I had a one night stay at the Mercure Dortmund City a few days ago and it’s fair to say that I rather liked the hotel.
I had arrived, without sleep, into Dortmund so I thought that I’d go to the reception desk at 14:00 to see if the room might possibly be ready. It was and the staff member there was friendly, engaging and personable. The welcome gift here is offered in this large glass bowl, so I went for some chocolate to give me energy. Although I was so tired I forgot to eat it and found it in my bag the next day (the usual energy I bring to things evident there….).
The room, which was an upgrade from the cheap and cheerful £40 one that I’d actually reserved. I got a Nespresso machine, a highlight of an upgrade, and all the trappings of someone who pretends they understand crema and intensity levels. There was also a large bath in the bathroom, something sadly being removed from hotels at some pace at the moment.
And a large bottle of water which given the extreme heat of Dortmund was much appreciated.
Some decorative items on the wall of the corridor. I didn’t understand them, but they were trying and I respect that.
The bar area, everything spotlessly clean again.
My welcome drink of the Dortmunder Kronen Pilsener which was light, hoppy and a bit generic, but improved considerably by the supply of snacks.
The breakfast was excellent and it’s a reminder that this is something Germany can do better than most other countries. No distraction of unnecessary hot food, just delicious cold items such as meats and cheeses.
Yoghurt, salad items and bread in the background.
This went well on my yoghurt.
And guacamole! Every hotel should offer this and I apologise that they lost quite a lot of it to me that morning (along with quite a few olives), but guacamole and bread is a delightful thing. There were also little cakes, rich coffee and numerous juices. A delight.
I read through the on-line reviews and most are broadly positive, although a few uncultured heathens complained about the breakfast, but I hope that the hotel ignored them. The extreme heat of Dortmund that weekend, when it was reaching 33°C which is evidently excessive, meant that the room temperature was just marginally above where I’d like it, but the air conditioning was doing its best.
I left my bag behind reception for the day and I’m pleased to say they returned it in the same immaculate state that I gave it to them. Everything about this hotel was clean, organised, functional and worked. Actually, it’s a shame that the hotel doesn’t operate the Dortmund public transportation system, but I may have already written enough about that.