double charged us for the parking. But again, the night receptionist who checked us out the following day at 6 o' clock in the morning was efficient, fast and very accommodating. Overall, this, what must be a convention kind of hotel is okay. Not too far from the city and for a quick stopover is certainly recommended. I wouldn't give it four stars. In my books it's more like three stars, but other than that is a comfortable stay.