Premier Inn Karlsruhe City Am Wasserturm

“A really excellent Premier Inn”

Having not stayed in a German Premier Inn before, we really had only photographs and the general information on which to base our expectations. We knew the room would have a shower and a kettle, but not much more. I have to admit that having a room with a view of a railway is a huge bonus in my bo… more

Having not stayed in a German Premier Inn before, we really had only photographs and the general information on which to base our expectations. We knew the room would have a shower and a kettle, but not much more. I have to admit that having a room with a view of a railway is a huge bonus in my book, and so this hotel started off with a good vibe. Our room was at the rear which overlooks Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof and the carriage sidings. However, the front rooms have a view, instead, of the 'Karlsruhe avoiding line' which on weekdays carries a large amount of freight traffic, so you win whichever way your room faces! The soundproofing was so good that we were never disturbed by any train noise. Upon arrival we were given a warm welcome and handed our room keycards. We had pre-booked early check-in, and our room was ready when we arrived. We requested daily servicing (optional) and although this took place, with fresh towels and supplies, our mugs were not replaced daily with clean ones. Additionally, top-up supplies for the room are not readily available from reception, unlike the UK Premier Inns. Problems happen in all walks of life, and hotels are no different. its not the problem itself but how it is dealt with that makes all the difference. On the first night I noticed that the water would not stay in our sink, and having unscrewed the pop-up plug it was obvious why - there was no seal on the plug! I went to reception and showed them the seal-less plug and within a few minutes a staff member with a replacement plug arrived at our room door. I was very impressed! One thing that seemed to be rather poor was the ventilation. The extract system worked well, demisting the bathroom quite quickly after a shower, but the room temperature never seemed to vary from 20.3 degrees no matter what adjustments were made to the A/C controller. We lived with it, but I was disappointed that such a modern room had such poor control. The breakfasts were simply outstanding!. A really good choice of fresh fruit, breads & pastries, cereals, meats & cheese, and hot dishes really set you up for the day ahead. Of particular note was the varied range of seeds and accompaniments, with loose-leaf tea (6 types) and really more like a 5-star hotel then a Premier Inn! The staff kept the tables cleared quickly and the buffet topped-up, apart from one morning when the bread for toast ran out. To sum up - we would readily stay here again and will recommend it to anyone who asks.

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