Holiday Inn Express Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof
Holiday Inn Express Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof
What is your Priority Club status?
Diamond
Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
This time not really. But to put this in a relation, this was my twelfth stay there and the first one, which was disappointing. But as always, if something goes wrong, then in all aspects.
Check-In was a slow at 18:45 with only two agents on duty; both were new and I never seen them before. The agent, who checked me in, worked by the book, but did not get everything right. She thanked me for being a member. Status was not mentioned. She had not yet memorized the different elite status level. Okay, not problem. She also picked up the phone twice while typing further on. Something I dislike. I took the points for this stay, as the bar was busy and I was tired. She also did not noticed, that I was a returning guest and explained all features of the hotel and also that the breafkfast is always free in a Holiday Inn Express. We are all at some time new and I let her explain what I already knew.
I was assigned one of the larger rooms at the corner of the building, as I noticed from the room number.
Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked Standard Room and received the largest corner room, which offers more space.
How are the rooms?
My room was located on the first floor at the corner of the building. There are two rooms at the corner of the hotel, which are significantly larger and have three or four windows.
The bathroom is also larger, but only faces a shower curtain. These rooms are not handicapped rooms, the shape of the bathroom does not allow a glass framed shower stall (at least not, if you are on a budget). The single elevator opposite of the room leading to the lobby is not as busy as the four main elevators.
There is a sofa with a reading lamp and the movable desk. The TV is on the other side of the room and a bit far away, but okay. Other that this, the rooms are in the same style than any other room.
In so far, I was happy. Until I wanted to take a shower.
The drainage of the shower in the room was somehow blocked. Quite fast and due to no real separation, the bathroom was flooded and underwater. I noticed it after a minute and stopped taking my shower. I called the front desk, but no one was answering the phone. After the third unanswered call, I went down. They were not really interested in my problem and as maintenance was no longer available told me someone from housekeeping were coming. I asked for a room change, but was told, that they would have a look at it first. I got the feeling, that she was thinking, that I did not how to take a shower .... Okay.
The lady from housekeeing came quickly and was friendly, but unable to fix it. She was a bit annoyed, as here shoes became wet. There were no hairs or anything else blocking the drainage. So I was told to pack my belongings and go down to get a new room. She called, that the bathroom was more or less flooed ant to take the room out of the inventory. This time I received a regular room on the fifth floor.
And the shower had the same problem. Again, I called front desk and no one answered it. I went down the find the agent playing with her mobile phone. Again, I was told, that housekeeping were sent to my room. And again, it was not a problem with hairs or anything blocking the drainage.And the lady from housekeeping was a bit annoyed, as one was noticing that the drainage was not working properly quickly if one let water run for more than 20 seconds. As these are step free showers, the water was leaking into the bathroom quickly.
Again I had to pack my belongings and went down to get another room. I was assigned the same room type as on this stay on the first floor. This time I let the shower run for two minutes before I unpacked, but this time the drainage was fine.
What I really found disappointing was one the one hand, that this was not noticed during the regular cleaning of the room. But this could happen, if you do not use water for cleaning but the usual utensils. But staff was not really interested in the problem and there was no word of an apology. It took well over two hours before I was finally able to get my shower and I was awake since 3 am in the morning and really tired at this time. I more jokingly mentioned that this should get me welcome points for three rooms only to be told, that I already received the welcome points and there would be no more points.
Yes staff is new and unexperienced, but this should not happen and to a returning guest with high status I expected at least to hear an “We are sorry”. And no one even followed up from their end. Difficult to describe, but I was under the impression, that it seems quite normal for the staff, that the shower was not working. And also the first time, that they really thought, I did not know how to take a shower. Also that they tried to fix it first and also check on the situation, before offering a room change. I also wonder, why they did not pick up the phone, as the front desk was not busy this time and no guest were there as I went down both times.
From this on, the last room was okay as was the stay.
Breakfast was okay regarding quality and quantity.
The flexible rate was 82 EUR. Advanced purchase would have been above 72 EUR.
Pictures are from the first, larger room.
How is the exec. lounge?
N/A
What was good and what was bad?
Good
Nice rooms, esp. bathroom.
Upgrade to the larger corner room would have been nice (if I could have stayed in the room)
Rate is okay
Good connection to public transport
Many sockets and USB ports
Windows could be opened
Neutral
no real desk
breakfast
Bad
Drainage not working in two rooms
Staff unfriendly and no really aware of IHG One Rewards
Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
82 EUR is an okay rate for a fully flexible booking. Yes, I will return and have already returned without any similar problems. Also stayed in this corner room but on a differenent floor.
Holiday Inn Express Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof - larger corner room
Holiday Inn Express Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof - larger corner room
Holiday Inn Express Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof - larger corner room
Holiday Inn Express Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof Bathroom in a larger corner room