Meliá Düsseldorf — Hotel in Dusseldorf

I had booked a Twin/Double Room with Park View. I had emailed and telephoned the hotel before to confirm it would be a twin room with separate beds for me and my 16-year-old daughter. Usually, hotels respond kindly and immediately saying this is no problem. I would have rebooked somewhere else if it was. My emails in English and German were unanswered, so I telephoned the hotel and a lady said she’d ensure my request was dealt with on the front desk.||We arrived… and that’s where the fun began. When I double-checked it would be a twin room the clerk said: “No, we don’t have a park view with a twin room. We will have to downgrade you.”|A twin room was advertised on the hotels.com website and that was planned for my booking. So to be welcomed with a stone-cold downgrade on arrival is not acceptable. No apology. No regret.||Neither acceptable was the check-in clerk's attitude. I said I had checked with his colleagues and was expecting a park view. Not a cheaper room. He was exhaling deeply, puffing his cheeks, saying that is it, take it or leave it. He got more frustrated due to my sheer shock at his treatment of me. I asked to speak to his manager. He said: “No way, my manager is on holiday, as if, it is a Saturday, no way. I’m the supervisor today, I have been here for 8 years.” I continued to insist I speak to someone more senior but he got more flustered and wouldn’t budge on any point.||I asked for his name so I could complain. He scribbled his name in the worst possible handwriting. I have my doubts this is even his real name. He literally threw the paper at me at the desk. I couldn’t believe this customer service. I have seen nothing like it in all my years of travel. I asked for his first name. He said ‘no’ and would not provide it. As he further checked my details on the computer he could see my correspondence with his colleagues. He said: “Ahh, you spoke to (FULL NAME). Put her name on your complaint as well.” He was very willing to give her full name but not his. I reluctantly took the downgraded twin room. There were about 20 people now behind me in the check-in queue. You can see from the attached picture from the room it is far from the park view I had hoped for and seen advertised when I booked on your website. We had a lovely view of a discarded crisp packet on a mossy roof. The room was dark and pretty depressing. ||It was an unpleasant experience and one where I feel I didn’t get what I paid for. Hotels.com said they had no luck or response following up my complaint with the hotel either. On our check-out the next day, the same clerk called me over to one side. He apologized for his behavior. He said he was having car trouble and was really stressed out on the previous day. He offered me a VIP breakfast (we had already eaten and just wanted to get away from this place). I respect the bravery to apologize, and we all have stuff going on in our personal lives. However; I travel to get away from stress and relax, not dive into someone else’s problems, especially when they work in customer services.||Main point is I paid for something I did not get. And no one cared. ||For your reference, I attach my delightful view,...

The Melia Düsseldorf has some positives: the hotel is quiet, the beds and pillows are comfortable, breakfast is decent, and everything was clean. The location is convenient, and the staff, particularly Assistant Manager Sabine, were nice.||However, our stay was completely overshadowed by a frustrating downgrade from a Level Junior Suite to the lowest possible category room due to emergency repairs. While we understood the situation, the compensation process was needlessly complicated and frankly insulting—initially just a 10% refund or a 10% restaurant discount (which is already standard when booking direct; I can’t believe that was ever approved since this room was hundreds of euros more expensive!). After escalating to Melia, we got offered 15%, but only after persistent complaints and further useless offers like free parking did we settle for 30%. It was baffling that I had to fight for days for this to be rectified. I felt like an alien at times having to explain that a 10% or 15% refund on a room that cost 50% more was totally unacceptable. Only when showing the hotel manager that the price difference was so high did they finally offer what I consider to be the absolute minimum which was the price difference between not even the room I ended up with, but the standard Level Room which was closest to what we were given. The hotel could have easily attempted to improve the downgraded room by adding the amenities from the higher category room that I had booked, like a coffee machine or bathrobes. I don't understand why this was handled to poorly. I expected the bare minimum refund of the price difference, and then whatever appropriate compensation on top.||Other issues included having to request basic toiletries, an awkward photoshoot in the lounge one morning which disrupted our breakfast, unreliable keycards that needed to be reset almost every day, and the lack of late checkout due to apparent staff shortages on Sundays. That was particularly frustrating because I had never had an issue getting a late checkout at Melia. The spa was okay, though the steam room’s cycling between temperatures and strange restrictive opening hours were inconvenient. Additionally, the latest Melia app update is terrible—though that’s on the brand, not this location.||Ultimately, while the hotel has some strengths, the awful handling of the downgrade and lack of thoughtful service made for a disappointing stay. Would not return. I am rather put off Melia altogether, which is a shame because I stay in Melia properties regularly...

The Melia Düsseldorf has some positives: the hotel is quiet, the beds and pillows are comfortable, breakfast is decent, and everything was clean. The location is convenient, and the staff, particularly Assistant Manager Sabine, were nice. However, our stay was completely overshadowed by a frustrating downgrade from a Level Junior Suite to the lowest category room due to emergency repairs. While we understood the situation, the compensation process was needlessly complicated and frankly insulting—initially just a 10% refund or a 10% restaurant discount (which is already standard when booking direct; I can’t believe that was ever approved since this room was hundreds of euros more expensive!). After escalating to Melia directly, we got offered 15%, but only after persistent complaints and further useless offers like free parking did we settle for 30%. It was baffling that I had to fight for days for this to be rectified. I felt like an alien at times having to explain that a 10% or 15% refund on a room that cost 50% more was totally unacceptable. Only when showing the hotel manager that the price difference was so high did they finally offer what I consider to be the absolute minimum, which was the price difference between not even the room I ended up with, but the standard Level Room which was closest to what we were given. The hotel could have easily attempted to improve the downgraded room by adding the amenities from the higher category room that I had booked, like a coffee machine or bathrobes. Other issues included having to request basic toiletries, an awkward photoshoot in the lounge one morning which disrupted our breakfast, unreliable keycards that needed to be reset almost every day, and the lack of late checkout due to apparent staff shortages on Sundays. That was particularly frustrating because I had never had an issue getting a late checkout at Melia. The spa was okay, though the steam room’s cycling between temperatures and strange restrictive opening hours were inconvenient. Additionally, the latest Melia app update is terrible—though that’s on the brand, not this location. Ultimately, while the hotel has some strengths, the awful handling of the downgrade and lack of thoughtful service made for a disappointing stay. Would not return. I am rather put off Melia altogether, which is a shame because I stay in Melia properties regularly...