Holiday Inn Mannheim City - Hauptbahnhof by IHG — Hotel in Mannheim

We've stayed here twice and the first time was great. We had a nice executive room but unfortunately the executive room we had had the view of the parking next door - which was meh for a view. Can't really remember anything bad about that time but it also helps that we weren't there for too long. Then the next time we stayed there, we got very excited because we received a room (a downgrade from the executive suite but that was how we booked it with hopes to get a better view) with great views and large windows looking at the sky instead of the parking next door. We ordered room service and the staff was kind, but the food was not worth the price at all - the entree with the cheese and honey didn't taste good at all and left a bitter taste, vegetables were not cooked through, risotto was a bit too al dente for our taste (perhaps that's just a my-taste thing). I ordered a vegetarian club sandwich and received the one with bacon and chicken. I hate wasting food but we had to exchange it - they bring back a new plate with red pepper chips instead of the nacho chips (and the chips weren't even crispy anymore). We ordered a lot and we ended up eating very little after all which was quite frustrating. The breakfast was okay. But room service was really not worth it unfortunately.

Back to the room. I'm not sure if it's the windows, but the room was cold. Really cold. We turned up the "heating" but nothing happened. The air that came out was lukewarm to cold-ish. That went on for four days. For the prices paid at this hotel, that is disappointing. There was an uncomfortable back and forth with the staff that ended with somebody begrudgingly coming to check on the heating - the heating never changed, though. The temperature stayed the same. Anytime we were in the room, we stayed under the covers to keep warm:) but the hotel people said they checked the room temperature and it was hot!!!! You know what was hot? The lobby and restaurant! It was boiling down there and each time we came back up to the room, we felt like we were freezing:) We were looking forward to staying there a second time but the second time turned uncomfortable really fast. I don't think we'll stay here again unfortunately. And it's a pity because the rooms aren't bad at all and it's close to the city. The parking situation is also very expensive. But still. We liked this hotel but it's a no for...

Location is perfect near central station and city center, and the rooms are great with comfortable beds. Breakfast buffet is good with many food choices.|Unfortunately, we did have an experience leaving us somewhat bitter and irritated though. When we had returned to the hotel around 23h our experience with the staff at the bar was not great. After taking our order and promising to serve it to us at the seating area both talking to other guests as well as a cigarette break with a colleague seemed to have priority leaving a (probably) beginner colleague on their own. We were left waiting and not being served or drinks. Giving our order again to that beginner employee hoping we would get served soon appeared to have no effect yet again. It was only when the leading employee seemed to have time to serve us, and the beginner employee checking our order first (note: we had 1 order taken 3 times now), we then received our drinks. Mentioning that the ordered coffee for one of us being complementary for taking such a long time to serve us. Which to us seemed fair, and it wasn’t even a complicated order to begin with (2 beers, a water and a coffee)…|When we finished our drinks and we wanted to pay it was only possible to pay in cash and not by card. Staff saying the card register had already been closed. Also not a customer friendly treatment.|Cigarette breaks on that late shift appeared to be normal, which are taken in plain view of guests as they are done outside next to the rear entrance.|Choice of music and the volume of it (coming into the hotel and in the seating areas) are not suitable and of too high a volume to enjoy any of it.|Overall this hotel needs to consider how to properly take their customers needs and wants more into account, instead of personal preferences of the staff. It would help guests to have a great experience from start to finish...

The hotel is close to the train station, and the rooms are okay. The bed-linen are not suitable for people with allergic reaction to certain fabrics and detergent. Besides you can hear the TV from other rooms (above or next door). There are not enough hangers for wet towels in the bathroom.

The choice and quality of the breakfast was disappointing. Choice of cheese and bread was bad, only hard boiled eggs and the scrambled eggs looked dry. The salmon and fruits at the breakfast buffet tasted old and caused me food poising.

The best guidelines are of no use when they are not followed, and I emphasise again, that one could taste very well that the fruit salad and the salmon wasn’t fresh. Furthermore, all other foods I ate the same day I had breakfast at your hotel were eaten by others as well, those people didn’t get food poisoning. Besides the salmon had tarnished parts.

Since I told the checkout-lady on Friday about the salmon issue, it’s a little late to do controls now. It’s simple to do a quick laboratory testing with a couple pieces right away, to secure that no other customer gets sick from the food I provide in my restaurant.

Food poisoning from fish can be a very dangerous thing, and should never happen in a hotel.

Update: I had to delete all the stars for the service, because the hotel blogged my bank account with the booking amount for about a month after I payed the bill in the hotel. The service personnel is not trying to help with this...